Characteristics of Effective Teachers
What is the difference Between the good teacher and the effective teacher?
One is a philosophical question, the other empirical.
The big picture: l Teacher as a reflective decision-maker l Teachers make hundreds, even thousands of decisions each day
Lesson Planning l Lesson planning is not just what goes into the “checkerboard squares” book. l It goes on all day and sporadically into the night
Lesson implementing l Lesson implementing is what people usually think of as teaching l That’s actually less than half the teacher’s day!
Evaluating l Evaluating does more than just give feedback to students; it helps the teacher, too l After evaluation, the teacher is ready to plan again.
Four areas of essential competence for teachers l Attitudes that foster learning and genuine human relationships l Knowledge of the subject matter l Theoretical knowledge of learning and human behavior l Skills of teaching {presentation}
Teacher attitudes l Toward self. “Know thyself.” l Towards children. Preferences for some, dislike for others. Self fulfilling prophecies l Peers & parents. Authority/collaboration, competition/cooperation l Attitudes toward subject matter. Enthusiasm helps!
Subject matter knowledge l Pure content knowledge l Pedagogical content knowledge
What theoretical knowledge is needed? l Theory versus hypothesis. l Educational theory. What is most likely to happen in a given situation? l Theoretical knowledge is used to (1) interpret situations and (2) solve problems
What teaching (presentation) skills are needed? l Ability to ask different kinds of questions l Ability to reinforce certain kinds of student behaviors l Ability to diagnose student needs l Ability to vary the learning situation to assure involvement