In your view, what qualities make a great teacher?
Posted at 5:00 AM on April 30, 2010
by Eric Ringham
(17 Comments)
Filed under: Education
The 2010 Minnesota Teacher of the Year will be named this Sunday. Today's Question: In your view, what qualities make a great teacher?
Comments (17)
The ability to convey knowledge in an ambiguous or subjective situation.
Anyone can simple write out facts on a chalk board and assign a reading. But where there is an opportunity to instill constructive judgment, to clarify, to explain from all points of view, there is a need for someone who can truly teach and not just make statements.
A person who:
Possesses an imagination.
Is ambitious.
Is creative.
Is honest with students.
Strives for the truth.
Unselfish & Dedicated
Someone who can keep order and discipline in a classroom. Children are there to learn which seems to be overlooked by most teachers and school districts.
Slowly but Surely: Miss Chegares, guidance officer. rather a phrase, or a motto.
A good teacher is one who loves each student regardless of anything else and recognizes that the child who is driving her the craziest is likely to be the one who needs her the most.
A good teacher never has the answers - only more questions.
A good teacher does not take herself too seriously and recognizes that the jobs that the current students will likely have don't even exist yet.
A good teacher shares enough of her life to let students know they are not the only ones carrying a load.
A good teacher teaches her students to keep their lives balanced.
A good teacher allows the students to teach her.
Great teachers teach students to ask great questions and then how to find the answers on their own. The best teachers are those who teach students to love learning - the satisfaction of it. Teachers are not always the person one would expect. My biggest lessons learned came from people who do not have college degrees. A wonderful teacher has an accessible wealth of information, not tests & formulas.
A great teacher has high expectations. Students will only ever reach as high as they are expected to. A culture of responsibility inspires students to try and impress their teacher.
a great teacher is one that can teach to students' various learning styles...my sister always had a hard time in math until she finally had a teacher that taught to her learning style; that year she she got an 'A' instead of her usual 'C'...what a difference it made for her to realise that she COULD do math; she learned to alter the way she studied instead of just thinking she wasn't good at it and giving up!
A TEACHER should be:
T enacious
E mpathetic
A rticulate
C learminded
H eartening
E rudite
R esponsive
Opinion? In my opinion, effectiveness makes great teachers-- not just intuitive appeal.
A great teacher teaches effortlessly. They have a contagious passion for the topic they discuss. They involve their students on a personal level and are not afraid to get their hands dirty.
My best teachers in life all taught outside the text book and figured out how to tie their subject with current real-world examples.
A good teacher notices each child for what they need and what they can contribute. Focus on the positive and support the needs.
Comment texted to MPR:
To me, any good teacher must practice creativity, expertise, and abundant observation. -Pete, Minneapolis
I will say this in plain words rather than complete sentences.
Never-ending understanding. Non-judgmental. Accepting. Encouraging. Inspiring. Dedicated. Driven. Knowledgeable not only in subject matter but life lessons as well. Has desire to continue learning. Levelheaded. Ability to see from any angle needed. Patient.
I have more words I could say but the great teachers I've seen had these qualities first on their list of priorities.
What an interesting question. To ask what makes a teacher great is to ask what people value in a teacher.
People almost universally agree that there is value in teaching kids, but just as often don't agree on what they should be taught. Everyone wants great teachers. Meanwhile school districts are downsizing and right now there is an enormous glut of unemployed and underemployed teachers. While communities wrestle with standards of education they create a host of non-standardized teaching environments like charter schools and home schools.
I love teaching and I could be a rock-star of a teacher to kids.
Unfortunately for me, I teach social studies. In our current climate, that's not valued at all.
It's interesting to read all the editorials asking "Why?" regarding our country's shrill and all-too-often incivil polarization in our country about education; about politics; about the economy; about energy; about religion; about taxes.
People want great teachers. In our current climate they value technical education over social education.
If only there were any social studies teaching jobs.
A great teacher is one who recognizes the different ways that children learn and makes sure that each student is getting the information they need to learn in the way they can best learn it.
The desire and ability to really connect with students on a personal level and engage them in learning makes someone an excellent teacher. Of course that has to be based on an understanding of the subject matter and the basics of teaching, but those academic concerns aren't enough to make a teacher truly great.
I used to teach and I had a good understanding of the subject and the teaching tools, but I was never a great teacher. My wife, who continues to teach high school, connects with her students and makes it clear that she cares about them personally. She is constantly improving her lessons to better reach her students so that they truly learn the subject. For her it isn't just about getting through the syllabus whether the kids get it or not. She has become the great teacher I doubt I ever could have been.
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