What makes a great teacher great?

The video we watched in class is an interview to three teachers who have succeeded at what they do. They are there to talk about what makes a great teacher great, about the importance of good teaching in the development of children. Cheryl Jackson says research has shown that the quality of teachers is the dominant factor in a child’s success in school, meaning poor teaching is detrimental to the child’s learning. I have always thought that teachers are a role model for their students. Great teachers are the ones who have a tremendous element of care for the children, the ones who have big expectations for the students. Marry Kooy says that a teacher becomes great when he or she makes the first task to get to know the students deeply, what they like, what they want in life, where they are from, what they know, etc.  When a teacher shows he cares about his students, he creates a positive atmosphere in the classroom, which is something we learn in didactics and something I will practice every course I teach. Marry kooy calls this “The getting to know you session.”

There are two aspects of the teaching equation. First, the teacher has to know the subject areas very well. Though it is important, it is just a small part of what makes great teachers. And the second is the love teachers have toward the students. What really makes a great teacher is the passion he has, the sparkle of enthusiasm he brings to the class, the joy he brings to the students. In other words, rapport is pretty important.

According to Richard Gerber, teachers who have enough self-confidence to be themselves with the students are more effective. Richard helped a school become one of the top schools of that area. He says the quality of teaching was a very important factor. The quality of teaching made the difference. Being a great teacher is not an innate quality. Though some teachers have that passion for teaching since they were kids, being a great teacher can be learned. The love and the passion a teachers has inspires his students. It motivates them to learn.

Richard said that another factor that makes a great teacher is the positive atmosphere he creates. He says it is difficult to teach without this; plus, teachers have other pressures to deal. I know what I need to do now. I will never forget that being a long life learner is one key to be a great teacher.

Ricardo Vasquez.

QUALITIES OF EFFECTIVE TEACHERS

Chapter 1

PREREQUISITES OF EFFECTIVE TEACHING

Having read this chapter will help me become a better teacher.  As I have believed in my life, teachers have a powerful, long-lasting influence on their students. I leaned this through my life in school.  There are debates on which way to recruit and prepare teachers. The two ways it can be done are the alternative programs and the traditional way.  According to some researchers, the fact that teachers have high scores on aptitude tests is linked to the student success. Teachers whose training had courses on child development, instructional and assessment techniques, and methods and materials are better able to recognize students need. Though this has been under scrutiny because of those programs that suggest a brief, more practical and focused preparation, I believe it is very important to know of pedagogy. Teachers with no coursework in education consistently have difficulties in areas of classroom management, curriculum development, student motivation, and specific teaching strategies. I believe content knowledge and pedagogical skills are both vital aspects of an effective teacher. Teacher certification is very important, but it is useless when a teacher certified in an area teaches another. This may convert a highly qualified and capable teacher into an ineffective one. Subject matter knowledge positively affects teaching performance; however, it is not sufficient. There is always a need for pedagogical knowledge. Researches show that teachers develop from novices to masters at different intervals over time, taking from five to eight years to master a science, an art, etc. Through experience and awareness, teachers are able to improvise. This gives an advantage to expertise teachers over new teachers. New teachers often hesitate to deviate from a plan while experienced teachers can do it to meet the students’ needs. Which prerequisite seems most important to you? I believe they are all important, and they all should be applied by all teachers. According to figure 1.1 at the end of this chapter, most people believe that the content knowledge is the most important quality. Teacher Edgar’s words last class impacted me. He said a practitioner who brings enthusiasm to the class, who creates a positive atmosphere with the students and who connects with them can be more appreciated by the students. I believe all this balanced with knowledge of the content makes a great teacher.

RICARDO VASQUEZ