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