A GREAT TEACHER
What might a great teacher looks like?
A great teacher turns the light bulb of insight on.
A great teacher
inspires you to be who you actually are.
The shame is that teacher and his students are falsely measured by those
standardized tests, not by what he has inspired them to do and become.
A great teacher imparts his or
her subject matter in a way that makes you want to learn more, helps you
understand what’s important and why, and helps you see connections
between all subjects.
A great teacher helps you when you need help, but also knows when to
leave you alone.
A great teacher knows when you need a shoulder to cry
on and when you need a kick in the pants. Often you think a great
teacher hates you — only to realize, later, that he or she was pushing
you to be and do your best.
The lessons a great teacher gives you stay with you your whole life.
A great teacher doesn’t need a script, but always has a plan with
specific objectives, fully expecting to adjust the plan continually as
the class proceeds. She knows that how she listens is as important as
how she speaks, and has developed a skill for asking productive
questions. She is prepared in case some students are ready for a deeper
challenge and others need more support. She knows how to assign and
evaluate written work that will give her a detailed picture of each
student’s understanding, and she responds accordingly.
A great teacher takes time to reflect on how each lesson went. He’s
ready to identify in detail what worked well and what didn’t, and to
incorporate those reflections into his planning for the next lesson.
A great teacher is in it for the long haul. Whether she’s been teaching
for six months or 20 years, she wants to learn more about the subjects
she teaches and about how she can help her students learn. She has at
least one colleague or mentor whom she trusts for honest feedback.
Ideally, she has a principal and a superintendent who support her
efforts to engage in high-quality professional development, and who
foster collaboration among all of the school’s teachers.
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