I've posted many actions of an effective teacher on the side of the blog. Take a look at this list that my Tuesday 9:30 class collected and think about the value of each characteristic. After you've reviewed the list carefully, please post your response to the following question...
Congratulations! You've just landed the teaching position of your dreams. You begin packing your things to fly to the new school district and realize, due to the increased costs of gasoline, you can bring with you only three suitcases. Each suitcase can hold only ONE action of an effective teacher...which three would you take with you and why? Please feel free to choose another action if you do not see the one you want on the list.
Don't forget to also post a response to at least one of your peers. Happy Writing!
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I would pack: Inspires students, clear handwriting, and shows intrest in the content.
ReplyDeleteA teacher that inspires the students is one that can get the students to pay attention to what the teacher is trying to say and make them think about it long after the class has ended. If they have clear handwriting they are able to make their notes easy to read. And if the teacher doesn't care about the topic they are teaching about, then the students will know and not care as well.
If my dream teaching job landed i would bring my knowledgable suitcase because all teachers need to know their stuff. i would also bring my exciting suitcase because an effective teacher should be exciting and intresting. lastly , i would bring my strong minded suitcase that way student wont think they can walk all over me, which i think is very important
ReplyDeletejosh bucher i agree with your qualities as well. those are very important also...
ReplyDeletethe three qualities i would take would be: being respectful,having an interest in the content, and diverse learning styles.
ReplyDeleteif you are respectful to the students most likely they are going to be respectful right back. having an interest in the content is very important because then you can make it fun for the students if you like what you are teaching its easier for the students to like learning it. every student learns differently, if you can teach with many different styles the students will learn easier.
josh sheppard i agree with the strong mind/will. a lot of students think they can walk all over the teacher and i think its important to not let that happen.
ReplyDeleteras631, I agree with the being respectful. I never really thought of it but I guess it does make alot of sense.
ReplyDeleteIf I could only pack three qualities, I would take inspire students, shows how the content applies to life, and knowledgeable.
ReplyDeleteAn effective teacher knows how to inspire students to work, to get involved, and to be interested in the content. If a teacher can inspire a student to seek knowledge not only in the class but in real life as well, they have truly made a difference. Teaching students how to apply the concepts learned in class to real life creates a passion to understand. Inspiring students to apply the knowledge to real life would be very difficult if you, as the teacher, didn't have the knowledge to teach.
ras631, I agree with your outlook on teaching with different styles to meet the students needs and keep them interested. That was one of the other qualities I really debated about.
ReplyDeleteThe 3 suitcases that I would bring with me out of state would be: 1.) Shows how content applies to life. This is because I think in order to be a successfull you have to prepare your students to live on their own in the future. Yes it is important to make sure they understand how stuff works, but if they can apply that to everyday life experiences than they have learned the material throughly. The 2nd theing that I would bring with me would be passion for the subject matter. This is because without passion the subject you teach would be useless. Your students wouldn't be motivated and not grasp the material needed for a successful lesson. The 3rd and final bag would contain diverse in teaching style. This to me is the most important because not everyone learns the same way. Everyone has their own learning styles. It isn't untill you get every student to grasp the subject that you have successfully taught your lesson. By having multiple teaching styles you will reach everyones needs and allow the students to understand the materials in many different ways which is proven to enhance learning.
ReplyDeleteJosh, I agree with you in the fact that teachers should inspire students and show interest in the content because those are crucial in being a successful teacher. Where I disagree with you is the fact about having clear handwriting. It is definetly a plus if you have good handwriting because it makes it makes it easier on you as a teacher. But technology is so good these days there are ways to get around that. For instance there are powerpoints or even lesson plans that you can make in advance that are easy to read. I just think there is a better object to place in your bag that good handwriting.
ReplyDeleteIf I landed my dream teaching job and I could only bring three suitcases with one trait in each suitcase. I would first bring passion with me, beacause I am very passionate about children, education and being an effective influential teacher and I feel if you are not passionate about your career you will dread going to work, it will feel like work and you won't be able to make a difference in the lives of your students. Then I would bring knowledge of the content I'm teaching so I wil be able to not only engage the students and show love and passion towards them but also teach them the book knowledge they need for school and life. Last but not least I would bring inspiration to the students because if I can inspire them in the great way that I plan to then they can be great students and learn to grow to be great people in life. While inspiring I can also influence them to look at what I'm teaching as positive so they will be interested and not bored.
ReplyDeleteJosh I also agree with you on the exciting part due to the fact that children loved to be excited and interested and not bored by what they are learning or whatever it is they are doing.
ReplyDeleteGuys, be honest with each other. I appreciate that Andrew challenged Josh's comments. He backed up his beliefs. Keep it up, it creates for an interesting dialogue.
ReplyDeleteNow I must challenge Josh. "i would bring my strong minded suitcase that way student wont think they can walk all over me, which i think is very important" What do you mean - strong minded? Strong minded and not flexibe? Strong minded in your discipline? I would like for you to clarify this one. I am not sure I agree with the fact that an effective teacher is strong minded.
If I landed my dream job and could only take three suitcases I would take passion for the subject matter, respectful, and challenges students.
ReplyDeleteIt is important that, as a teacher, you have some kind of passion for what you are teaching. If you are not interested in what you are teaching then the kids will defenitely not be interested. They will be able to tell that you aren't enjoying what you're teaching. It is so important to be respectful of yor students, but they should also have a respect for you. Teachers and students have a close relationship because they end up spending a lot of time together. Having respect for one another is important so the school year can be fun and productive. I also think it is important to challenge students. I think challenging lessons or homework are the best kind because it allows students to think outside the box and really open their minds.
Traneika I agree with you 100% about having passion for your students and your work. Like you said, if you're not passionate about your work you will hate getting up every morning. I think this course and observing is a great way to really figure out if teaching is what you want to do because kids don't need to be taught by people who don't love what they do.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing i would pack is passion for the subject matter. I think it's important for a teacher to be passionate about what he/she teaches. It's very obvious to students whether or not a teacher wants to be there. It also makes students look forward to going to that class if a teacher is passionate about what they do. The second thing i would pack is to show how the content applies to life. It can make the class more interesting when students know that you are teaching them something that they are going to need later on in life. The third thing i would pack is interacting with students. A class can get boring if all you do is listen to the teacher talk the entire time. Interacting with students by assigning interesting projects can make the class more enjoyable and easier to learn with hands on activities.
ReplyDeleteSarah i completely agree with you about respect. I've had a class where there was no respect and I hated going to that class the entire year. That proves that respect is very important in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteAnna, i agree with what you said about showing the students how what they are learning applies to life. it really helps me as a student realize why i am learning what i am learning. there are so many times in class that i wonder, "how am i ever going to use this?" so it helps when the teacher goes the extra mile to explain it.
ReplyDeletePersonally, i believe there are many qualities that are necessary for a teacher to have in order to be an effective teacher,but if i could only bring three, they would be:respect,passion for their subject matter, and diverse teaching style. First, respect is the key to any career, especially teaching. As a teacher, you need to have respect for not only your students and fellow faculty, but also yourself. Respect your daily commitment to teaching and your responsibilities. if you have respect for yourself and others around you, your students will have respect for you. Secondly, having a passion for what you are teaching is so important. if you dont enjoy what your teaching, how can you expect your students to like it? Take what you love to teach and make it interesting and fun to your students. I enjoyed my speech class so much because that is exactly what my speech teacher did for me. She always seemed like she loved what she was teaching and she inspired me to teach what i love too! Lastly, having a diverse teaching style is another very important part in being an effective teacher. it gets boring for any type of learner doing the same thing, the same way, everyday. mix it up and try various learning techniques.there needs to be a healthy balance between fun and games and studying.
ReplyDeletehmmmm only three actions of effective teachers huh?
ReplyDeleteWell i would first of all bring respect. Respect is so important in this day and age... especially in the classrooms. Sometimes the only respect a student receives is from his teacher and/or fellow students. If I show my students respect, then in turn they will learn to show respect for everyone in the classroom. I would also take interacts with students. First of all, working alongside, not just monologuing at the front of the class room, will help keep the students' attention. Second, students need teachers who are not only interested in what they teach but also in the students themselves. By interacting with students, I will get to know them better and can also learn from them as well. The last thing I would bring is shows how content applies to life. The reason we teach is to prepare the students for life beyond schooling. What better way to ready them than to present our content in a way that would further their understanding of the content in view of how it could apply to life. Nobody wants to learn something if it doesn't have any applications in real life.
The three items that I would choose would be respect, knowledge of the subject, and inspiration of the students.
ReplyDeleteI chose respect because I belive that the only way that people can learn to be like adults and respect one another is to recieve respect and to be treated like adults. If the students are treated like children, they will continue to act like children.
I chose knowledge of the subject area for obvious reasons. I f a teacher does not have a thorough understanding of the subject area, what can he or she possibly give to the students?
Finally, I chose the inspiration of students. I chose this because, if a student does not get inspired to work hard, in and out of class, or does not develope any sense of curiosity, chances are that if the student learns anything at all, he or she will forget it after they take the test on the material. For example, I am interested in musical education, and a student is not inspired to go home and practice thier instrument, and only plays for the hour that he or she has my class, how could that student possibly become a better musician. The same applies for all subjects. The student must work hard both in and out of the classroom.
Anna I totally agree with you. If you have no passion for what you are teaching, then why even teach. I've had my fair share of teachers who really don't want to teach their subject of just teach in general. It made those classes horrible. Especially math, there was a math class where the teacher admittedly said that they didn't want to teach, they were just good at math and getting a degree was easier. I'm not good at math to begin with so just having a teacher who had no enthusiasm or really even any explaination of how to do things, just made it even harder to learn.
ReplyDeleteWell... I would bring with me a passion for my subject, respect for the students and having a diverse teaching style. Passion for me is the most important to be able to teach effectively. Sure it may not be the students favorite subject but I think with me knowing my subject and being enthusiastic about it will help them learn it better. I may come off as the crazy nerdy history teacher but I already know I am so THERE! :) Respect is very important in the class room. I know some teachers who treated people like babies even in high school. It was horrible, it's like hello.... how do you expect us to treat you with respect, when you're treating us like children... it just won't work. One teacher in particular tried to go slowly through every assignment, holding our hand and saying soothing words... That didn't help us learn anything. Having a diverse teaching style really helps your classes be new and exciting every class. I think that a lot of people learn with many different teaching styles and not just reading from the book and assigning homework. I know for in history, for example, there are movies other than from the history channel that are historically accurate. I think that students would be more interested or at least be entertained to the point where they learn more about the subject. I think that actually comparing and contrasting things on the board would help them as well. Getting the students involved really is what is the key for them to learn.
ReplyDeleteIf I had to only bring three suitcases...my first would have to be patience. I chose patience because without it, as a teacher, there isn't enough Tums or Xanax in the world without it and it wouldn't be easy trying to explain to the emergency rooms why they have an influx of students with their heads bitten off because I couldn't handle it. Anyway patience, helps students understand that they are important, and that they matter. When you have patients with calm authority, you can listen better too what your students are saying and actually understand them. Your day goes by smoother and your students don't feel frustrated because YOU are. The second thing I would bring would be Dedication. A teacher who is dedicated to their jobs actually enjoys it and it shows. They will get on the students level, make eye contact as they are speaking, teach with well thought out and planned lessons that are interesting and motivational, and show their students respect. The third thing I would bring would be A Healthy Understanding and Acceptance of Educational Diversities. There are many diversities in a classroom that may include those who are extremely intellegent, those with special needs, those cultually challenged, and those whose lifestyles affect their learning. Understanding that all students have a need for education, but their learning styles are different is a necessity. Accepting that and adjusting your teaching style and classroom to either fit that need or fit those who are to assist them would bennefit the classroom as a whole. I worked as a special needs para for about three years. I worked in a classroom with a teacher who had all three of these traits and then I also worked in a classroom (only for a very short time!) with a teacher who had none of them. It was amazing the difference in behavior and balance in atmosphere.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that I agree with many other traits mentioned. I want to add to Anna Frkovic's though. Interacting with students may include assigning hands on projects that make the class more interesting, but more impotantly I think it means speaking with them and moving around. Helping them if they have problems. Finding out if they understand the hands on projects. Letting them know you are available if they don't.
ReplyDeleteMelissa, I like that you chose an understanding and acceptance of educational diversities. I think that understanding one's students is essential to learning in the classroom. This trait ties in with another trait that you chose, patience. I have had teachers who have lacked both of these traits, and learning in such an environment is very difficult.
ReplyDeleteThe three qualities I would choose are: inspiring students, diverse teaching methods, and passion for the subject matter.
ReplyDeleteI chose all three of these for specific reasons. Firstly, inspiring students because I feel like inspiration is one of the ultimate gifts you can give someone and a huge accomplishment. Next I chose diverse teaching methods that way I could reach hopefully all of my students and not just some. Understanding material is important, and would be difficult if a student could not even understand the teacher. Lastly, I chose passion for subject matter. I feel like if I really and truly care about what I am teaching, that it is going to come across as more interesting. If I love the subject matter and feel that it is important I am going to try my hardest to make it fun and interesting for the students. I will care about getting it through to them.
Sara, I agree with you on challenging the students. Even though those assignments/activites/projects aren't usually ones liked at the time, they are almost always appreciated down the road. I think it is great for something to be challenging, if it is meaningful/beneficial.
ReplyDeleteThree qualities...
ReplyDeleteWell, like most of you I would definitely bring passion. Both passion for the subject and passion for what you do are things I consider essential for inspiring students and motivating them to learn.
Second, knowledge for the subject matter. I really hate it when sometimes teachers don't seem sure of what they're teaching, and don't seem to care about it.
And last, I would say caring for the students is something I wouldn't want to leave behind. An effective teacher I think should care about the student's improvement and interest in the class, and should find ways to get students interested if they aren't.
In my first suitcase I would pack interacts with students. This, to me, is an important quality for an effective teacher because it keeps the students interested. Students pick up on the information faster and they recall it easier when they interact.
ReplyDeleteIn my next suitcase I would pack diverse in teaching style. I believe this is important because different students learn different ways. If I am able to teach the information in more than one way it gives the students more of a chance to succeed.
In my third suitcases I would pack inspires the students. If I am able to inspire the students they will be more inclined to further their education.
Andrew Elmendorf
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that diverse teaching styles are important. Students learn in so many different ways. They can be auditory learners, visual learners or kinesthetic learners. Being able to teach in different ways helps teach all of the learners. If a student is kinesthetic and all you ever do as a teacher is power points and write on the board that student is always going to feel lost, or like they aren’t as smart as the rest of the class and they are going to be discouraged. If you can teach in different styles you have a better chance of engaging everyone. Giving everyone a chance to succeed and or feel smart.
My first quality would be a passion for the subject material. I hope to be a band director, and I do not believe that you can make meaningful and beautiful music without a passion for it. In fact, my passion for music is what is driving me to be a teacher, so that I can share it with my students. My second suitcase would contain challenges the students. My grade school band director consistently pushed us to achieve a higher level of skill. We played some music meant for high school, and knowing that we could play it boosted our confidence in ourselves and our band. My third suitcase would contain respect. It takes a lot of mutual respect to make a good band, especially when correcting mistakes. They say that in order to gain respect you have to show it, and all effective teachers have respect for their students.
ReplyDeleteLuckily I don't need clear handwriting, or else I might be in trouble.
Michael Belaska, I completely agree with your third suitcase. I'm a Music Education major as well, so I understand the particular example you put there. Inspiration is important to any subject, really. Specifically, music is a good example because inspiration is such a big part of playing well.
ReplyDeleteI choose speak clearly because I am an international student and sometimes I do not understand what my teachers say.
ReplyDeleteI also pick, inspire studentes. because it is really important to motivate students in order to reach the goal of education, learning.
and finally I choose shows how content applies to life. usually we forget what we do not use... so if you apply what you know, it is harder to forget
I am absolutly agree with Ally, she said: If I could only pack three qualities, I would take inspire students, shows how the content applies to life, and knowledgeable.
ReplyDeleteso close to my 3 options...
Yes Michael! I totally agree with you on the inspiration of students thing! I am also a music ed major and I know how hard it is for students to ever retain knowledge of the music or desire to practice and therefore get better. My brothers always loved music but not always loved to practice. Their band teacher was passionate about music and showed how music could be so much fun and how it could be used to bless others. They quickly were inspired to practice more and they loved how they got better and even got to advance to the top bands!
ReplyDeleteI would wanna take them all and smash them in my suite case lol. The first quality i would pick would be knowing your students. this is important to know your students so you know how to interact with them and the best styles of teaching to use for each so everyone learns. My second choice would be to inspire my students this i feel like should be a goal for every teacher. i want to inspire my students to some how or some what enjoy school and take and interest in what im trying to teach. the last thing i pick to take would be fun/interesting. i want my students to like me and be excited to come to school and see me or to have my class. not saying im going to be the easy fun teacher im going to be the teacher that makes you think and challenges you to keep the students interested. those are my 3 qualities that i pick to make me an effective teacher. but i would want them all to be the best :)
ReplyDeleteSam A. passion is a very good one. i think it goes along with inspiration. i think every teacher needs both of them. with out passion how can you students enjoy what your teaching and for music you can really tell when some one has the passion for it.
ReplyDeleteMelissa Bagley, I agree with you completely in your patience suitcase. Many times teachers lack some patience, some students need more time to understand things and get interested. A teacher with patience is more likely to effectively teach than that one who will just get annoyed by questions.
ReplyDeleteWell, I think if I had to choose three they would be passion for the subject matter, cares for students, and knows the content. Passion in the teaching profession is imperitive. Teachers need to like and or love what they are doing. If you are not passionate about what you are doing, more than likely you won't be doing it to the best of your ability. Obviously caring for the well being of your students in and outside of the classroom is always important. If you show them that you care, it will go a long way in helping make them cofortable enough to learn/ask questions. Knowing what you're teaching is important because if you don't know then students will not respect you. They might not believe in what you are telling them if you don't seem to know what you are talking about.
ReplyDeleteVictor, I like what you had to say about application of what you know, and how that will stick with you a whole lot better throughout life.
ReplyDeleteI think the three most important aspects or qualities of teaching I would bring on an airplane to a new school would have to be: 0ne, a great passion for teaching because if you aren't passionate in what you are doing, then why would the students want to be passionate? Two, a strong passion for the learning of students; if they aren't passionate, at least a little, I don't believe I would be passionate enough as a teacher. And three, being involved, to an extent, in my students academic and social lives because being in a new place and being the new teacher would seem to be challenging enough. Getting involved in other classes' work and social activities of the student would show them how passionate I really am about my teaching AND their learning. Number three would also be beneficial by showing, not only the students, how much I care, but also my fellow staff.
ReplyDeleteI agree mostly with you, John S. and Kristina Z., but wouldn't you say that the quality of "the students liking you," and "knowing what you are teaching," could fall under the catagory of being passionate about your teaching? This not only allows you to kind of put two things into one suitcase, but also makes the "challenge" of your students liking you and knowing what you are teaching more of a natural aspect or quality of your teaching?! Just my thought!
ReplyDeleteI'd bring passion for subject matter, supports students, and knows his/her students.
ReplyDeleteHaving passion for the subject matter is a great thing because a teacher who doesn't even like the subject would be a horrible teacher.
Supporting the students and knowing them go hand in hand. When you know your students well enough, you can be proud of them when they do something out of the ordinary of what they've always done, such as a student who never does homework actually tries and gets a good grade, or someone who's always tardy comes to class on time. That's when you can know that you've been doing well teaching and the students actually enjoy your class and having you as their teacher. If you know them well, then you would be able to interact with them on a personal level and be able to be a support for them during troubled times.
I agree with Ally in that not having the knowledge to teach the subject you're supposed to be teaching would make things difficult if you ever wanted to inspire students to use that knowledge in the real world.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing I would bring with me is the diverse teaching style. This is something I find really important. Esp. since I'm going into Elementary Edu. and Speical Edu. Children learn different and need to approach the material differently to be able to understand the context. I feel this area is something not all teachers can do, but if you are going to be an effective teacher I find it to be a necessity. The second thing I would bring is apply the content to real life. To have an impact, make it memorable, and easier to learn; it's important to make the material that's being taught and apply it to real life. The third thing I would take is respect. Everyone needs to be respectful, but to be effective the students must feel as if you respect them. This allows them to feel comfortable around you.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with Lauren and her idea of interacting with the students. That is something I didn't really think of; but it makes a lot of sense. It's good to get on a personal level with those your teaching, instead of a level where the students come, listen to you lecture, then leave. When students feel that their teacher is there and cares and it is going to motivate them.
ReplyDeleteThe first suitcase I would bring wih me would hold patience. I'm going into early childhood/elementary education, so I know patience is a quility I will need in abundance with students of that age. The second suitcase would contain the ability to challenge my students. If a teacher isn't challenging her students, they aren't gaining new knowledge. And the final quality of an effective teacher I would bring along would be passion for teaching. Teachers are usually underpaid and underappreciated, so I will need my passion and love for teaching children to keep me going and make me want to go to work every morning.
ReplyDeleteLisa, I agree with you that teachers are more effective if they relate content to their students. If the content is put at their level of learning, it is easier for them to enjoy and understand. My favorite and most memorable teacher did this all the time. It would have been the fourth quality I would have brought along =)
ReplyDeletethe three that i would pick are being respectful because respect keeps relationships calm and functionable, challenging the students because that just sounds obvious when talking about what a teachers job is, and passion for subject matter because if you dont love what you are doing, the people that you are teaching these things arent going to enjoy it at all.
ReplyDeletekenny, you smell like roses.
each of the qualities of a good teacher that you posted were excellent.. i would also throw in responsibility and organization too..
ReplyDeletewell stated emily ;)
ReplyDeleteIf i landed my dream job i would take knowledge with me because knowing your material is most important for teaching. I would also take organization because a teacher cannot teach up to their potential if they are not properly organized. Lastly i would take responsibility because a teacher has to be responsible for all the students in their class.
ReplyDeleteIf i landed my dream job in teaching i would take the following qualities: challenging students, offers help, and inspires students. I chose these qualities because if you aren't challenging the students then there is no reason for them to be in school at all. I would also like to inspire my students to want to become the best people they can be in life. I would also like to offer help because i've always hated when teachers give hard material and never volunteered any of there help.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with most of you in the fact that you need to bring respect along with you as well.
ReplyDelete