what is good teaching essay

What Is Good Teaching?

Over the past two years, I talked with veteran educators across the country as I tried to answer this question.

Editor’s Note: In 1988, a teacher most commonly had 15 years of experience. In recent years, that number is closer to just three years leading a classroom. The “On Teaching” series focuses on the wisdom of veteran teachers.

R enee Moore still remembers the young man who changed the way she taught. It was 1999, and Moore was teaching at the nearly all-Black Broad Street High School in the rural town of Shelby in the Mississippi Delta. The 17-year-old who walked into her 10th-grade English class excelled in math but had never been taught how to write a proper sentence. He had spent nine years in separate classrooms for students with disabilities; looking back, Moore thinks he had undiagnosed dyslexia. The young man and his mother asked Moore if he could join her class for students without special needs; he was determined to earn a diploma.

Moore agreed, and in his first few weeks the student sat quietly on the far side of the room. As she spent time with him after school, she noticed that when the subject turned to sports or his family, he became animated. When she encouraged him to write about these interests, his engagement increased, and his sentences grew longer and more complex. Moore also knew that students from special education or “remedial” classrooms often internalized a damaging self-view that they somehow lacked intellectual competence. So Moore tried a new tactic: She recorded her conversations with her student, and then asked him to transcribe his own words—without worrying about grammar or punctuation. Once the student saw evidence in the transcripts for his capacity for unique ideas and analysis, his intellectual pride grew, and Moore could leverage it to teach him grammar and composition. Two years after he walked into her classroom, he moved into 11th grade, and eventually he passed the state’s exit exam and became the first of his six siblings to graduate with a high-school diploma.

“This young man taught me the power of getting to know your students well enough to teach,” Moore , who has now been teaching for 30 years, told me. “We’re shuffling kids through a system designed on a factory model, and we often give up too soon, because they don’t get to ‘grade level’ by the time the system says they should. When they don’t, we say they’re not ready to learn or are hopeless. But they are just not on our schedule; it has nothing to do with their innate potential or ability.”

In the past two years, as I traversed the country to report for The Atlantic ’s “ On Teaching ” project, nearly every veteran educator I encountered shared success stories similar to this one—and reflected on what effective teaching actually involves. American public schools are going through a consequential transformation: The majority of Baby Boomer teaching veterans—who just over 15 years ago constituted more than half of the teaching force—have retired or will retire in the next few years. “On Teaching” aimed to collect the wisdom of some of the nation’s most accomplished veterans to find out what has helped them bring out the best in their students. The 15 teachers I got to know closely—from rural Oklahoma to Mississippi, subarctic Alaska to suburban Arizona, California, Texas, Kentucky, and Michigan—told me that effective teaching depends on paying attention to students as individuals, addressing their needs with cultural sensitivity, and seeking the active support of peers. But they also told me that their capacity to teach successfully has been weakened by misguided, top-down policies, chronic funding cuts to public education, and growing structural inequities . To do their jobs fully, they said, they need basic resources—and they should be viewed as experts on what their students need.

Read: What if teachers didn’t focus so much on individual achievement?

L ike all of the teachers I interviewed, Moore made a practice of seeking feedback from her students. In 2000, she embarked on a research project examining best practices for teaching English, and gave students a survey asking “What makes a good English teacher?” Students said they learned best when teachers saw and heard them as individuals, helped them understand their strengths, and connected what they were learning with their future ambitions. Students also noted what didn’t work: teachers who focused on their weaknesses (coming to class late, not turning in an assignment, filing a draft with grammatical errors) rather than on their efforts (coming to class despite personal challenges, working hard in the classroom, participating in discussions, developing original ideas in their messy drafts). The students also talked about teachers who never bothered to learn how to pronounce their names correctly, or gave bad grades without properly explaining why.

Moore’s research also uncovered teaching methods—including those used by successful Black teachers in the Sout h —that contradicted what she’d learned in her teaching program. “Direct instruction” or short lectures, for instance, were often discouraged in favor of self-directed learning. But Moore found that “breaking things down” through these mini-lectures—along with call-and-response exchanges to assess comprehension—was helpful for many of her students.

By the end of the year-long project, Moore concluded that being a good teacher doesn’t come from following a rigid list of the most popular evidence-based tools and strategies; it comes from a teacher’s commitment to knowing and respecting students and their families. When I talked with Moore in her office at Mississippi Delta Community College in March 2019, where she has taught English to high-school and college students since 2005, she said she’s often asked “What’s the best practice?” Her answer: “What matters the most is building a personal connection with your students, and then it’s the daily commitment to bringing in well-considered, purposeful practices and working child by child.”

“Working child by child” means first listening to students express themselves in the class, in their assignments, and in the hallway. “Every time a student does an assignment, they are communicating something about their thinking,” Pirette McKamey, a veteran high-school English teacher, told me . “There are so many opportunities to miss certain students and not see them, not hear them, shut them down.”

As a teacher at Mission High School in San Francisco (where she now serves as principal), McKamey used her commute home each day to replay her observations of students. She noted, for example, any body language that might indicate disengagement, like expressionless faces, or heads on desks. She also measured signs of engagement, such as a spontaneous discussion about an assignment or a student going beyond her requirements. The next morning, McKamey would get up at 5 a.m. to synthesize what she’d observed, and adjust her lesson plans for the day ahead. These twin processes—developing relationships with students and reflecting on practice—are most essential to good teaching, according to the educators I spoke with.

Teaching, McKamey told me, is an ever-changing practice that must respond to students’ needs in the moment. Though she’s familiar with national debates on how best to teach writing—with some educators emphasizing the mechanics of sentence structure and building vocabulary, while others maintain that expressive writing rooted in personal history is more effective—she doesn’t see these as “good” or “bad” strategies; their value depends on how the pieces fit together to respond to students’ needs at a specific moment in time.

Read: The art of teaching writing

T he educators I met told me they prize learning from other teachers , as well as from their students. When they struggled—and all of them told me they did—they conferred with colleagues at the school or teachers in professional associations or online communities. And together, these teacher groups acted intentionally to identify the challenges students were facing and come up with personalized plans.

Between 2000 and 2005, for instance, Moore and her colleagues worked together to design a “quality enhancement plan” for their schools. They surveyed their colleagues, asked them to describe their strengths and weaknesses, and hired outside coaches to address gaps in skills. They combed through classroom assessments, grades, test scores, and other data to identify challenges and design action plans to overcome them. Teachers met with their students, and their family members or mentors, to create “personal learning plans,” including the projects students would complete in the course of a year. Within a few years, Moore said, standardized test scores, graduation rates, and outcomes on written and oral exams improved.

When teachers can plan intentionally, their lessons are more likely to be culturally specific, speaking to the realities of their students’ lives. In Mesa, Arizona, a former high-school English teacher, Judith Harper , has worked with other teachers to help students grow their public-speaking, interviewing, and college-essay-writing skills—which were in high demand among Harper’s students, many of whom were coming from working-class and Latino families who didn’t always speak English at home. In San Francisco, McKamey co-founded the anti-racist teaching committee at Mission High in 2005 to better serve their Black and Latino students. Their work increased the numbers of Black and Latino students in advanced and honors courses, improved the quality of written assessments, lowered suspensions, and raised graduation and college-enrollment rates. And Rebecca Palacios —an early-childhood educator in Corpus Christi, Texas, for 34 years before she retired—collaborated with her peers to create a program that coached the largely Latino parents of her 4-year-old students on how to help their children develop strong reading skills at home. That teacher-led reform cost only $2,000—much cheaper than many state or district interventions, which often replace entire curricula.

These efforts were driven by teachers who often had to work below the radar of education officialdom—a parallel universe working in the shadows of their school’s formal structures and reform plans. But they constantly faced disruptions and challenges from the educational directives raining down on them.

Moore remembers that when the No Child Left Behind Act was enacted in 2002, the teachers at her school received letters from superintendents asking them to stop assigning presentations and research papers to English seniors—and to use that time instead to prepare students for tests. Once, an outside consultant arrived, armed with a large binder that included a curriculum and step-by-step instructions on how to teach it. “The materials were neither culturally appropriate nor intellectually challenging enough for our students,” Moore told me. “I used the book to prop up the aging air-conditioner unit in my room. When our test scores went up, the consultants took credit for it.”

Around the same time, in Nome, Alaska, Josephine Tatauq Bourdon— an Inupiaq elementary-school teacher for 30 years—was working to integrate her school’s typical Western curriculum (centered on the culture and history of white colonial settlers and their descendants) with aspects of a traditional system of Inupiaq education . But the curriculum was slowly eroding from the increased pressure to improve scores in math and reading. Material that centered on developing responsibility and connection with nature was gradually replaced with curriculum developed by non-Native teachers in other states. In 2015, Bourdon says, a new administrator mandated the adaptation of the “ Kagan Cooperative Learning ” model for increasing student collaboration—even though the lesson plans Bourdon and her colleagues crafted were already promoting collaboration, as well as counteracting the legacy of colonial education that contributes to the erasure of Native languages and culture.

“It’s always an attempt to hijack the effort by the teacher to think about education,” McKamey reflected on these sorts of directives. The only thing she hasn’t seen, she said, is a sustained and adequately funded commitment to empowering teachers to lead improvement efforts themselves, one student at a time. Moore feels the same way; in 2001, when she traveled to Washington, D.C., to receive the Mississippi Teacher of the Year award, she found that the other award-winning teachers shared the same insight: Being a good teacher often means hiding what you are doing behind closed doors, or actively resisting policies that demand “sorting” of children into “high-achieving” and “problem” students rather than working with each student as an individual. “Isn’t that a sad commentary,” she said, “that to be a really good teacher, you have to work under the table or be subversive?”

Read: Learning from Black educators

Even beyond top-down directives, the greatest obstacles for the teachers I spoke with were budget cuts that left them without the time or resources to teach most effectively. In the U.S., junior-high-school teachers spend an average of 28 hours a week teaching students directly, which leaves less time for collaborative efforts to improve their methods and plans. In contrast, junior-high-school teachers in Singapore spend about 18 hours a week teaching, and in Finland, about 21 hours, using many of their remaining paid hours to improve their teaching, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development . In Mesa, where Harper teaches, the typical class size has grown from about 22 students in 2000 to around 30 or more in recent years. Many of the support staff, such as counselors, nurses, and librarians, have been cut, further increasing teachers’ workload and leaving them even less time for those individualized learning plans.

That shortage of time and resources is difficult for many teachers, but it hits predominantly Latino, Indigenous, and Black schools especially hard. The Title I program, a federal initiative created in 1965 to equalize funding disparities, is broken: A 2016 investigation by USA Today found that 20 percent of Title I money ends up funding relatively affluent school districts. In 2015, only 11 states sent extra resources to high-poverty schools—down from a high of 22 in 2008. A recent report by EdBuild found that districts primarily serving students of color got $23 billion less in funding than white districts with the same number of students from 2016 to 2020. Meanwhile, as the government has retreated from integration policies, public schools have become even more racially segregated .

The teachers I spent time with in the past two years frequently succeeded at reaching their students and inspiring them to learn, despite working in schools that received far fewer resources than their counterparts in the more affluent public schools. But over the course of the past three decades, they told me, this work has become much harder, especially since the passage of No Child Left Behind and its 2015 successor, the Every Student Succeeds Act. The goal of these policies was more targeted support for historically marginalized students, and more transparency in the results of that support. But the educators I spoke with told me the reality was frequent, disruptive interventions, alarming losses of Black educators , and curriculum that largely prioritizes teaching low-level skills through test prep .

Looking to the future, Moore and other veterans called for some basic improvements—like putting more money into basic necessities such as functioning air-ventilation systems and computers in underfunded schools—but they also envisioned a radically new structure for public education. That structure would value holistic data—like exams graded by teams of teachers, or surveys of students and parents—as well as diverse teaching traditions, including largely overlooked models developed by successful Black and Indigenous teachers. It would support professional peer networks rather than emphasizing drop-in consultants. And it would allow accomplished veterans to teach fewer classes, so they could coach struggling teachers and lead research and reform efforts in their own schools and districts.

Moore summed up the consensus among nearly all the veteran teachers I spent time with for the “On Teaching” project: “The people who set the policies for how we do education are not the people who do education, and the very best teachers are rarely invited to help shape the policies or the structures.”

The “On Teaching” project would like to thank the members of its advisory board for their support: Prudence L. Carter, Larry Cuban, Christopher Emdin, Pirette McKamey, Josè Luis Vilson, Diane Tavenner, Alex Kotlowitz, and Sarah Carr.

This article is part of our project “On Teaching,” which is supported by grants from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Panta Rhea Foundation.

Kaleidoscope: Educator Voices and Perspectives

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What Makes “Good” Teaching?

I unpacked this question after a difficult year by asking others for their answer.

It’s a simple question that started from a place of exhaustion: “What is good teaching?”

I’m in my fourth year teaching, and I’ve been thinking and reflecting more about what it really means to be a good teacher. My third year of teaching was exhausting on multiple levels: our chemistry team kick-started some serious day-to-day collaboration, I launched a three-minute observation club with my department, I informally mentored new teachers, I sponsored clubs and activities, and along with all of those professional demands I was trying to have a life outside of school. Saying “yes” to so many things left me wondering many things, on both a personal level and on a broader level: When it is ok to say no? Why did I say yes so often? Did I say yes because that is what I thought it meant to be a “good teacher”? Is there a universal idea of what a good teacher does or does it vary? Are good teachers born or are they made? How do the public’s perception and understanding of teaching more broadly play into the conversation about education?

So I decided to ask. I took to Facebook and Twitter, posting a survey to my social media circles and asking friends and followers to pass it along. I made this survey as simple as possible by asking only one demographic question, “Are you a teacher?” and one probing question, “In your own words, what do you think of when you hear the phrase ‘good teaching’ or ‘that person is a good teacher?’”

Table 1: Demographics of survey respondents

I was pleasantly surprised by the number of times my survey was shared and retweeted and by the number of responses I received. While the result of this survey is not an exhaustive representation of what the American public thinks about good teachers, I was amazed by how much I learned by diving into it. Initially, I made a word cloud of the responses and discovered that  students ,  learning , and  thinking  were central to respondents’ perceptions of “good teaching” (Figure 1). But to really understand what people thought were hallmarks of good teachers and their teaching practices, I dug a little deeper by first sorting responses according to the ideas expressed and then generating descriptive categories of ideas about teaching. Ultimately, I was able to identify some really interesting themes in the responses and found that the responses showed a complex interplay between teachers’ knowledge of content, pedagogy, and their disposition toward teaching. Seemingly distinct features of “good teaching” fell under these broader categories:

• Sharing personal enthusiasm for the content and learning
• Engaging all students in the content
• Personalizing and adapting instruction
• Engaging students in learning
• Challenging students to work hard and think critically
• Using a host of pedagogical “best practices”
• Caring for students
• Communicating with students and their families
• Collaborating with colleagues
• Reflecting on teaching practice

As my survey respondents included teachers and non-teachers, I saw distinctions in how the different groups perceived “good teaching.” Having the voices of teachers, former teachers, and others involved in education allowed me to unpack nuances of teaching that may not have arisen from a predominantly non-teaching audience.

Knowledge of Content

Content is an important aspect of teaching. Nearly half of all respondents (46 of 98 or 47%) mentioned something about content. Comments related to content included ideas about teachers engaging students in content, making content relevant and exciting, breaking down concepts to make them accessible, exhibiting passion about their field, and demonstrating deep knowledge. Non-teachers were somewhat more likely to mention content in their responses (59%, or 10 of 17). Non-teachers were also most likely to specifically mention teachers’ disposition toward their content, such as, “A ‘good teacher’ projects enthusiasm and a love for the subject being taught.”

When I discuss the importance of content knowledge with my teaching colleagues both in and outside of my own school, we all agree that understanding and loving the subject one teaches is incredibly important, but it’s not enough. Genuinely loving the content and finding it fascinating in its own right is not enough to be able to teach the content well. As a teacher, I must find a way to take the content and my love for it and make it accessible to my students.

My work with the Knowles Science Teaching Foundation (KSTF) has encouraged me to take a broader view of content knowledge, where pedagogical content knowledge encompasses many different facets including horizontal content knowledge (what they are doing in other classes), vertical alignment (where they are coming from and where they are heading), common mis- or pre-conceptions, and knowledge of the curriculum. As KSTF Senior Program Officer Jennifer Mossgrove summarized in her blog post, “Teaching requires making a multitude of decisions—both in the moment and over time—that require an understanding of the discipline and content, beyond just getting the ‘right’ answer” (Mossgrove, 2014).

In the survey results, non-teachers focused on a teacher’s ability to explain content so that students can understand; for example: “The person can explain the topic so that the learners understand and retain the information.” Another non-teacher replied, “[A good teacher is] knowledgeable about the subject being taught, [and possesses the] ability to effectively communicate said knowledge to students.” These types of statements seem to indicate that someone who knows the content but cannot explain it would not be a good teacher.

Teachers and non-teachers alike agree that it takes more than just knowing the right answer to be a good teacher, but how is the ability to communicate information effectively developed in teachers? There are currently many accelerated/alternative teacher certification programs that only require a bachelor’s degree in the subject area being taught, which suggest that anyone can teach if they just know all the facts. Even teachers who go through traditional certification programs are not necessarily supported after they are licensed to systematically develop this content knowledge further unless they take it upon themselves, often paying out of pocket, to enroll in professional development that goes beyond content and into pedagogical practices.

Pedagogy is the method and practices of teaching. This term was explicitly brought up by only teachers, although all groups of respondents had some aspects of pedagogy implicit in their responses. There appears to be a general understanding that  how  a teacher teaches will affect how effective that teacher is, but teachers and former teachers have the vocabulary and experience to flesh out this idea. Non-teachers may be unaware of the complex interplay between content and pedagogy.

The main pedagogical practice mentioned was personalizing instruction and adapting to student needs. Thirty-six of 98 (37%) responses included comments along the following lines, “[A good teacher is] someone that is able to adjust to the needs of the students.” This idea was most prevalent among former teachers (six of 11 responses, 55%) and non-teachers (eight of 17 responses, 47%), and was less prevalent among current teachers (18 of 56 responses, 32%) and other educational professionals (four of 14 responses, 29%). This may be the difference in the perspective of a learner, or the person who is receiving the services of teaching, versus the perspective of the teacher. Many public school teachers don’t have the freedom to take the long view, as described by one respondent (who is a teacher at a private school and acknowledged that their context provided a lot of latitude in this respect):

You have to meet every single one of your students at their individual starting points, and move all of them as far along their own learning trajectories as you possibly can. . . . I think it’s incredibly helpful to take an extremely long view when it comes to educating your charges, because that helps you get over the tyranny of right now. If your goal is just moving them forward as far as they can get, hopefully it makes it easier for you to let go of some things you (and the full resources at your command) can’t seem to help them get.

Although many teachers I know would agree that meeting each student where they are and moving them along individually would be ideal, many public school teachers find this to be very far from reality. Teachers in America spend about 39% more time with students than those in other countries, although the number of hours worked is similar, meaning that other countries provide lower teaching loads and build more time for planning and collaborating into the school day (Walker, 2016). However, many non-teachers have the following expectation, “A good teacher recognizes when a student is struggling and puts forth extra effort for one-on-one time to help them understand.” Additionally,

A good teacher is one who is able to explain and demonstrate concepts in a variety of ways for a variety of different learners and learning styles. A good teacher is a good learner—they learn how their student(s) learn—and modify their teaching accordingly.

Another teacher responded similarly, “A ‘good teacher’ is someone that is able to adjust to the needs of the students and make the material accessible to them while still challenging them to improve.”

As a teacher, I do my best to help my struggling students and arrange for one-on-one time with them, but it is challenging as there is limited time during the school day for this kind of individualized instruction. I wonder how we can expect teachers, who may have 30–40 students in each class (and a total of 150–200 students on their rosters) to be able to give individual, personalized support to each student, even if we recognize that such support is the best for the learners? With all of the demands on teachers these days (particularly those of us who work in public schools), how can we better support teachers to be able to truly support  all  of their students?

All groups mentioned engaging students in learning. Most respondents focused on engaging students in content, but current teachers also mentioned engaging students in thinking (6), application of knowledge (6), and skills for learning (6) almost equally with engaging students in content (8). Non-teachers did not mention engaging students in thinking at all and were most focused on engaging students with content.

Are these aspects of student engagement actually distinct, and does any one aspect have priority over the others? Although many responses focused on content, it seems that teachers would not say that engaging students in content is the most important thing. The Unity & Diversity 2015 Writing Project asked science teachers, “What is the most important thing we can teach our students?” and none of the essayists claimed their content area as the most important thing (Unity & Diversity, 2015). Many teachers I know see their content area as a vehicle for teaching critical thinking, applying knowledge, and other skills for learning that students may use regardless of what they end up doing in life. One teacher responded to my survey, “My highest priority for good teaching is giving students room to think deeply about the content and share that thinking with each other.” Another teacher who mentioned content elaborated that good teaching gets students to think: “I also think that person works really hard to ensure that their students understand material at a deep level. Good teaching gets students to think and to do more than they thought they could.” A former teacher replied, “[A good teacher] teaches not just material, but how to think critically, and also why this is important.” Some of the things we support and inspire students to do may be content related, but often the work goes beyond just the facts.

Although current teachers were the only ones to specifically mention pedagogy, all groups mentioned specific aspects of the classroom that could be linked to pedagogy. Some teachers mentioned specific practices (e.g., constructivist practices), others used the phrase “research-based pedagogy” or “researched practices.” However, non-teachers joined current and former teachers in describing specifics about the classroom that could be linked to specific pedagogical practices such as making the classroom interactive, fun, and discussion-based, and making the content relevant and exciting. Other educational professionals and current teachers also mentioned understanding student thinking, and current teachers also discussed challenging students.

A fun and interactive classroom may be what students remember best about a good teacher. One non-teacher responded by recalling their favorite teacher:

The best teacher I ever had was passionate about the subject she taught (sociology) and it showed. She is who I think of when I think of “good teaching.” She thought of interactive and fun ways to teach her point. The students were always actively involved in the discussions. She loved teaching, and it made the students love learning.

However, students may not fully recognize that simply making a classroom fun does not necessarily lead to learning (surely we can also recall fun teachers from whom we didn’t actually learn anything).

As one teacher responded,

I think a good teacher is passionate about learning, understands a teacher’s role is to provide opportunities for learning, and is a good listener. Learning is how people make sense of their world, and it comes naturally to little children as they explore, investigate, and build. A good teacher nurtures and guides learning by designing diverse activities that lead to further “sense making.”

Teachers understand that an engaging classroom is not engaging for the sake of being engaging, but that engagement should lead to further sense-making.

To go from engagement to sense-making, the engaging, interactive, and exploratory activities need to be tied to generating knowledge and understanding what is happening and why (particularly in a science classroom). As a current teacher put it, “In a classroom setting you may show/tell a little (or a lot), but you also give time for students to apply their knowledge in different ways. Giving students the opportunity to apply knowledge makes you a ‘good teacher.’” Teachers are making instructional decisions when they make the classroom interactive, discussion-based, or tied to relevant or exciting topics. These instructional decisions come from pedagogical theories that go back to the beginning of the 20th century with John Dewey (1938). Current educational research also backs up the idea that a learning cycle where students engage with and explore and apply content leads to successful learning. The BSCS 5E instructional cycle that is used in designing many science lessons follows student engagement and exploration with explanations and an elaboration phase to lead to successful learning (Bybee et al., 2006).

Dispositions

Tying together content knowledge and pedagogy are dispositions toward teaching as a practice. Content knowledge alone and pedagogy alone are not enough to be a good teacher because teaching is not a stagnant profession and every year is different. Current and former teachers were able to bring to light many of the more subtle nuances of teaching that are involved in the dispositions that teachers may have toward their teaching practice.

Current and former teachers focused on caring for students. While every category of respondents had some mention about caring for students (this included inspiring students to be their best, nurturing students, being compassionate and listening to students, connecting with students, being respectful, being patient, and making students feel comfortable and safe), 64% of current teachers (36 of 56) and 72% of former teachers (eight of 11) specifically mentioned something about caring for students. As one current teacher put it,

[A good teacher] cares about their students as people and treats them as people. And ideally communicates that care to students in an appropriate and thoughtful daily way . . . it is both really, really crucial, and also not nearly enough on its own. We know too much as a profession about what helps students that good intentions are not enough.

Teachers recognize that knowing who their students are impacts the way that they teach and their classroom. This may be implicit in the idea of personalizing and adapting instruction mentioned earlier: how can a teacher personalize instruction for students that they do not know? As one teacher put it, “A good teacher is one that values student voice and cares for students as whole people with unique experiences and perspectives. A good teacher works to understand their students academically and find ways push their thinking.”

However, non-teachers were more likely to mention communicating with students and parents. Seven of 17 non-teachers (41%) mentioned communication with students and parents. Aspects of this category included having good people skills and communication skills and being approachable and accessible. Former teachers also mentioned communication skills and approachability; however, current teachers did not mention any of these aspects of teaching. As one non-teacher phrased it, “[A good teacher is] a patient person that is very communicative with parents and can easily make necessary adjustments to make sure that my child learns and excels.” Non-teaching stakeholders in education (students, parents) understandably want teachers to be communicative about how their students are doing and are responsive to students’ needs. In my opinion, communicating with students and parents is another way of caring for students and personalizing or adapting instruction, because a teacher who cares about student success will communicate concerns about a student with that student and their family. And communication with students and parents often leads to interventions such as individualized help: for example, meeting one-on-one outside of class.

Current and former teachers were the only groups to mention specific attitudes and dispositions towards colleagues and the school setting. While only a total of seven respondents mentioned any of these specifics (listening to colleagues, collaborating, humility, longevity), all of those responses were from current or former teachers. As a current teacher put it, “[A good teacher is] someone who shares ideas and successes with colleagues and who is able to listen to ideas that others share.” This counters the idea that teaching happens in isolation and that a good teacher can exist on their own with no help from others. I had the pleasure this summer of meeting the teachers profiled in the book  Mission High  (Rizga, 2015). The teacher and student profiles in this book highlight many, if not all, of the aspects of good teaching that came out of my survey. When listening to a panel of the teachers, someone mentioned that the support staff at the school were not included in the picture. Often stories of good teaching are unfortunately missing some of the nuances of the story because it would take too long to tell otherwise. But we must understand the supports required for good teaching to take place, otherwise, we are holding teachers to a standard that is impossible to achieve alone.

Current and former teachers specifically mentioned attitudes toward teaching practice. Responses that mentioned reflecting and being thoughtful about teaching came primarily from current and former teachers. Additionally, only current and former teachers mentioned dedication and hard work—other educational professionals and non-teachers did not mention this at all. One current teacher acknowledged that there was a lot that went into good teaching:

This is a lot, but: I think of someone who is not necessarily perfect but who does a lot for their students: someone who knows their students as people and learners; someone who strives, effectively, to allow students to engage with, be challenged by, and deeply learn material; someone who uses systems and teaching style that works for them and their students; someone who works to enact their teaching philosophy every day; someone who demonstrates their love for students and learning by crafting a safe and rigorous (and fun!) intellectual community.

Perhaps it is only those of us in the trenches who can fully appreciate how much work and dedication it takes for good teaching.

Teachers are the ones who recognized the role of reflection and collaboration on improving teaching. A current teacher differentiated between good teaching and being a good teacher:

Those two phrases actually inspire different things to me. Good teaching is . . . effective instruction in the classroom. . . . the ability to inspire kids to do the bulk of the thinking about the subject matter . . . The person who is a good teacher, though, may or may not actually be an effective educator, or might not be one yet. But they care deeply about their students, they’re working to improve their instruction, and they want to be effective. Basically, I see “the person who is a good teacher” as also including the people who someday will become effective educators, but aren’t quite there yet.

I found the above response particularly interesting because it acknowledged that teachers have the potential to become good teachers, even if they may not be effective educators yet. Training and mentorship are vital in developing teachers, both in improving teachers and keeping them in the profession (Caneva, 2016). Other countries spend much more time on teacher training (NCSL, 2016); what would it look like for teaching and learning in America if we also spent more time on training teachers, both before and after teachers have their own classroom? I am personally convinced that the mentorship and training that I received informally in my school setting and more formally through KSTF have fast-tracked my development as a teacher. Those outside the teaching profession, however, may assume that good teaching is a fixed attribute—you’re either a good teacher or you aren’t. This assumption seems to be more prevalent in the United States than in other countries with the result that American teachers are given less time during the school day to improve their practice. As Jon Synder, a Stanford researcher said, “I think there’s a different notion in Singapore, and in Finland, and in other places where they think that teaching is actually complex, difficult work, cognitively engaging and challenging. [This is] as opposed to, ‘Well, you know, anyone can teach. We just tell ‘em the right words to use and the right way to do it . . . and it will be done.’ But it’s not the way it works” (Walker, 2016).

In the long run, the features of good teaching that came from my simple survey seem unsustainable by a single teacher working in isolation but require the support of colleagues, administrators, parents, and policy makers. And good teaching is something that can be developed in a teacher, rather than something that a teacher either has or doesn’t.

The results of my survey were much richer and deeper than I had anticipated—I confess, I didn’t know what I would get from this. These responses provide a complex and nuanced picture of teaching, rather than a simplistic vision that would come from just asking one or two people. Everyone has something to say about what makes a good teacher because we have all experienced many different teachers over the course of our education. In the long run, the features of good teaching that came from my simple survey seem unsustainable by a single teacher working in isolation but require the support of colleagues, administrators, parents, and policy makers. And good teaching is something that can be developed in a teacher, rather than something that a teacher either has or doesn’t. Having the voices of so many teachers and former teachers in my survey helped to unearth many different facets of teaching, and the results of the survey in general indicate the high expectations that we have of our teachers. In light of these high expectations, I am convinced of the importance of supporting teachers in  improving . Any one teacher would need continuous support to develop all of these aspects of a good teacher, and research has shown that there is no one single professional development model that works for all teachers (The New Teacher Project, 2015). What would it look like, if, with this complex picture of good teaching, we supported teachers in achieving it instead of looking to just get rid of “bad teachers” and in the meantime burn out those who are considered “good teachers”?

I’m not going to lie, I’m still tired this year. I’m still doing most of the things I was doing last year (although I was wiser about not saying “yes” to many  more  commitments this year). But when I reflect upon the results of this survey, I’m reminded that it’s okay to not be that “perfect” teacher yet (and in reality, when is anyone a truly perfect teacher?). I’m reminded to depend on my colleagues to help me reflect on and improve my own teaching practice. I don’t have a simple solution for anyone who also feels exhausted by the demands of teaching, but teaching is a journey for both the teacher and the learner. We as teachers should neither beat ourselves down nor become complacent, but take the long view for both ourselves and the students entrusted into our care.

Acknowledgment

A huge thank you to Linda Abrams (KSTF), who guided me through the data analysis process for qualitative data.

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Heidi Park is a 2012 Knowles Teaching Fellow who teaches chemistry and physics at Jones College Prep High School in Chicago, IL. Heidi sponsors the Red Cross Club and the Scholastic Bowl team, and has started a three-minute observation club in her department. She blogs at  https://urbanscienceed.wordpress.com/  and can be followed on Twitter  @heidijpark . Heidi can be contacted at  [email protected] .  

• teacher leadership
• teacher reflection
• inquiry into teaching

References and Citation

Bybee, R. W., Taylor, J. A., Gardner, A., Van Scotter, P., Powell, J. C., Westbrook, A., & Landes, N. (2006). The BSCS 5E instructional model: Origins and effectiveness. Colorado Springs, CO: BSCS. Retrieved from BSCS website:  https://bscs.org/sites/default/files/_media/about/downloads/BSCS_5E_Full_Report.pdf

Caneva, G. (2016, August 3). In contract negotiations, let’s bring mentor teacher program into the discussion.  Catalyst Chicago.  Retrieved from http://catalyst-chicago.org/2016/08/in-contract-negotiations-lets-bring-mentor-teacher-program-into-the-discussion/

Dewey, J. (1938).  Experience & education.  New York, NY: Touchstone.

Mossgrove, J. (2014, May 19). Deepening content knowledge for teaching. [Web log post] Retrieved from http://kstf.org/2014/05/19/deepening-content-knowledge-for-teaching/

National Conference of State Legislatures (2016).  No time to lose: How to build a world-class education system state-by-state . Washington, D.C. Retrieved from  http://www.ncsl.org/documents/educ/EDU_International_final_v3.pdf

The New Teacher Project. (2015).  The mirage: Confronting the hard truth about our quest for teacher development.  Brooklyn, NY. Retrieved from  http://tntp.org/assets/documents/TNTP-Mirage_2015.pdf

Rizga, K. (2015).  Mission high: One school, how experts tried to fail it, and the students and teachers who made it triumph.  New York, NY: Nation Books.

Unity & Diversity. (2015). 2015 Writing topic: What is the most important thing we can teach our students? Retrieved from  http://www.unitydiversity.org/2015/

Walker, T. (2016, September 29). The ticking clock of teacher burnout.  The Atlantic.  Retrieved from  http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/09/the-ticking-clock-of-us-teacher-burnout/502253/

Park, H. (2016). What makes “good” teaching?  Kaleidoscope: Educator Voices and Perspectives ,  3 (1), 19–26.

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In This Issue

What makes a great teacher?

by: The GreatSchools Editorial Team | Updated: December 12, 2023

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What makes a great teacher? Teaching is one of the most complicated jobs today. It demands broad knowledge of subject matter, curriculum, and standards; enthusiasm, a caring attitude, and a love of learning; knowledge of discipline and classroom management techniques; and a desire to make a difference in the lives of young people. With all these qualities required, it’s no wonder that it’s hard to find great teachers.

Here are some characteristics of great teachers

• Great teachers set high expectations for all students . They expect that every student in their class can and will achieve, they set big goals , and they don’t give up on underachievers.
• Great teachers have clear, written-out objectives. Effective teachers have lesson plans that give students a clear idea of what they will be learning, what the assignments are and what the grading policy is. Assignments have learning goals and give students ample opportunity to practice new skills. The teacher is consistent in grading and returns work in a timely manner.
• Great teachers are prepared and organized. They are in their classrooms early and ready to teach. They plan “exhaustively and purposefully… and maintain focus .” They present lessons in a clear and structured way. Their classrooms are organized in such a way as to minimize distractions.
• Great teachers engage students and get them to look at issues in a variety of ways. Effective teachers use facts as a starting point, not an end point; they ask “why” questions; they look at all sides and are objective ; and they encourage students to predict what will happen next. They ask questions frequently to make sure students are following along. They try to engage the whole class, and they don’t allow a few students to dominate the class. They keep students motivated with varied, lively approaches.
• Great teachers form strong relationships with their students and show that they care about them as people. Great teachers are warm, accessible, enthusiastic , and caring. Teachers with these qualities build relationships with their students . They stay after school and make themselves available to students and parents. They are involved in school-wide committees and activities, and they demonstrate a commitment to the school.
• Great teachers are masters of their subject matter. They exhibit expertise in the subjects they are teaching and spend time continuing to gain new knowledge in their field. They present material in an enthusiastic manner and instill a hunger in their students to learn more on their own.
• Great teachers communicate frequently with parents. They reach parents through conferences and frequent written reports home. They don’t hesitate to pick up the telephone to call a parent if they are concerned about a student.

What the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) laws mean for teacher quality

The role of the teacher became an even more significant factor in education with the passage of The No Child Left Behind law in 2002.

Under the 2002 law, elementary school teachers needed a bachelor’s degree and had to pass a rigorous test in core curriculum areas. Middle and high school teachers needed to show competency in the subject area they taught by passing a test or by completing an academic major, graduate degree, or comparable course work. Schools were required to tell parents about the qualifications of all teachers, and they had to notify parents if their child was taught for more than four weeks by a teacher who was not highly qualified. Schools that did not comply risked losing federal funding.

Although the law required states to have highly qualified teachers in every core academic classroom by the end of the 2005-2006 school year, not a single state met that deadline.

The U.S. Department of Education then required states to show how they intended to fulfill the requirement. Most states satisfied the government that they were making serious efforts, but a few states were told to come up with new plans.

In 2012, the Obama administration granted flexibility to states on NCLB requirements, and The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed into law in December 2015. Transitioning from NCLB to ESSA began the following year.

ESSA lessened the NCLB-era focus on standardized testing so teachers had more time to teach. ESSA gave teachers a greater voice in educational decisions , but the “Highly Qualified Teacher” (HQT) regulations were removed. Some researchers expressed concern that the guidelines’ aim to replace “ineffective teachers” is too vague and undefined to be implemented usefully.

How parents can advocate for qualified teachers

Currently there are an estimated 350,000 teacher positions that are either unfilled or occupied by teachers who are not fully qualified . We know that high-quality teachers make all the difference in the classroom. We also know that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find them and keep them. Many teachers experience “burn out” — up to 30 percent of teachers leave their job after five years .

What the experts recommend for the future of quality teaching

The National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future (NCTAF) has become part of Leaning Forward , which made several recommendations for ensuring that every classroom has a qualified teacher as part of their What Matters Now research, recommendations, and efforts to improve teaching and learning across the country. Among the recommendations were the following key points:

• Develop rigorous qualifications for teachers.
• Train evaluators to assess teachers and provide meaningful feedback.
• Ensure the highest-need schools have access to excellent teachers.
• Encourage and reward teacher knowledge and skills.
• Provide financial support to educator recruitment programs.

Implementing these recommendations is a slow process dependent upon legislation as well as increased funding from the federal and state governments, and a will to implement changes at the school district level. Parents can work together to keep the superintendent, their school board members, and their state legislators focused on the goal of having a high-quality teacher in every classroom.

Resources on teacher quality

Give Kids Good Schools This Internet-based campaign, a project of the Public Education Network, makes it easy for parents and community members to lobby government officials to take action to improve the quality of teachers.

Resolving Conflict With Your Child’s Teacher A concise resource from Scholastic on effective ways to deal with differences in opinion between yourself and your child’s teacher.

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards This organization provides information on voluntary advanced national certification for teachers. Learn more about the program and how you can encourage teachers in your school to obtain National Board Certification.

McEwan, Elaine K., 10 Traits of Highly Successful Schools , Waterbrook Press, 1999 This book provides concrete tools and an abundance of resources on how to evaluate teachers and schools.

Bennett, William J., The Educated Child , Simon & Schuster, 1999 What is a good education? In this guide, in addition to learning the signs of a good school and warning signs of a bad teacher, you’ll learn what good schools teach and what you can do to improve your school.

Intrator, Sam M., Stories of the Courage to Teach , Jossey-Bass, 2002 This book is a collection of short, eloquent essays written by teachers from the heart. Full of passionate stories, the essays reveal why teachers teach and the challenges they face.

What Makes a Good Teacher? by Zagyváné Szűcs Ida Universal Journal of Educational Research 2017

“ What Makes a Great Teacher? ” by Amanda Ripley The Atlantic , February 2010

“ What Makes a Great Teacher? ” by Erin Young Phi Delta Kappa , February 2009

“ What makes a good teacher? ” British Journal of Educational Psychology , November 2018

“ Teacher Effectiveness in the Every Student Succeeds Act: A Discussion Guide “, Center on Great Teachers and Leaders at American Institutes for Research, November 2016

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Essay About Being a Teacher: Top 5 Examples and Prompts

If you are writing an essay about being a teacher, here are some examples to give you inspiration.

Without a doubt, teaching is one of the most important professions one can have. Teachers give children the lessons they must learn to face the future and contribute positively to society. They can be considered the gateway to success stories such as Oprah Winfrey , Adele , and John Legend , all of whom have cited their teachers as major inspirations to their careers. 

Many educators would say that “teaching is its own reward.” However, it may be difficult to see how this is the case, especially considering the fact that being an educator entails massive amounts of stress and pressure. Teaching has actually been reported to be one of the most underpaid jobs , yet many teachers still love what they do. Why is this?

If you want to write an essay about being a teacher, whether you are one or not, you can get started by reading the 5 examples featured here. 

1. Reflections on being a teacher … by Darren Koh

2. teaching in the pandemic: ‘this is not sustainable’ by natasha singer, 3. why i got rid of my teacher’s desk by matthew r. morris, 4. stress is pushing many teachers out of the profession by daphne gomez, 5. doubt and dreams by katheryn england, top writing prompts on essay about being a teacher, 1. what makes teaching so fulfilling, 2. what can you learn from being a teacher, 3. why do people become teachers, 4. should you become a teacher, 5. how have teachers helped you become who you are today.

“Although strictly speaking, based on the appointments I hold, I really do not have time to do much of it. I say teach, not lecturing. The lecturer steps up to the lectern and declaims her knowledge. She points out the difficulties in the area, she talks about solutions to problems, and she makes suggestions for reform. The focus is on the subject – the students follow. The teacher, however, needs to meet the students where they are in order to bring them to where they have to be. The focus is on the student’s ability.”

Koh writes about how he teaches, the difficulties of teaching, and what it means to be a teacher. He helps his students hone their skills and use them critically. He also discusses the difficulty of connecting with each student and focusing their attention on application rather than mere knowledge. Koh wants students to achieve their full potential; teaching to him is engaging, inspirational, and transparent. He wants readers to know that being a teacher is rewarding yet difficult, and is something he holds close to his heart.

“‘I work until midnight each night trying to lock and load all my links, lessons, etc. I never get ahead,” one anonymous educator wrote. ‘Emails, endless email. Parents blaming me because their kids chose to stay in bed, on phones, on video games instead of doing work.’”

Singer writes about the difficult life of teachers trying to balance in-person and distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. On top of the standard class routine, being a teacher during the pandemic has entailed the burden of handling students who opt for remote learning. They are faced with additional struggles, including connection issues, complaining parents, and being overworked in general- it’s as if they teach twice the number of classes as normal. This is exhausting and may prove detrimental to the American education system, according to the sources Singer cites. 

“What it means to me is that I am checking (or acknowledging) my privilege as a teacher in the space of the classroom and in order to facilitate a more equitable classroom community for my students, erasing one of the pillars of that inequity is a step in the right direction. I am comfortable in my role as the head member in my classroom, and I don’t need a teacher’s desk anymore to signify that.”

Morris, an educator, writes about what teaching means to him, highlighted by his decision to remove his teacher’s desk from his classroom. Being a teacher for him is about leading the discussion or being the “lead learner,” as he puts it, rather than being an instructor. His removal of the teacher’s desk was decided upon based on his desire to help his students feel more equal and at home in class. He believes that being a teacher means being able to foster authentic connections both for and with his students.

“Teachers want to help all students achieve, and the feeling of leaving any student behind is devastating. The pressure that they put on themselves to ensure that they serve all students can also contribute to the stress.”

Gomez writes about the stress that comes with being a teacher, largely due to time constraints, lack of resources, and the number of students they must instruct. As much as they want to help their students, their environment does not allow them to touch the lives of all students equally. They are extremely pressured to uphold certain standards of work, and while they try as hard as they can, they do not always succeed. As a result, many teachers have left the profession altogether. Gomez ends her piece with an invitation for teachers to read about other job opportunities. 

“Then I re-evaluate what I want for myself, and what it is that keeps me working towards my dreams. Through the goals I’ve set for myself, I can maintain focus, move past my self-doubt and succeed. By focusing on my goals, I can make a difference in the world directly around me.”

Taken from a collection of short essays, England’s essay is about why she so desperately wishes to become a teacher. She was previously able to work as a teaching assistant to her former elementary school teacher, and enjoyed imparting new knowledge unto children. Even in moments of self-doubt, she reminds herself to be confident in her dreams and hopes to be able to make a difference in the world with her future profession.

When it comes to teachers, we often hear about either “the joy of teaching” or the immense stress that comes with it. You can explore the gratitude and satisfaction that teachers feel toward their jobs, even with all the struggles they face. Read or watch the news and interviews with teachers themselves.

Research on the skills and qualifications people need to be teachers, as well as any qualities they may need to do their job well. What skills can you get from teaching? What traits can you develop? What lessons can you learn? 

Despite the seemingly endless barrage of stories about the difficulties that teachers face, many people still want to teach. You can explore the reasoning behind their decisions, and perhaps get some personal insight on being a teacher as well. 

Based on what you know, would you recommend teaching as a job? If you aren’t too knowledgeable on this topic, you can use the essay examples provided as guides- they present both the positive and negative aspects of being a teacher. Be sure to support your argument with ample evidence- interviews, anecdotes, statistics, and the like.  

Teachers, whether in a school setting or not, have almost certainly helped make you into the person you are now. You can discuss the impact that your teachers have had on your life, for better or for worse, and the importance of their roles as teachers in forming students for the future.

Check out our guide packed full of transition words for essays .

If you’re still stuck, check out our general resource of essay writing topics .

Martin is an avid writer specializing in editing and proofreading. He also enjoys literary analysis and writing about food and travel.

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Effective Teachers’ Skills and Qualities Essay

The term stakeholder that refers to the educational process means people who provide well-being and success for a school and its students. Teachers, administrators, personnel, parents, and even students are all stakeholders. However, it goes without saying that teachers are the most important part of education.

Firstly, it is important to understand the essence of good teaching. Great teachers have a combination of many qualities. It is believed that such qualities as warmth, planning, and self-discipline determine a good teacher. Although a good teaching demands deep knowledge of subject matter and erudition, these characteristics are not number one. According to Slavin (2006, p. 3), “effective teachers not only know their subjects, but they can also communicate their knowledge to students.” It cannot be denied that it is crucial for teachers to follow instructions and rules. Nevertheless, teaching is a creative profession especially considering that every student has a unique personality, and it is very important to find a special approach to every individual and teach children in accordance with their personal abilities. What is more, one of the most necessary characteristics of great teachers is attentiveness. Due to this, good teachers develop close relationships with their students that, to some extent, help children to succeed not only in school but also in their future lives.

To sum up, some people say that teaching is not a profession, and it is a vocation. They assume that teachers are born that way and have some extra abilities. Although there is a sound idea in this statement, it is essential not to forget that to be a great teacher, a human has to get a degree in education and acquire necessary teaching skills.

Reference List

Slavin, R 2006, Educational psychology: Theory and practice , Allyn and Bacon, Boston.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2022, January 17). Effective Teachers' Skills and Qualities. https://ivypanda.com/essays/effective-teachers-skills-and-qualities/

"Effective Teachers' Skills and Qualities." IvyPanda , 17 Jan. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/effective-teachers-skills-and-qualities/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'Effective Teachers' Skills and Qualities'. 17 January.

IvyPanda . 2022. "Effective Teachers' Skills and Qualities." January 17, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/effective-teachers-skills-and-qualities/.

1. IvyPanda . "Effective Teachers' Skills and Qualities." January 17, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/effective-teachers-skills-and-qualities/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Effective Teachers' Skills and Qualities." January 17, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/effective-teachers-skills-and-qualities/.

• Cognitive Development Theory and Forms of Cognitive Knowledge
• Early Childhood Philosophy of Learning
• Vocation in Plato's "Apology" and Dostoyevsky's "The Grand Inquisitor"
• The Theme of Vocation in “Apology” by Plato
• The Effect of Accuracy of Instruction, Teacher Delivery and Student Attentiveness on Musicians’ Evaluation of Teacher Effectiveness
• The “Selfish” Nature of Vocation vs. the Community Imperatives
• The No Child Left Behind Act Review
• Vocation in Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning"
• The Importance of Teaching Alternative Evolution Theories
• Generating New Ideas as a Feature of a Creative Person
• Self-Management for Enhancing Teaching and Learning
• Role, Responsibilities and Boundaries of a Teacher in Terms of Teaching Cycle
• Execution of Education in Australian Business School
• Team Collaboration Between Teachers in Schools
• Why I Enjoyed a Particular Teacher

• Our Mission

Good Teaching Is Not Just About the Right Practices

In a series of interviews with master teachers, a reporter finds that certain intangible qualities matter more than the best tactics. 

Good teaching isn’t about following a “rigid list of the most popular evidence-based tools and strategies,” veteran high school English teacher Renee Moore tells Kristina Rizga for The Atlantic ’s On Teaching series. The most effective teaching tools, Moore suggests, are intangible qualities that directly address the fundamental human needs of a diverse classroom community—traits like empathy, kindness, and a deep respect for the lives and interests of individual students.

Working from a place of caring, Rizga reports, the best teachers establish deep connections with students, and then build up to a “daily commitment to bringing in well-considered, purposeful practices and working child by child.” For master teachers, then, the person precedes the pedagogy—and finding the right mix of practices, at least to some extent, is contingent on knowing what each child needs.

Rizga travelled across the country for two years for the series, interviewing some of America’s most accomplished veteran teachers in an effort to collect their wisdom and discover “what has helped them bring out the best in their students.” The result is an edifying collection of stories that touch on issues from race and culture to advice about how to teach remotely.

We pulled out some of the most constructive, foundational ideas that informed teacher mindsets through decades of work in the classroom, and helped them inspire even the most reticent students to grow and learn.

WORKING CHILD BY CHILD

Part of getting to know students, says high school English teacher Pirette McKamey, involves watching and listening as students speak in class or in the hallway, and observing how they express themselves in their work. “Every time a student does an assignment, they are communicating something about their thinking,” says McKamey, who is now the principal at Mission High School in San Francisco. “There are so many opportunities to miss certain students and not see them, not hear them, shut them down.”

It also means finding opportunities to connect with each child individually. Moore recalls a 17-year-old student who, in spite of excelling in math class, struggled with writing in her English class. After spending time with the child after school, she found he lit up when discussing sports and family—subjects she encouraged him to write about, resulting in more complex, lively writing. She also recorded their conversations and asked the student to transcribe the recordings—without worrying too much about spelling and grammar—an exercise that allowed him to see proof of his “capacity for unique ideas and analysis,” and opened the door for Moore to begin teaching him grammar and composition. The student became the first of his six siblings to graduate with a high school diploma.

The experience “taught me the power of getting to know your students well enough to teach,” says Moore, illuminating the powerful but not always intuitive connection between relationship-building and improving academic outcomes. Instead of designing pedagogy around individual student needs, “we’re shuffling kids through a system designed on a factory model, and we often give up too soon, because they don’t get to grade level by the time the system says they should. When they don’t, we say they’re not ready to learn or are hopeless. But they are just not on our schedule; it has nothing to do with their innate potential or ability.”

When Moore surveyed her students for a research project in 2000 about best practices for teaching English, students confirmed what she’d long suspected: They learned best when teachers “saw and heard them as individuals, helped them understand their strengths, and connected what they were learning with their future ambitions.” When, instead of recognizing and supporting student effort, teachers focused on minor issues like lateness or poor grammar, students reported feeling discouraged.

REFLECTING ON CLASSROOM PRACTICE

Finding time and head space for reflection—especially after teaching all day, grading assignments, fielding student and family queries, and preparing for the next day’s lessons—is challenging but absolutely essential to good teaching. It’s also not just about reflecting on your pedagogy.

McKamey got in the habit of spending her commute going over what she’d observed about each student that day. “She noted, for example, any body language that might indicate disengagement, like expressionless faces, or heads on desks,” writes Rizga. She also tracked student engagement, going over in her mind instances when she saw, for example, students chatting spontaneously about assignments, or doing extra work. “The next day, McKamey would synthesize what she’d observed, and adjust her lesson plans for the day ahead.”

LEARNING FROM COLLEAGUES

When thinking about productive relationships, teachers should think laterally too: acknowledging and tapping into the strengths of colleagues was a trait of master teachers. Peer networks allow educators to learn from each other, enrich their practice, and access a valuable support network that helps teachers feel connected and more likely to stay in the field.

For many seasoned educators, peer networks are “the main mechanism for transferring collective wisdom and acquiring tacit knowledge that can’t be learned by reading a book or listening to a lecture—skills such as designing a strong lesson plan with precise pacing, rhythm, and clear focus, for instance, or building positive relationships among students,” Rizga writes in another piece in the collection.

“When they struggled—and all of them told me they did—they conferred with colleagues at the school, or teachers in professional associations, or online communities. And together, these teacher groups acted intentionally to identify the challenges students were facing and come up with personalized plans,” Rizga reports.

THE VALUE OF TEAM PLANNING

When teachers were able to share insights and intentionally plan together, they collaborated across academic subjects in new and creative ways, Rigza writes, coming up with valuable lessons and programs that were “more likely to be culturally specific, speaking to the realities of their students’ lives.”

Former high school English teacher Judith Harper, for example, worked with her teaching colleagues in Mesa, Arizona, to help boost students’ public speaking, interviewing, and college-essay-writing skills.  Many of her students came from “working-class and Latino families who didn’t always speak English at home,” and building these skills opened up new opportunities for them. Rebecca Palacios, an early-childhood educator in Corpus Christi, Texas, worked with her teaching colleagues to launch a coaching program to help the Latino parents of her preschool students learn how to support their children’s reading skills at home.

Home — Essay Samples — Education — Teacher — The Art of Teaching: What Makes an Outstanding Teacher

The Art of Teaching: What Makes an Outstanding Teacher

• Categories: Teacher

About this sample

Words: 852 |

Published: Apr 17, 2023

Words: 852 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

• Great teachers respect students. In the classroom of excellent teachers, everyone's ideas and opinions are valued. Students can express their feelings safely and learn to respect and listen to others. This teacher created a warm learning environment for all students.
• A great teacher will create a sense of community and belonging in the classroom. Mutual respect between teachers in the classroom provides a supportive and collaborative environment. In this small community, there are rules to follow and work to be completed, each student knows that they are an important and inseparable part of the team. A good teacher lets students know that they can trust not only her, but the entire class as well. 
• A great teacher is warm, approachable, enthusiastic and caring. This person is accessible not only to students, but also to everyone on campus. Students know that they can ask this teacher for help to resolve any questions or concerns, and they can even share interesting stories. Excellent teachers have good listening skills and will take time out of their busy schedule to serve those who need them. If this teacher had a bad day, no one knows: the teacher left his personal luggage outside the school gate. 
• A great teacher has high hopes for all students. The teacher found that her expectations of the students greatly affected their achievement; He knew that students would generally help teachers more or less according to their expectations. 
• A great teacher has his own passion for learning and motivates students with his passion for education and course materials. He constantly renews his identity as a professional and is committed to providing students with the highest quality education. This teacher is not afraid to learn new teaching strategies or incorporate new technologies into the curriculum, and he seems always ready to share what he has learned with his colleagues. 
• A great teacher is a skilled leader. Unlike administrative leaders, effective teachers focus on joint decision-making and teamwork, as well as community building. This great teacher conveys this sense of leadership to students by providing everyone with the opportunity to assume leadership roles. 
• A good teacher can 'change gears' and is flexible when the lesson does not work. This teacher evaluates his teaching throughout the course and finds new ways of presenting materials to ensure that all students understand key concepts. 
• A great teacher works continuously with his colleagues. The teacher did not consider himself weak for seeking advice or help, but viewed cooperation as a way to learn from his professional counterparts. A great teacher uses constructive criticism and suggestions as an opportunity for educators to grow up. 
• A great teacher maintains professionalism in all aspects, from personal appearance to organizational skills and daily preparation. His communication skills are exemplary, whether it's talking to an administrator, one of his students, or a colleague. 

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• School Education /

Essay on Teacher: Our Friend, Philosopher and Guide in 100, 250 & 300 Words

• Updated on  
• Mar 22, 2024

Teachers are like the guiding stars in our educational journey. They shine our path with knowledge and encouragement. A teacher is a person who helps us learn and grow. They are the ones who guide us through our education and help us to become the best versions of ourselves. Teachers come in all shapes and sizes, but they all have one thing in common: they are passionate about teaching. In this blog, we’ll explore the enchanting role of teachers through the eyes of a student, celebrating their invaluable contributions to our lives.

Table of Contents

• 1 Why are Teachers Important?
• 2 Sample Essay on Teacher in 100 Words
• 3 Sample Essay on Teacher in 250 Words
• 4 Sample Essay on Teacher in 300 Words

Why are Teachers Important?

Teachers help mould today’s youth into the responsible adults of tomorrow. What teachers teach the children at their young age, makes an impact on the students that stays with them for the rest of their lives.

The power of moulding the next generation into great leaders lies in the hands of teachers. This holds the potential of uplifting the society in the near future. Indirectly, teachers are the key to transforming millions of lives all around the globe.

Sample Essay on Teacher in 100 Words

A teacher is a person who helps us understand ourselves. They are the supporters who help us through tough times. Teachers are important because they help us to become the best versions of ourselves. They are like superheroes with the power to ignite our curiosity and help us grow. They teach us numbers, alphabets, and fascinating stories. They are patient listeners, ready to answer our questions and wipe away our doubts. They inspire us to dream big and show us that with hard work, we can achieve anything. A teacher’s love is like a warm hug that makes learning exciting and enjoyable.

Also Read: Teacher Self Introduction to Students and Samples

Sample Essay on Teacher in 250 Words

Teachers are magical beings who turn the pages of our books into captivating adventures. Teachers create colorful classrooms where learning becomes joyous. Their dedication is seen when they explain complex problems in simple ways and solve problems in math and science. With smiles on their faces, they teach us history, nurture our creativity through art, music, and storytelling, and help us express our feelings and thoughts.

Apart from books, teachers also impart life lessons. They teach us to be kind, respectful, and responsible citizens. They show us the value of friendship and the importance of helping others. Teachers celebrate our achievements, no matter how small, and cheer us on during challenges.

A teacher is a person who has a profound impact on our lives. They are the ones who teach us the things we need to know to succeed in life, both academically and personally. They are also there to support us and help us through tough times.

There are many different qualities that make a good teacher. Some of the most important qualities include patience, understanding, and a love of teaching. Good teachers are also able to connect with their students and make learning fun. A good teacher can make a real difference in a student’s life. They can help students develop their talents and abilities, and they can also help them to become confident and self-motivated learners.

Also Read- How to Become a Teacher?

Sample Essay on Teacher in 300 Words

In a world, teachers are essential as they bridge the gap between the unknown and the known. They take the time to understand each student’s unique needs and help them modify and hone their skills. In this process of our learning, they become a friend, philosophers, and guides.

Teachers are more than just knowledge sharers. They are like gardeners, nurturing the seeds of kindness, respect, and responsibility in a student’s heart. They teach us to be a good friend and have empathy. They also encourage us to care for our planet, reminding us that we are its custodians.

As we journey through school, teachers become our guides, showing us the various paths we can take. They encourage us to discover our passions, whether it’s solving math puzzles, painting masterpieces, or playing musical notes. They celebrate our victories, whether big or small and help us learn from our mistakes, turning them into stepping stones toward success. 

A good teacher can make a real difference in a student’s life. They can help students to develop their talents and abilities, and they can also help them to become confident and self-motivated learners.

I am grateful for all the teachers who have helped me along the way. They have taught me so much, and they have helped me to become the person I am today. I know that I would not be where I am without them.

Remember, each day with a teacher is a new adventure, a new opportunity to learn, and a new chance to grow. So, young learners, let’s raise our hands and give a cheer to our teachers, the real-life magicians who make education a truly enchanting place to live.

Also Read – Self Introduction for Teacher Interview

Related Reads:-     

A. Here are two lines lines for a good teacher: Teachers are like shining stars guiding us to the path of knowledge. Teachers are our guardian angels.

A. A teacher is not an acronym, so there is no full form for it, yet some students exhibit affection for their teacher. It also allows one to express creativity. Following are some popular full forms of Teacher: T – Talented, E-Educated, A-Adorable, C-Charming, H-Helpful. E-Encouraging, R-Responsible.

A. A teacher is an educator or a person who helps one acquire knowledge and imparts wisdom through teaching methods.

This brings us to the end of our blog on Essay on Teacher. Hope you find this information useful. For more information on such informative topics for your school, visit our essay writing and follow Leverage Edu . 

Rajshree Lahoty

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Essay on Teacher for Students and Children

500+ words essay on teacher.

Teachers are a special blessing from God to us. They are the ones who build a good nation and make the world a better place. A teacher teaches us the importance of a pen over that of a sword. They are much esteemed in society as they elevate the living standards of people. They are like the building blocks of society who educate people and make them better human beings .

Moreover, teachers have a great impact on society and their student’s life. They also great importance in a parent’s life as parents expect a lot from teachers for their kids. However, like in every profession, there are both good and bad teachers. While there aren’t that many bad teachers, still the number is significant. A good teacher possesses qualities which a bad teacher does not. After identifying the qualities of a good teacher we can work to improve the teaching scenario.

A Good Teacher

A good teacher is not that hard to find, but you must know where to look. The good teachers are well-prepared in advance for their education goals. They prepare their plan of action every day to ensure maximum productivity. Teachers have a lot of knowledge about everything, specifically in the subject they specialize in. A good teacher expands their knowledge continues to provide good answers to their students.

Similarly, a good teacher is like a friend that helps us in all our troubles. A good teacher creates their individual learning process which is unique and not mainstream. This makes the students learn the subject in a better manner. In other words, a good teacher ensures their students are learning efficiently and scoring good marks.

Most importantly, a good teacher is one who does not merely focus on our academic performance but our overall development. Only then can a student truly grow. Thus, good teachers will understand their student’s problems and try to deal with them correctly. They make the student feel like they always have someone to talk to if they can’t do it at home or with their friends.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Impact of Teachers on a Student’s Life

Growing up, our parents and teachers are the first ones to impact our lives significantly. In fact, in the younger years, students have complete faith in their teachers and they listen to their teachers more than their parents. This shows the significance and impact of a teacher .

When we become older and enter college, teachers become our friends. Some even become our role models. They inspire us to do great things in life. We learn how to be selfless by teachers. Teachers unknowingly also teach very important lessons to a student.

For instance, when a student gets hurt in school, the teacher rushes them to the infirmary for first aid. This makes a student feel secure and that they know a teacher plays the role of a parent in school.

In other words, a teacher does not merely stick to the role of a teacher. They adapt into various roles as and when the need arises. They become our friends when we are sad, they care for us like our parents when we are hurt. Thus, we see how great a teacher impacts a student’s life and shapes it.

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19 Top Ideas for a “Why I want to be a Teacher” Essay

Here are the 19 best reasons you would want to be a teacher that you can include in your essay:

• To help children learn more effectively.
• To ensure children have positive mentors.
• To improve children’s lives.
• To help future generations solve the problems of today.
• To help the future generations become good citizens.
• To inspire future generations to create a more equal world.
• To give back to the community I grew up in.
• To be a part of helping my community thrive.
• To be a part of my community’s decision-making processes.
• Because you have the patience for working with children.
• Because you have compassion for children.
• Because you want to learn from children.
• Because you’re enthusiastic about learning.
• Because you are a generous person.
• Because you’re interested in learning how to teach difficult students.
• Because you’re interested in learning how to work with difficult parents.
• Because you’re interested in learning diverse strategies for teaching,
• Because you’re interested in learning to master classroom management.
• Because you’re interested in learning what works and what doesn’t in teaching.

The ‘Why I want to be a teacher’ essay is all about showing you have thought in-depth about what a teacher does and what their role is in society. It’s also about showing you think you’d be a good person to conduct that role.

The 9 Tips are split into five categories. You can scan this whole post or browse through the categories here:

This essay is hard to get right.

Most students write the exact same thing as one another with the same old cliché statements like “because I love kids” (ugh, wrong answer!). If you do this, your teacher will just give you an average grade (or worse).

You need your essay on “why you want to be a teacher” to be different – indeed excellent – so it stands out for your teacher.

I’ll show you how.

Why should you listen to me? Well, I’ve been teaching university students in education departments for 8 years. In that time I’ve marked several thousand essays by people aiming to become teachers. I know what essays get top marks and which ones are average. I also know exactly what mistakes students make that make their essays seem … dull.

So, let me get you started out by introducing 19 points that you should make in your essay on why you want to be a teacher. I’ll break these 19 points down into 5 separate categories. Check them out below.

Read Also: Is Being a Teacher Worth It? (Why I Quit a Good Job)

1. Definitely do not say “because kids are fun”. Do this instead.

The word ‘fun’ is a big red flag for markers. Too many people want to become teachers because they think it would be a fun profession. Or, they might think that they want to help children have fun . No, no, no.

This is an incorrect answer in your essay about why you want to become a teacher.

Yes, teaching is fun a lot of the time. And it is really nice to see students having fun based on activities you’ve set for them.

But society isn’t paying you to have fun, or even to make children have fun. You’re not going to be a child minder, aunt, uncle or clown. You’re going to be a professional who has a bigger social purpose than having fun.

Now, a lot of students say to me “But, students learn more when they’re having fun.” Sure, that might be true – but it’s not a central reason for teaching.

If making learning more fun is genuinely a reason why you decided to become a teacher, then you need to frame it in a way that shows the importance of teaching for the good of students. Here’s three better ways to say ‘because kids are fun’; for each on, we can start with “I want to become a teacher because…”:

• I want to help children learn more effectively. You could say something like: …When I was in school, learning was hard and I therefore hated teaching. There were a lot of teachers who seemed uninspired and uninterested in whether their children are learning. I was inspired to become a teacher so I could help children like myself to learn in ways that are engaging, motivating and inspiring.
• I want to ensure children have positive mentors. You could say something like: …Many children in the world don’t have positive mentors at home. A teacher is often the one person in a child’s life who is a stable mentor that the child can lean upon. I chose to become a teacher because I believe all children need a positive mentor that instils in them an interest in the world and a belief that they can make something of themselves.
• I want to improve children’s lives. You could say something like: …Being a teacher will give me the power to make children’s lives better. Learning opens doors to new opportunities, ways of thinking and paths in life that children wouldn’t have had before me. I am inspired by the idea of helping a child who is sad, uncertain and lacks confidence to see their own potential for creating a fulfilling life for themselves.

All three of those ideas still skirt around the idea that helping children have fun is something you want to see happen, but they also point out that there’s something deeper here than the idea that children should have fun: they should have fun for a reason. That reason could be so they learn more, develop an interest in the world, or see that their lives are full of potential.

Note that in my three examples above, I never used the word ‘fun’: it’s too much of a red flag for your markers.

2. Explain how teaching helps the world! Here’s how.

Have you ever heard someone say that ‘Teaching is a noble profession’? Well, it is. And this is something you really should be talking about in your essay on why you want to become a teacher.

Your teacher will be impressed by your understanding that teaching is a profession that keeps the world turning. Without teachers, where would we be? Probably back in the dark ages where people couldn’t read or write, technology wasn’t advancing very quickly at all, and people mostly lived in ignorance of their world.

So, being a teacher is has a bigger social purpose. As a teacher, you’ll be an important piece of society. You’ll be one of the army of tens – no, hundreds – of thousands of people helping future generations to propel our world towards better days. Below are some ways teaching helps the world. You can start these off with “I want to become a teacher because…”

• I want to help future generations solve the problems of today. Being a teacher gives you the opportunity to propel students to greater heights. The children in your classrooms will be the people who solve climate change (oh, goodness, I hope so!), create the technologies to make our lives more comfortable, and get us out of the ecological, economic and political messes we seem to have gotten ourselves into!
• I want to help the future generations become good citizens. There’s a concept called the ‘ hidden curriculum ’. This concept points to the fact that children learn more at school than what’s in the tests. They also learn how to get along, manners, democratic values and the importance of sharing. These soft skills are more than just a by-product of education. They’re incredibly important for showing our students how to get along in our society.
• I want to inspire future generations to create a more equal world. A lot of what we talk about at school are moral issues: what’s the right and wrong thing to do? How do our actions ensure or hinder equality of races, genders and social classes? As a teacher, you will be instilling in children the idea that the decisions they make will lead to a more or less equal world. And of course, we all want a more equal world for our children.

These points are some higher-order points that will help you teacher see that you’re becoming a teacher for more than ‘fun’. You’re becoming a teacher because you see the noble purpose in teaching. If you do this right, you’ll surely impress your teacher.

3. Discuss your commitment to community. Here’s how.

Teachers are at the center of communities. Parents take their children to school, drop them off, then go to work. They busily get on with their jobs: architect, shop assistant, nurse, builder, and so on… Then, they all come back at the end of the day to collect their children from school.

School is one of the few things that brings all of these different members of a community together. Parents gather around the pick up location to gather their kids, and there they stand around and chat about sports and politics and community issues.

School is at the heart of community.

And you, as a teacher, will be one of the respected members of that community: there to serve all the members of the community by helping to raise their children with the values of the community in which you live.

You can talk about this as a central reason why you want to be a teacher. How about you start off with: “I want to become a teacher because…”

• I want to give back to the community I grew up in. You could say …I grew up in a close-knit community where we all looked out for one another. Being a teacher will give me the opportunity to give back to my friends and mentors in the town who need someone to raise their children who they trust will do a great job.
• I want to be a part of helping my community thrive. You could talk about how you are from a growing community that needs good quality, respectable people who will educate future members of your community. As a teacher, you will be at the heart of ensuring your local town remains a great place to live.
• I want to be a part of my community’s decision-making processes. Teachers hold a certain authority: they know how students learn, and they usually have a very deep understanding of what is best for children in order to ensure they thrive. You can talk about how you want to become a person with deep knowledge about the children in your community so you can help guide you community’s decisions around how to raise their young people.

Note that in this group of ideas, ‘community’ represents the close-knit town in which you live, whereas in point 2, I talked about ‘society’, which was the bigger picture of the future of our nation or world rather than just your town.

4. Discuss the personality traits you think you can bring to the role. Here’s how.

You should show how you have reflected on the requirements of the role of teaching and thought about whether you have the personality traits that are required.

Why? Well, you need to be able to show that you know what being a teacher is all about… and that you think you’d be good at it.

So, let’s dive in to 5 personality traits that teachers have, and how you can show you have those traits:

• Patience. Patience is an enormously popular skill for teachers to have. You’ll have kids who just don’t understand concepts one iota, and you’ve got to sit there and work with them until they get it. It’s tedious, let me tell you!
• Compassion. Patience and compassion go hand-in-hand. If you don’t feel empathy for the kid who’s struggling super hard at learning, you’ll get pretty mad and just give up. You might also say some mean things to the kid! So, compassion is really necessary if you want to become a good teacher.
• Open minded. Teachers always need to be learning new things. We often talk about the importance of learning with students more than directly teaching If you set a student a task, you’ll be sending them out to gather as much information on the topic as possible. They’ll often come back with new knowledge and you will want to praise them for teaching you something new.
• Enthusiasm. Let me tell you, when it’s Wednesday afternoon in the middle of a hot school week and everyone’s depressed and flat there’s one person to rally the troops: you! Teachers need to wake up every morning, put their happy face on, and march into the classroom with boundless enthusiasm. It’ll motivate your students and make them feel welcome in the learning environment.
• Generosity. You need to be generous with your time and praise. You need to be constantly thinking about the students in your care and doing anything you can to help them learn, instil in them a love of learning, and give them the confidence to try anything. Teachers need to be very generous people.

There’s a ton more traits that make a good teacher that you can talk about. These are just a few. Go forth and learn more, and add them to your essay!

5. Conclude with the things you still need to learn. Here’s how.

One more thing: good teachers are constantly learning. As someone studying to be a teacher, you need to remember that there’s a long way to go before you have all the answers. Heck, I’ve been a teacher for nearly a decade and I’m not even half way towards knowing everything about being a good teacher.

So, conclude your essay by highlighting that you understand what the role of a teacher is in society and the key competencies required of a teacher; but then go further and mention your enthusiasm to learn more about the profession over the coming years.

Here’s 5 things you can mention that you still need to learn:

• How to teach difficult students. Some students hate school – mostly because of their terrible experiences in the past. You need to learn to get through to difficult students, and this takes time and patience to learn the art of inspiring the uninspired.
• How to work with difficult parents. Oh boy, you’ll have a lot of these. You can highlight this as one of the key things you want to work on in the coming years: again, you’ll need to draw on that skill of patience (as well as the skill of diplomacy ) when it comes time to deal with an angry parent.
• Diverse strategies for teaching. There are a lot of different ways to go about teaching. Over the years you’ll pick up on the various strategies and tricks different teachers have to help children learn.
• Classroom management. This is one of the hardest things young teachers need to learn. And really, it just takes time. Discuss how this is something you want to focus on, and how you’ll use mentors to really work on this skill.
• What works and what doesn’t. Great teachers have this intuitive knowledge about what works and what doesn’t, all based upon their deep experience and trial-and-error. The only way to learn to teach is to do it. Over the coming years, you’ll be learning about this. A lot.

You’ll only need one or two paragraphs on this final point, but it’s a great way to end your essay on why you want to become a teacher. It’ll show your humility and eagerness to take on one of the noblest professions in the world.

If you want to learn to write a top notch conclusion, you might also like my post on the 5 C’s Conclusion method .

Before you finish up your essay, you might want to check out my awesome posts on how to improve your essays, like these ones:

• How to write a killer Introduction
• My perfect paragraph formula , and
• How to edit your essay like a pro .

I promised 19 thoughtful points to make in your essay about why you want to be a teacher. Here they are, all summed up in one final list:

• Say you want to help children learn more effectively.
• Say you want to ensure children have positive mentors.
• Say you want to improve children’s lives.
• Say you want to help future generations solve the problems of today.
• Say you want to help the future generations become good citizens.
• Say you want to inspire future generations to create a more equal world.
• Say you want to give back to the community you grew up in.
• Say you want to be a part of helping your community thrive.
• Say you want to be a part of your community’s decision-making processes.
• Say you want to share your patience with your students.
• Say you want to share your compassion with your students.
• Say you want to learn from your students (be ‘open minded’)
• Say you want to share your enthusiasm for learning with your students.
• Say you want to share your generosity with your students.
• Say you’re interested in learning how to teach difficult students.
• Say you’re interested in learning how to work with difficult parents.
• Say you’re interested in learning diverse strategies for teaching,
• Say you’re interested in learning to master classroom management.
• Say you’re interested in learning what works and what doesn’t in teaching.

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 5 Top Tips for Succeeding at University
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 50 Durable Goods Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 100 Consumer Goods Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 30 Globalization Pros and Cons

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The Most Important Qualities That Make a Good Teacher

July 30, 2023

Teachers significantly impact the lives of their learners. They challenge their students to confidently think outside the box and counter new challenges. 

A good teacher will also support their learners when they take in new challenges and fail. They build their confidence to try again, inspire creativity, and encourage exploration and competition. 

Teaching is not a job but a calling. It is, therefore, crucial to acquire and perfect the required skills to efficiently inspire and grow students in their classrooms. 

Good teachers model behaviors of patience, empathy, communication, and understanding. Qualities that they can help grow in their learners. 

In this article, we discuss ten qualities of good teachers that should serve as motivation if you hope to impact the lives of your learners positively. 

The Value of a Teacher’s Role

A teacher’s role is essential not only in the education system but also later on in the lives of their students. 

You can make a difference in your student’s life by influencing everything, from educational goals to after-school success. 

Good teachers help their students reach more success, understand themselves better, and make well-thought decisions that will help them make the right choices to propel them to greater heights in life. 

To be good at your job as a teacher, you must love it. Passion is infectious; your students will feel passionate about the subject if you are passionate about it. 

Also, you can cultivate self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-worth in your learners in your daily interactions. 

Your interactions with your students also guide them into laying the foundation for meaningful relationships, understanding their feelings, and navigating challenging situations. 

10 Qualities of a Good Teacher

Outstanding teachers have certain qualities that make them rise above the rest of their student’s lives. Such teachers have a way of remaining in our memories no matter how far removed from our school years. 

Studies from the Economic Policy Institute show that good teachers contribute more to student achievement than learning facilities and school leadership. 

Here are our top ten qualities that make a good teacher:

1. Great communicators

When you possess excellent communication skills, you will know how to teach your subject in a learner-friendly and engaging way. 

This will, in turn, improve their understanding and achievement as it will bring you closer to them and help them present any concerns they may have regarding any learned content. 

For instance, a finance class will be easier to understand if the teacher uses everyday examples with which the students are familiar. 

2. Experts in their field

Your students will be motivated to learn if you are an expert in your field. If you love your teaching area, you will show that expertise in the classroom. 

Once you have mastered the content in your subject area, you can use different angles to explain the subject matter; hence be very resourceful when teaching. 

For instance, a math teacher can use the rows and columns in the class to enhance understanding of matrices. 

3. Collaboration

Collaboration in teaching creates a growth-based learning environment that increases student learning processes.

You should work closely with other teachers and your students if you aim for great results. 

Collaborating with other teachers helps you learn from each other, allowing you to brainstorm new ideas. This is significant in improving learner outcomes. 

A good teacher is also interested in learning from parents about their students. This equips you with an understanding of how to help your students better.

Empathy is how you understand your learner’s emotional, social, and intellectual situations. A good teacher can respond empathetically to a learner’s admirable and ugly emotions without losing focus on student learning. 

For instance, if your best student failed a test. Your first instinct might be to reprimand them and for an explanation for their poor performance. On the other hand, consider putting yourself in their situation, imagine how they are feeling, and empathize with them. 

Seek to understand how they feel about the dismal performance, what they think they did wrong, and then suggest ways to improve the result. Assure them that they have a chance to turn things around. 

When your learners feel physically, mentally, and emotionally safe, they will engage better in your subject as they feel loved and understood. 

You can grow your empathetic touch by reading books on such, taking courses on empathy, and attending seminars that build on this. 

5. Loving challenges

A great teacher loves challenges. A classroom environment is full of varied challenges; therefore, embracing them is a sure way to manage them. 

Once you love your challenges, you will teach your learners more effectively. This is because a teacher who loves challenges will grow to challenge students. Students love challenges, provided they are presented in a kind spirit. 

You can draw your students to love challenges by asking thought-provoking questions that get learners to think about sequencing and predictions. 

Challenging them will push them to work harder, improve, and achieve beyond their imagination. 

6. Creativity

Although not all subject areas promote creativity, they can all be taught creatively. 

For instance, a biology teacher teaching about different kinds of plants would take students to the natural habitat to exploit the topic practically. Also, a literature teacher would more creatively use film to enhance the mental correlation of a play the learners are reading as a literary text. 

A science teacher would use real solutions more creatively when teaching learners to test for bases and acids. Learners always appreciate the extra mile. 

When you creatively motivate your learners, they are motivated to do this in education and their lives after school. 

7. Constant growth 

Teachers need a growth mindset that prepares them for the classroom environment. Continuous learning will equip you with invaluable knowledge to progressively inspire your students. The growth mindset is essential because it will enable you to collaborate with your learners with the understanding that they can learn it to a higher level. 

A view that continuous growth is essential will create a love of learning and resilience in just one area. It empowers your learners to believe they can develop their abilities with brains and talents as starting points. 

The need for growth will motivate you to focus on creativity and intelligence, the two factors that result in success in both your academic and professional lives. 

8. Patience

When managing learners, your patience is constantly tested. You will also deal with learners, parents, and colleagues with differing perspectives, backgrounds, and characters. This requires patience. 

For instance, with your learners and their parents, you must be patient in repeatedly dealing with the same questions and issues.

Also, some of your learners will have difficulties understanding various concepts; it’s essential that you keep going but should continuously try out new ways of helping them succeed. 

9. Adaptability

Your environment as a teacher is constantly evolving. This demands that you continually adapt to the constant changes and adjust your teaching methods to suit the age and intellect of your learners. 

Also, with the continuously changing educational frameworks, being able to adopt those changes makes you a good teacher. 

Adaptability is also one of the essential skills that you will require if you are educating learners of varying grade levels or those with different learning styles. 

10. Respect

Many educators imply respect, but few understand how to use it in the classroom. 

As a good teacher, you must be mindful of any imbalance in respect and ensure that your students feel respected and heard. 

In stories from American Teacher Week , Maggie remembers her seventh-grade language teacher for the respect she fostered and reflected on her students. The feeling that her teacher valued and respected each of them taught her a valuable lesson about the significance of fostering the respect you demand.

Desired Classroom Skills

Besides the teaching and communication skills you should possess as a good teacher, excellent class management skills are critical.  

Some of the desired class management skills include:

• Setting high but achievable expectations for your students – You can do this by teaching them about growth mindsets. They should believe that success is within their control. Reinforce in them daily that they can succeed if they put in the effort. 
• Good planning skills – With good planning skills, you will help students identify their goals and guide them in deciding what their priority is. Teach them how to plan their learning by breaking their tasks into steps to make them more manageable. Teaching learners how to plan will also eliminate uncertainty in the mind, which in most learners results in procrastination. 
• Creating a sense of community- A sense of community will create a social connection and a sense of belonging among your learners. You can establish this community within your students by consistently holding class meetings every morning to focus on building social and emotional skills and establishing relationships among them. 

Common Weaknesses of Teachers

Teachers, even the most experienced, are helpful with some weaknesses. Every teacher would like to see themselves as being perfect, but admitting that we are all flawed in different ways is the first step to becoming better teachers tomorrow. 

Here are some common weaknesses in teachers: 

Perfectionism

Making mistakes is a normal part of human life. Perfectionism is a fear-based pattern whose short-term rewards are getting the job done and exceeding expectations. Its long-term effects, however, include burnout, compromised quality of work, and missed deadlines. 

Being afraid to make mistakes primes us for burnout and overwhelms us with fear, factors that distort our functioning as teachers. 

Dealing with others as a perfectionist is challenging since you will always want them to do things your way, allowing little room for the ideas and imperfections of others. 

Perfectionism also prevents you from taking constructive criticism from colleagues who may want to share relevant observations on your interaction. 

Though no one is perfect, some teachers seem to have it together, and this may be the basis for our comparison. Comparison can hinder your success as a teacher if you are constantly comparing yourself with colleagues you view as perfect. 

Learning helpful hints and new ideas from teachers with the strengths we would like to possess would help you overcome comparison.

For instance, if a colleague is better at relating with learners and they look up to her more for guidance, instead of getting all jealous and bitter at her, seek to know what she does differently to get the students to open up to her. 

Spontaneous

If you are a spontaneous teacher, you act without planning but will rely on previous experience teaching diverse classes and using different approaches to teaching. 

Spontaneity in learning is not all bad, as it helps adjust the power imbalances in a typical classroom. Spontaneous teaching, however, can have some adverse effects on learning. This can result in a lack of structure to your lesson and poor lesson organization. It may also limit your degree of learner assessment of learner progress and achievement. 

To avoid the adverse effects of spontaneity, find a balance between flexibility and structure in the lesson. Consider the individual learner’s needs and learning abilities when deciding on the instructional method. 

Becoming a Good Teacher

A chosen path can guide you into becoming a better teacher. Many specialties are available, so knowing what grade you want to teach and what subject area you are passionate about is essential. 

Here are some steps to take toward becoming a good teacher. 

Bachelor’s Degree 

A bachelor’s degree is crucial to becoming a good teacher. Though most states will require a bachelor’s degree in education, alternative routes to licensure are also available. 

 It will allow you to learn essential skills that will help you become a better teacher. Such include:

• Cognitive skills : A degree program grows your ability to recall, integrate, and analyze information. You will be able to foster critical and creative thinking skills that guide fluency, originality, flexibility, and adaptability in developing and adjusting to learner programs. 
• Communication skills: Acquiring communication skills enables you to interact and collaborate effectively with your learners in delivering and assessing knowledge acquisition. Efficient communication is necessary when also engaging with students’ families and colleagues. 
• Research skills: The skills to initiate and complete data collection concerning learner performance and curricula are essential in effective instruction. A bachelor’s degree program will guide you into effectively demonstrating, considering consequences, information presentation, and record keeping. 
• Social skills: A good teacher is sensitive to ethical and integral processes of establishing functional relationships with all the school community members. The program will develop compassion, empathy, interpersonal skills, and internal motivation, skills you will require to impact your learners and effectively relate with your colleagues positively. 

Here is a list of some bachelor’s degrees that would guide you into initial certification as a teacher:

• Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education
• Bachelor of Special Ed. and Elementary Education
• Bachelor of Special Education (mild to moderate)
• Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Education (middle grades)
• Bachelor of Science in Science Education (Secondary Biological Science)
• Bachelor of Arts in Music Education
• Bachelor of Science in STEM Education

Master’s Degree

Besides attaining a bachelor’s degree, aspiring teachers should also think about acquiring a master’s degree. A master’s degree will upgrade your knowledge and help you learn more about your subject area. You will also acquire more effective ways of curriculum instruction. 

Teaching Certification

To get hired after completing your degree program, getting certified to teach in the state where you are interested in teaching is essential. 

Getting certified gives you credibility as a teacher and is one of the states’ quality measures for hiring teachers. 

Most states will therefore require teachers to have certificates to teach. 

Teachers are crucial in changing lives, inspiring dreams, and pushing individuals to realize their potential. Teachers educate the next generation, promoting positive attitudes that shape society. 

Middle School Teacher Salary in Texas in 2023

July 30, 2023 by bryan

Texas Teachers Certification Areas

Texas teachers currently offers 50+ certification areas:.

• Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources 6–12 (272)
• American Sign Language (ASL) (184)
• Art EC–12 (178)
• Bilingual Education Supplemental (164)
• Bilingual Target Language Proficiency Test (BTLPT) Spanish (190)
• Business and Finance 6–12 (276)
• Chemistry 7–12 (240)
• Computer Science 8–12 (241)
• Core Subjects EC-6 (291)
• Core Subjects 4–8 (211)
• Dance 6–12 (279)
• English as a Second Language Supplemental (154)
• English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (117)
• English Language Arts and Reading 7–12 (231)
• English Language Arts and Reading/Social Studies 4–8 (113)
• Family and Consumer Sciences EC-12 (200)
• Health EC–12 (157)
• Health Science 6–12 (273)
• History 7–12 (233)
• Journalism 7–12 (256)
• Languages Other Than English (LOTE) Arabic EC–12 (600 & 605)
• Languages Other Than English (LOTE) French EC–12 (610)
• Languages Other Than English (LOTE) German EC–12 (611)
• Languages Other Than English (LOTE) Latin EC–12 (612)
• Languages Other Than English (LOTE) Japanese EC–12 (602 & 607)
• Languages Other Than English (LOTE) Mandarin Chinese EC–12 (601 & 606)
• Languages Other Than English (LOTE) Russian EC–12 (603 & 608)
• Languages Other Than English (LOTE) Spanish EC–12 (613)
• Languages Other Than English (LOTE) Vietnamese EC–12 (604 & 609)
• Life Science 7–12 (238)
• Marketing 6–12 (275)
• Mathematics 4–8 (115)
• Mathematics 7–12 (235)
• Mathematics/Physical Science/Engineering 6–12 (274)
• Mathematics/Science 4–8 (114)
• Music EC–12 (177)
• Physical Education EC–12 (158)
• Physical Science 6–12 (237)
• Physics/Mathematics 7–12 (243)
• Science 4–8 (116)
• Science 7–12 (236)
• Social Studies 4–8 (118)
• Social Studies 7–12 (232)
• Special Education EC–12 (161)
• Speech 7–12 (129)
• Technology Applications EC–12 (242)
• Technology Education 6–12 (171)
• Texas Assessment of Sign Communication–American Sign Language™ (TASC–ASL™) (073)
• Theatre EC–12 (180)
• Trade and Industrial (T&I)

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10 Qualities of a Good Teacher

A good teacher can make a world of difference in a student's life, impacting everything from their classroom learning to their long-term success. If you're considering a career in education – or looking to boost it with a Master of Education  (MEd) – it's important to explore the qualities of a good teacher.

Research from the Economic Policy Institute shows that good teachers are the single most important factor that contributes to student achievement in the classroom, more important than facilities, school resources and even school leadership.

A study from the American Economics Association (AEA) found that improvements in teacher quality positively impact everything from the quality of colleges students attend to students’ future salaries, the quality of their neighborhood and even their future participation rates in 401k savings plans ( AEA PDF source ).

So, What Makes a Good Teacher?

Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) education faculty and university students shared their thoughts on the qualities that make effective teachers stand out.

1. Good Teachers Are Strong Communicators.

Tanguay got his start as a high school math teacher and said that many students came to his class feeling afraid of math, discouraged by their prior experiences and too overwhelmed to approach the subject positively. 

By communicating with students at the beginning of the year about how math applies to their favorite hobbies, sports and future careers, Tanguay said his students were able to approach the subject in a more enjoyable way that better supported their learning.

“I’m a firm believer in communication in all forms,” he said. “As a leader, communication is a tool for overcoming fear.”

2. Good Teachers Listen Well.

Great communication doesn't stop when the teacher is done talking. Listening well is one of the most important skills needed to be a teacher. 

“Teachers that are skilled in listening and observing often pick up on what isn’t being said, such as any anxieties a student may have, and can then help the student build their skills and confidence levels," said student  Kristine Ducote , who is earning her bachelor's in criminal justice .

Student Latricia Maddox , who is studying for a bachelor's in business , said that effective listening skills also help a teacher better understand their students and tailor lessons to reach them how they learn best. 

“If an educator can truly hear a student, they can learn how to reach them where they are,” she said. “This will open the door for them to receive and learn the lesson that is being taught.”

3. Good Teachers Focus on Collaboration.

Working in education means you’re never truly working alone. From paraprofessionals and teaching assistants to other classroom teachers and school leaders, working as a teacher often means working effectively in a group. It's also important to keep an open mind and learn from other educators. 

The key to success in this kind of environment, Tanguay said, is the ability to collaborate. "You really need to be able to fill various roles in order to collaborate effectively," he said. "If you already have someone on your team who is going to be the one to critique all of the suggestions made, then you don't need to join in on that. Instead, maybe you need to be the person who is going to come up with creative ideas. You need to have that flexibility."

4. Good Teachers Are Adaptable.

Effective teachers need to be able to work in a constantly evolving environment and adjust their teaching methods based on the age of their students, the resources available and changing curriculum, practices and requirements.

As a teacher since the 1980s, SNHU education professor and on campus undergraduate program chairman Dr. Audrey Rogers said she’s seen tremendous changes in the education field throughout her career, particularly with the rise in access to the internet, computers and other technology. What is teaching going to look like in another 30 years? The only thing certain, Rogers said, is change.

“Change is a constant,” she said. “Learning how to adapt and adjust, that’s been one of the skills that’s been most helpful in my career. It’s about keeping my finger on the pulse of who my students are over time and all the trends, standards and new research, and being able to continually improve.”

Adaptability is also one of the key skills needed to be a teacher who may be educating students of varying grade levels or different learning styles, Tanguay said. 

“You have to be able to adapt based upon your audience,” he said. 

5. Good Teachers Are Engaging.

Being able to engage students with humor, creative lessons and a strong classroom presence is an important part of what makes someone a good teacher, Tanguay said. 

“If you were to envision that teacher that you would want in your life, even now, you’re going to want someone who is very engaging in front of the classroom,” he said. “A good teacher will perform for their students to keep them going... It’s not about sitting back and just lecturing, it’s about engaging in the work.”

What an engaging teacher looks like will vary depending on grade level and subject matter, Tanguay said. 

In kindergarten, an engaging teacher might be one who gets down on the floor to do activities with their students on their level. In high school, an engaging teacher may be one who thinks outside the box, adds humor to their lessons and finds creative ways to bring learning into the real world.

6. Good Teachers Show Empathy.

Another key to engaging students and improving their learning is to treat each student as an individual, by being empathetic and understanding to what may be going on in their lives, Tanguay said. 

“We need to take a moment to think back and think about what could be going on in this student’s life,” he said. “It’s so important to be observant, attentive, empathetic and always have a positive attitude.” 

“Something that may be easy for one student may not be so easy for someone else,” she said. “Everyone learns differently, whether it be faster or slower than normal, learns better by writing, reading or hands-on. Teachers need to always keep this in mind and always pay close attention to ensure each student is on the track they need to be.”

7. Good Teachers Have Patience.

No matter what grade level you're teaching, your patience will be tested while working as an educator.  

Whether you’re managing classroom behavior, working with colleagues with different views, or communicating student issues or progress with parents, patience is one of the most important skills to practice as a teacher. 

“More often than not you actually have to have more patience with the parents than you do with the students,” Tanguay said. “Parents are coming in with their perceptions of what happened to them when they were students or previous experiences that may have been detrimental to their child... You have to be patient and understanding of them.”

8. Good Teachers Value Real-World Learning.

Teachers who bring their students’ learning into the real world are often some of the most engaging. But it’s important for teachers to bring their own learning into the real world, too.

One of the best preparations for effective teaching is to ensure that education students get plenty of classroom experience early on in their degree programs, Rogers said.

For education majors  in SNHU's on campus program, this preparation includes embedded coursework that begins in a student's freshmen year. They spend time at a local school once a week to collaborate with teacher partners and apply their learning to the classroom. A year-long student teaching experience is also a powerful way to ensure soon-to-be teachers have the time to hone their teaching skills, Rogers said.

"Our students have that benefit of seeing the practical application (of) what they're learning in the moment they're learning it," she said.

Find Your Program

9. good teachers share best practices..

A willingness to share knowledge and experiences with others is one of the most important qualities of a good teacher, Rogers said. 

Education is a hands-on field and often requires experimentation within the classroom to discover which methods of communicating with students work best. Part of being an effective teacher is sharing your findings and best practices with others in the field, Rogers said.

“I always challenge my students to think, ‘What is your contribution?’” she said. “Are you brave enough to post on Twitter about your ideas on technology integration in the classroom? Your willingness to share your practice, to keep an open door, to be transparent and to be observed are an important part of your teaching.”

10. Good Teachers Are Lifelong Learners.

One of the key skills needed to be a good teacher is a dedication to continued education and a love of learning. 

Whether you’re learning more about your subject area, learning new methods of communication or even exploring how to bring more technology into your classroom, continuing to expand your own knowledge is key to expanding that of your students.

“Those dedicated to their subjects with a passion for learning make the best teachers," said student Jennifer Gardner , who is earning a bachelor's in mathematics . “They also need to have a desire to pass on that knowledge.” 

Ducote said it’s important for teachers to never feel as though they’ve learned it all, and to remain open to new experiences.

“No matter your education level, you can learn something from everyone you encounter, including fellow educators as well as students,” she said. “Being willing to continually add tools to your toolbox – even unconventional ones at times – will keep things new and exciting, as well as giving you excellent skills.”

Learn the Characteristics of Effective Teaching

If you’re interested in starting a career in education, it’s important to first focus on your own learning. Whether you’re seeking a bachelor's degree in education, an education master’s degree or even a Doctor of Education  (EdD), building a strong foundation of knowledge and real-world experiences is key to becoming a good teacher.

No matter where your career path takes you – whether to an elementary school, secondary school or even to the university level – your teaching can have a profound impact on the lives of students, and your education is the foundation for that work.

“Teachers make such a huge impact on their students’ lives,” said student Donna Whisman , who is earning her bachelor's in communication . “I believe that being a teacher is a very special gift, and those that have that gift make a positive, lasting impression on the lives of their students that can totally change the trajectory of their lives.”

Danielle Gagnon is a freelance writer focused on higher education. Connect with her on LinkedIn .

Explore more content like this article

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About southern new hampshire university.

SNHU is a nonprofit, accredited university with a mission to make high-quality education more accessible and affordable for everyone.

Founded in 1932, and online since 1995, we’ve helped countless students reach their goals with flexible, career-focused programs . Our 300-acre campus in Manchester, NH is home to over 3,000 students, and we serve over 135,000 students online. Visit our about SNHU  page to learn more about our mission, accreditations, leadership team, national recognitions and awards.

Essay on What Makes A Good Teacher

Students are often asked to write an essay on What Makes A Good Teacher in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on What Makes A Good Teacher

A good teacher must have patience. Teaching different students who learn at their own pace requires the ability to wait calmly. When a teacher is patient, students feel more comfortable asking questions and making mistakes, which is a big part of learning.

A teacher needs to know their subject well. This doesn’t just mean knowing a lot of facts. It means understanding the subject deeply enough to explain it in simple ways. When a teacher knows their subject, they can make learning exciting and meaningful.

Kindness is key in teaching. A kind teacher creates a welcoming environment for students. This encourages students to try their best and not be afraid of failure. A kind teacher supports students and helps them grow with encouragement.

Communication

Being able to share ideas clearly is important for a teacher. They need to explain lessons in ways that all students can understand. Good communication also means listening to students and understanding their needs. This helps in solving problems and making learning effective.

Also check:

• Paragraph on What Makes A Good Teacher

250 Words Essay on What Makes A Good Teacher

Qualities of a good teacher.

A good teacher is one who is passionate about teaching and is dedicated to helping students learn. They are patient, understanding, and encouraging, and they make learning fun and engaging. Good teachers are also well-prepared and organized, and they are able to clearly explain complex concepts in a way that students can understand.

Characteristics of a Good Teacher

There are many qualities that make a good teacher, but some of the most important include:

• Passion: Good teachers love teaching and are excited about sharing their knowledge with students.
• Patience: Good teachers are patient and understanding, and they are able to work with students who are struggling.
• Encouragement: Good teachers are encouraging and supportive, and they help students to feel confident in their abilities.
• Organization: Good teachers are well-prepared and organized, and they are able to clearly explain complex concepts in a way that students can understand.
• Creativity: Good teachers are creative and are able to find new and engaging ways to teach students.

The Impact of Good Teachers

Good teachers have a positive impact on the lives of their students. They help students to develop a love of learning, and they prepare them for success in college, career, and life. Good teachers also make a difference in the community, as they help to create a more informed and engaged citizenry.

In conclusion, good teachers are essential to the success of students and society. They are passionate about teaching, patient, understanding, and encouraging. They are also well-prepared and organized, and they are able to clearly explain complex concepts in a way that students can understand. Good teachers have a positive impact on the lives of their students and make a difference in the community.

500 Words Essay on What Makes A Good Teacher

Understanding the role of a teacher.

A teacher is someone who helps students learn and grow. They play a vital role in shaping the minds of young people and preparing them for the future. Good teachers are passionate about their subjects and are always looking for new ways to make learning fun and engaging. They are patient, understanding, and supportive, and they always put the needs of their students first.

There are many qualities that make a good teacher. Some of the most important ones include:

Passion for Learning:

Good teachers love to learn and are always eager to share their knowledge with others. They are excited about their subjects and are able to convey that excitement to their students.

Excellent Communication Skills:

Good teachers are able to communicate effectively with students of all ages and backgrounds. They are able to explain complex concepts in a clear and concise way, and they are able to listen to and understand the needs of their students.

Patience and Understanding:

Good teachers are patient and understanding. They know that all students learn at different paces, and they are willing to work with students who are struggling. They are also understanding of the challenges that students may face outside of the classroom, and they are willing to help students overcome these challenges.

Enthusiasm and Positivity:

Good teachers are enthusiastic and positive. They are able to create a positive learning environment where students feel safe and supported. They are also able to motivate students to learn and to reach their full potential.

Creating a Positive Learning Environment

A positive learning environment is one where students feel safe, respected, and challenged. Good teachers create this type of environment by:

Setting Clear Expectations:

Good teachers set clear expectations for their students. They make sure that students know what is expected of them in terms of behavior and academic achievement.

Providing Support:

Good teachers provide support to their students. They are available to answer questions, offer help, and provide encouragement. They also create a classroom culture where students feel comfortable asking for help when they need it.

Encouraging Respect:

Good teachers encourage respect among their students. They teach students to respect each other and to respect their teachers. They also model respectful behavior themselves.

Making Learning Fun:

Good teachers make learning fun. They use a variety of teaching methods and activities to keep students engaged. They also find ways to make learning relevant to students’ lives.

Good teachers are essential for the success of students. They play a vital role in shaping the minds of young people and preparing them for the future. Good teachers are passionate about learning, have excellent communication skills, are patient and understanding, and are enthusiastic and positive. They create a positive learning environment where students feel safe, respected, and challenged.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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• Essay on What Do You Value Most In Life

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education, community-building and change

What is teaching? A definition and discussion

In this piece Mark K Smith explores the nature of teaching – those moments or sessions where we make specific interventions to help people learn particular things. He sets this within a discussion of pedagogy and didactics and demonstrates that we need to unhook consideration of the process of teaching from the role of ‘teacher’ in schools.

Contents : introduction • what is teaching • a definition of teaching • teaching, pedagogy and didactics • approaching teaching as a process • structuring interventions and making use of different methods • what does good teaching look like • conclusion •  further reading and references • acknowledgements • how to cite this piece, linked piece: the key activities of teaching, a definition for starters : teaching is the process of attending to people’s needs, experiences and feelings, and intervening so that they learn particular things, and go beyond the given., introduction.

In teacher education programmes – and in continuing professional development – a lot of time is devoted to the ‘what’ of teaching – what areas we should we cover, what resources do we need and so on. The ‘how’ of teaching also gets a great deal of space – how to structure a lesson, manage classes, assess for learning for learning and so on. Sometimes, as Parker J. Palmer (1998: 4) comments, we may even ask the “why” question – ‘for what purposes and to what ends do we teach? ‘But seldom, if ever’, he continues: ‘do we ask the “who” question – who is the self that teaches?’

The thing about this is that the who, what, why and how of teaching cannot be answered seriously without exploring the nature of teaching itself.

What is teaching?

In much modern usage, the words ‘teaching’ and ‘teacher’ are wrapped up with schooling and schools. One way of approaching the question ‘What is teaching?’ is to look at what those called ‘teachers’ do – and then to draw out key qualities or activities that set them apart from others. The problem is that all sorts of things are bundled together in job descriptions or roles that may have little to do with what we can sensibly call teaching.

Another way is to head for dictionaries and search for both the historical meanings of the term, and how it is used in everyday language.  This brings us to definitions like:

Impart knowledge to or instruct (someone) as to how to do something; or Cause (someone) to learn or understand something by example or experience.

As can be seen from these definitions we can say that we are all teachers in some way at some time.

Further insight is offered by looking at the ancestries of the words. For example, the origin of the word ‘teach’ lies in the Old English tæcan meaning ‘show, present, point out’, which is of Germanic origin; and related to ‘token’, from an Indo-European root shared by Greek deiknunai ‘show’, deigma ‘sample ( http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/teach ).

Fostering learning

To make sense of all this it is worth turning to what philosophers of education say. Interestingly, the question, ‘What is teaching?’ hasn’t been a hotbed of activity in recent years in the UK and USA. However, as Paul Hirst (1975) concluded, ‘being clear about what teaching is matters vitally because how teachers understand teaching very much affects what they actually do in the classroom’.

Hirst (1975) makes two very important points. For him teaching should involve:

• Setting out with the intention of someone learning something.
• Considering people’s feelings, experiences and needs. Teaching is only teaching if people can take on what is taught.

To this we can add Jerome Bruner’s insights around the nature of education, and the process of learning and problem solving.

To instruct someone… is not a matter of getting him to commit results to mind. Rather, it is to teach him to participate in the process that makes possible the establishment of knowledge. We teach a subject not to produce little living libraries on that subject, but rather to get a student to think mathematically for himself, to consider matters as an historian does, to take part in the process of knowledge-getting. Knowing is a process not a product. (1966: 72)

We can begin to weave these into a definition – and highlight some forms it takes.

A definition : Teaching is the process of attending to people’s needs, experiences and feelings, and intervening so that they learn particular things, and go beyond the given.

Interventions commonly take the form of questioning, listening, giving information, explaining some phenomenon, demonstrating a skill or process, testing understanding and capacity, and facilitating learning activities (such as note taking, discussion, assignment writing, simulations and practice).

Let us look at the key elements.

Attending to people’s feelings, experiences and needs

Considering what those we are supposed to be teaching need, and what might be going on for them, is one of the main things that makes ‘education’ different to indoctrination. Indoctrination involves knowingly encouraging people to believe something regardless of the evidence (see Snook 1972; Peterson 2007). It also entails a lack of respect for their human rights. Education can be described as the ‘wise, hopeful and respectful cultivation of learning undertaken in the belief that all should have the chance to share in life’ (Smith 2015). The process of education flows from a basic orientation of respect – respect for truth, others and themselves, and the world ( op. cit. ). For teachers to be educators they must, therefore:

• Consider people’s needs and wishes now and in the future.
• Reflect on what might be good for all (and the world in which we live).
• Plan their interventions accordingly.

There are a couple of issues that immediately arise from this.

First, how do we balance individual needs and wishes against what might be good for others? For most of us this is probably something that we should answer on a case-by-case basis – and it is also something that is likely to be a focus for conversation and reflection in our work with people.

Second, what do we do when people do not see the point of learning things – for example, around grammar or safety requirements? The obvious response to this question is that we must ask and listen – they may have point. However, we also must weigh this against what we know about the significance of these things in life, and any curriculum or health and safety or other requirements we have a duty to meet. In this case we have a responsibility to try to introduce them to people when the time is right, to explore their relevance and to encourage participation.

Failing to attend to people’s feelings and experiences is problematic – and not just because it reveals a basic lack of respect for them. It is also pointless and counter-productive to try to explore things when people are not ready to look at them. We need to consider their feelings and look to their experiences – both of our classroom or learning environment, and around the issues or areas we want to explore. Recent developments in brain science has underlined the significance of learning from experience from the time in the womb on (see, for example Lieberman 2013). Bringing people’s experiences around the subjects or areas we are looking to teach about into the classroom or learning situation is, thus, fundamental to the learning process.

Learning particular things

Teaching involves creating an environment and engaging with others, so that they learn particular things. This can be anything from tying a shoe lace to appreciating the structure of a three act play. I want highlight three key elements here – focus, knowledge and the ability to engage people in learning.

This may be a bit obvious – but it is probably worth saying – teaching has to have a focus. We should be clear about we are trying to do. One of the findings that shines through research on teaching is that clear learning intentions help learners to see the point of a session or intervention, keep the process on track, and, when challenging, make a difference in what people learn (Hattie 2009: location 4478).

As teachers and pedagogues there are a lot of times when we are seeking to foster learning but there may not be great clarity about the specific goals of that learning (see Jeffs and Smith 2018 Chapter 1). This is especially the case for informal educators and pedagogues. We journey with people, trying to build environments for learning and change, and, from time-to-time, creating teaching moments. It is in the teaching moments that we usually need an explicit focus.

Subject knowledge

Equally obvious, we need expertise, we need to have content. As coaches we should know about our sport; as religious educators about belief, practice and teachings; and, as pedagogues, ethics, human growth and development and social life. Good teachers ‘have deep knowledge of the subjects they teach, and when teachers’ knowledge falls below a certain level it is a significant impediment to students’ learning’ (Coe et. al. 2014: 2).

That said, there are times when we develop our understandings and capacities as we go. In the process of preparing for a session or lesson or group, we may read, listen to and watch YouTube items, look at other resources and learn. We build content and expertise as we teach. Luckily, we can draw on a range of things to support us in our efforts – video clips, web resources, textbooks, activities. Yes, it might be nice to be experts in all the areas we have to teach – but we can’t be. It is inevitable that we will be called to teach in areas where we have limited knowledge. One of the fascinating and comforting things research shows is that what appears to count most for learning is our ability as educators and pedagogues. A good understanding of, and passion for, a subject area; good resources to draw upon; and the capacity to engage people in learning yields good results. It is difficult to find evidence that great expertise in the subject matter makes a significant difference within a lot of schooling (Hattie 2009: location 2963).

Sometimes subject expertise can get in the way – it can serve to emphasize the gap between people’s knowledge and capacities and that of the teacher. On the other hand, it can be used to generate enthusiasm and interest; to make links; and inform decisions about what to teach and when. Having a concern for learning – and, in particular, seeking to create environments where people develop as and, can be, self-directed learners – is one of the key features here.

Engaging people in learning

At the centre of teaching lies enthusiasm and a commitment to, and expertise in, the process of engaging people in learning. This is how John Hattie (2009: location 2939) put it:

… it is teachers using particular teaching methods, teachers with high expectations for all students, and teachers who have created positive student-teacher relationships that are more likely to have the above average effects on student achievement.

Going beyond the given

The idea of “going beyond the information given” was central to Jerome Bruner’s explorations of cognition and education. He was part of the shift in psychology in the 1950s and early 1960s towards the study of people as active processors of knowledge, as discoverers of new understandings and possibilities. Bruner wanted people to develop their ability to ‘go beyond the data to new and possibly fruitful predictions’ (Bruner 1973: 234); to experience and know possibility. He hoped people would become as ‘autonomous and self-propelled’ thinkers as possible’ (Bruner 1961: 23). To do this, teachers and pedagogues had to, as Hirst (1975) put it, appreciate learner’s feelings, experiences and needs; to engage with their processes and view of the world.

Two key ideas became central to this process for Jerome Bruner – the ‘spiral’ and scaffolding.

The spiral . People, as they develop, must take on and build representations of their experiences and the world around them. (Representations being the way in which information and knowledge are held and encoded in our memories). An idea, or concept is generally encountered several times. At first it is likely to be in a concrete and simple way. As understanding develops, it is likely to encountered and in greater depth and complexity. To succeed, teaching, educating, and working with others must look to where in the spiral people are, and how ‘ready’ they are to explore something. Crudely, it means simplifying complex information where necessary, and then revisiting it to build understanding (David Kolb talked in a similar way about experiential learning).

Scaffolding . The idea of scaffolding (which we will come back to later) is  close to what Vygotsky talked about as the zone of proximal development. Basically, it entails creating a framework, and offering structured support, that encourages and allows learners to develop particular understandings, skills and attitudes.

Intervening

The final element – making specific interventions – concerns the process of taking defined and targeted action in a situation. In other words, as well as having a clear focus, we try to work in ways that facilitate that focus.

Thinking about teaching as a process of making specific interventions is helpful, I think, because it:

Focuses on the different actions we take .   As we saw in the definition, interventions commonly take the form of questioning, listening, giving information, explaining some phenomenon, demonstrating a skill or process, testing understanding and capacity, and facilitating learning activities (such as note taking, discussion, assignment writing, simulations and practice).

Makes us look at how we move from one way of working or communicating to another . Interventions often involve shifting a conversation or discussion onto a different track or changing the process or activity. It may well be accompanied by a change in mood and pace (e.g. moving from something that is quite relaxed into a period of more intense activity). The process of moving from one way of working – or way of communicating – to another is far from straightforward. It calls upon us to develop and deepen our practice.

Highlights the more formal character of teaching . Interventions are planned, focused and tied to objectives or intentions. Teaching also often entails using quizzes and tests to see whether planned outcomes have been met. The feel and character of teaching moments are different to many other processes that informal educators, pedagogues and specialist educators use. Those processes, like conversation, playing a game and walking with people are usually more free-flowing and unpredictable.

Teaching, however, is not a simple step-by-step process e.g. of attending, getting information and intervening. We may well start with an intervention which then provides us with data. In addition, things rarely go as planned – at least not if we attend to people’s feelings, experiences and needs. In addition, learners might not always get the points straightaway or see what we are trying to help them learn. They may be able to take on what is being taught – but it might take time. As a result, how well we have done is often unlikely to show up in the results of any tests or in assessments made in the session or lesson.

Teaching, pedagogy and didactics

Earlier, we saw that relatively little attention had been given to defining the essential nature of teaching in recent years in the UK and North America. This has contributed to confusion around the term and a major undervaluing of other forms of facilitating learning. The same cannot be said in a number of continental European countries where there is a much stronger appreciation of the different forms education takes. Reflecting on these traditions helps us to better understand teaching as a particular process – and to recognize that it is fundamentally concerned with didactics rather than pedagogy.

Perhaps the most helpful starting point for this discussion is the strong distinction made in ancient Greek society between the activities of pedagogues (paidagögus) and subject teachers (didáskalos or diadacts). The first pedagogues were slaves – often foreigners and the ‘spoils of war’ (Young 1987). They were trusted and sometimes learned members of rich households who accompanied the sons of their ‘masters’ in the street, oversaw their meals etc., and sat beside them when being schooled. These pedagogues were generally seen as representatives of their wards’ fathers and literally ‘tenders’ of children (pais plus agögos, a ‘child-tender’). Children were often put in their charge at around 7 years and remained with them until late adolescence. As such pedagogues played a major part in their lives – helping them to recognize what was wrong and right, learn how to behave in different situations, and to appreciate how they and those around them might flourish.

Moral supervision by the pedagogue (paidagogos) was also significant in terms of status.

He was more important than the schoolmaster, because the latter only taught a boy his letters, but the paidagogos taught him how to behave, a much more important matter in the eyes of his parents. He was, moreover, even if a slave, a member of the household, in touch with its ways and with the father’s authority and views. The schoolmaster had no such close contact with his pupils. (Castle 1961: 63-4)

The distinction between teachers and pedagogues, instruction and guidance, and education for school or life was a feature of discussions around education for many centuries. It was still around when Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) explored education. In On Pedagogy (Über Pädagogik) first published in 1803, he talked as follows:

Education includes the nurture of the child and, as it grows, its culture. The latter is firstly negative, consisting of discipline; that is, merely the correcting of faults. Secondly, culture is positive, consisting of instruction and guidance (and thus forming part of education). Guidance means directing the pupil in putting into practice what he has been taught. Hence the difference between a private teacher who merely instructs, and a tutor or governor who guides and directs his pupil. The one trains for school only, the other for life. (Kant 1900: 23-4)

It was later – and particularly associated with the work of Herbart (see, for example, Allgemeine pädagogik – General Pedagogics, 1806 and Umriss Pädagogischer Vorlesungen , 1835 – Plan of Lectures on Pedagogy and included in Herbart 1908) – that teaching came to be seen, wrongly, as the central activity of education (see Hamilton 1999).

Didactics – certainly within German traditions – can be approached as Allgemeine Didaktik (general didactics) or as Fachdidaktik (subject didactics). Probably, the most helpful ways of translating didaktik is as the study of the teaching-learning process. It involves researching and theorizing the process and developing practice (see Kansanen 1999). The overwhelming focus within the didaktik tradition is upon the teaching-learning process in schools, colleges and university.

To approach education and learning in other settings it is necessary to turn to the pädagogik tradition . Within this tradition fields like informal education, youth work, community development, art therapy, playwork and child care are approached as forms of pedagogy. Indeed, in countries like Germany and Denmark, a relatively large number of people are employed as pedagogues or social pedagogues. While these pedagogues teach, much of their activity is conversationally, rather than curriculum, -based. Within this what comes to the fore is a focus on flourishing and of the significance of the person of the pedagogue (Smith and Smith 2008). In addition, three elements stand out about the processes of the current generation of specialist pedagogues. First, they are heirs to the ancient Greek process of accompanying and fostering learning. Second, their pedagogy involves a significant amount of helping and caring for. Indeed, for many of those concerned with social pedagogy it is a place where care and education meet – one is not somehow less than the other (Cameron and Moss 2011). Third, they are engaged in what we can call ‘bringing situations to life’ or ‘sparking’ change (animation). In other words, they animate, care and educate (ACE). Woven into those processes are theories and beliefs that we also need to attend to (see Alexander 2000: 541).

We can see from this discussion that when English language commentators talk of pedagogy as the art and science of teaching they are mistaken. As Hamilton (1999) has pointed out teaching in schools is properly approached in the main as didactics – the study of teaching-learning processes. Pedagogy is something very different. It may include didactic elements but for the most part it is concerned with animation, caring and education (see what is education? ). It’s focus is upon flourishing and well-being. Within schools there may be specialist educators and practitioners that do this but they are usually not qualified school teachers. Instead they hold other professional qualifications, for example in pedagogy, social work, youth work and community education. To really understand teaching as a process we need to unhook it from school teaching and recognize that it is an activity that is both part of daily life and is an element of other practitioner’s repertoires. Pedagogues teach, for example, but from within a worldview or haltung that is often radically different to school teachers.

Approaching teaching as a process

Some of the teaching we do can be planned in advance because the people involved know that they will be attending a session, event or lesson where learning particular skills, topics or feelings is the focus. Some teaching arises as a response to a question, issue or situation. However, both are dependent on us:

Recognizing and cultivating teachable moments. Cultivating relationships for learning. Scaffolding learning – providing people with temporary support so that they deepen and develop their understanding and skills and grow as independent learners. Differentiating learning – adjusting the way we teach and approach subjects so that we can meet the needs of diverse learners. Accessing resources for learning. Adopting a growth mindset.

We are going to look briefly at each of these in turn.

Recognizing and cultivating teachable moments

Teachers – certainly those in most formal settings like schools – have to follow a curriculum. They have to teach specified areas in a particular sequence. As a result, there are always going to be individuals who are not ready for that learning. As teachers in these situations we need to look out for moments when students may be open to learning about different things; where we can, in the language of Quakers, ‘speak to their condition’. Having a sense of their needs and capacities we can respond with the right things at the right time.

Informal educators, animators and pedagogues work differently for a lot of the time. The direction they take is often not set by a syllabus or curriculum. Instead, they listen for, and observe what might be going on for the people they are working with. They have an idea of what might make for well-being and development and can apply it to the experiences and situations that are being revealed. They look out for moments when they can intervene to highlight an issue, give information, and encourage reflection and learning.

In other words, all teaching involves recognizing and cultivating ‘learning moments’ or ‘teaching moments’.

It was Robert J Havinghurst who coined the term ‘teachable moment’. One of his interests as an educationalist was the way in which certain things have to be learned in order for people to develop.

When the timing is right, the ability to learn a particular task will be possible. This is referred to as a ‘teachable moment’. It is important to keep in mind that unless the time is right, learning will not occur. Hence, it is important to repeat important points whenever possible so that when a student’s teachable moment occurs, s/he can benefit from the knowledge. (Havinghurst 1953)

There are times of special sensitivity when learning is possible. We have to look out for them, to help create environments that can create or stimulate such moments, be ready to respond, and draw on the right resources.

Cultivating collaborative relationships for learning

The main thing here is that teaching, like other parts of our work, is about relationship. We have to think about our relationships with those we are supposed to be teaching and about the relationships they have with each other. Creating an environment where people can work with each other, cooperate and learning is essential. One of the things that has been confirmed by recent research in neuroscience is that ‘our brains are wired to connect’, we are wired to be social (Lieberman 2013). It is not surprising then, that on the whole cooperative learning is more effective that either competitive learning (where students compete to meet a goal) or individualistic learning (Hattie 2011: 4733).

As teachers, we need to be appreciated as someone who can draw out learning; cares about what people are feeling, experiencing and need; and breathe life to situations. This entails what Carl Rogers (in Kirschenbaum and Henderson 1990: 304-311) talked about as the core conditions or personal qualities that allow us to facilitate learning in others:

Realness or genuineness . Rogers argued that when we are experienced as real people -entering into relationships with learners ‘without presenting a front or a façade’, we more likely to be effective. Prizing, acceptance, trust . This involves caring for learners, but in a non-possessive way and recognizing they have worth in their own right. It entails trusting in capacity of others to learn, make judgements and change. Empathic understanding . ‘When the teacher has the ability to understand the student’s reactions from the inside, has a sensitive awareness of the way the process of education and learning seems to the student, then again the likelihood of significant learning is increased’.

In practical terms this means we talk to people, not at them. We listen. We seek to connect and understand. We trust in their capacity to learn and change. We know that how we say things is often more important than what we say.

Scaffolding

Scaffolding entails providing people with temporary support so that they deepen and develop their understanding and skills – and develop as independent learners.

Like physical scaffolding, the supportive strategies are incrementally removed when they are no longer needed, and the teacher gradually shifts more responsibility over the learning process to the student. (Great Schools Partnership 2015)

To do this well, educators and workers need to be doing what we have explored above – cultivating collaborative relationships for learning, and building on what people know and do and then working just beyond it. The term used for latter of these is taken from the work of Lev Vygotsky – is working in the learner’s zone of proximal development .

A third key aspect of scaffolding is that the support around the particular subject or skill is gradually removed as people develop their expertise and commitment to learning.

Scaffolding can take different forms. It might simply involve ‘showing learners what to do while talking them through the activity and linking new learning to old through questions, resources, activities and language’ (Zwozdiak-Myers and Capel, S. 2013 location 4568). (For a quick overview of some different scaffolding strategies see Alber 2014 ).

The educational use of the term ‘scaffolding’ is linked to the work of Jerome Bruner –who believed that children (and adults) were active learners. They constructed their own knowledge. Scaffolding was originally used to describe how pedagogues interacted with pre-school children in a nursery (Woods et. al . 1976). Bruner defined scaffolding as ‘the steps taken to reduce the degrees of freedom in carrying out some task so that the child can concentrate on the difficult skill she is in the process of acquiring’ (Bruner 1978: 19).

Differentiation

Differentiation involves adjusting the way we teach and approach subjects so that we can meet the needs of diverse learners. It entails changing content, processes and products so that people can better understand what is being taught and develop appropriate skills and the capacity to act.

The basic idea is that the primary educational objectives—making sure all students master essential knowledge, concepts, and skills—remain the same for every student, but teachers may use different instructional methods to help students meet those expectations. (Great Schools Partnership 2013)

It is often used when working with groups that have within them people with different needs and starting knowledge and skills. (For a quick guide to differentiation see BBC Active ).

Accessing resources for learning

One of the key elements we require is the ability to access and make available resources for learning. The two obvious and central resources we have are our own knowledge, feelings and skills; and those of the people we are working with. Harnessing the experience, knowledge and feelings of learners is usually a good starting point. It focuses attention on the issue or subject; shares material; and can encourage joint working. When it is an area that we need to respond to immediately, it can also give us a little space gather our thoughts and access the material we need.

The third key resource is the internet – which we can either make a whole group activity by using search via a whiteboard or screen, or an individual or small group activity via phones and other devices. One of the good things about this is that it also gives us an opportunity not just to reflect on the subject of the search but also on the process. We can examine, for example, the validity of the source or the terms we are using to search for something.

The fourth great resource is activities. Teachers need to build up a repertoire of different activities that can be used to explore issues and areas (see the section below).

Last, and certainly not least, there are the standard classroom resources – textbooks, handouts and study materials.

As teachers we need to have a range of resources at our fingertips. This can be as simple as carrying around a file of activities, leaflets and handouts or having materials, relevant sites and ebooks on our phones and devices.

Adopting a growth mindset

Last, we need to encourage people to adopt what Carol Dweck (2012) calls a growth mindset. Through researching the characteristics of children who succeed in education (and more generally flourish in life), Dweck found that some people have a fixed mindset and some a growth mindset.

Believing that your qualities are carved in stone— the fixed mindset —creates an urgency to prove yourself over and over. If you have only a certain amount of intelligence, a certain personality, and a certain moral character—well, then you’d better prove that you have a healthy dose of them. It simply wouldn’t do to look or feel deficient in these most basic characteristics…. There’s another mindset in which these traits are not simply a hand you’re dealt and have to live with, always trying to convince yourself and others that you have a royal flush when you’re secretly worried it’s a pair of tens. In this mindset, the hand you’re dealt is just the starting point for development. This growth mindset is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts. Although people may differ in every which way—in their initial talents and aptitudes, interests, or temperaments—everyone can change and grow through application and experience. (Dweck 2012: 6-7)

The fixed mindset is concerned with outcomes and performance; the growth mindset with getting better at the task.

In her research she found, for example, that students with a fixed mindset when making the transition from elementary school to junior high in the United States, declined – their grades immediately dropped and over the next two years continued to decline. Students with a growth mindset showed an increase in their grades ( op. cit. : 57). The significance of this for teaching is profound. Praising and valuing achievement tends to strengthen the fixed mindset; praising and valuing effort helps to strengthen a growth mindset.

While it is possible to question elements of Dweck’s research and the either/or way in which prescriptions are presented (see Didau 2015), there is particular merit when teaching of adopting a growth mindset (and encouraging it in others). It looks to change and development rather than proving outselves.

Structuring interventions and making use of different methods

One of the key things that research into the processes of teaching and educating tells us is that learners tend to like structure; they want to know the shape of a session or intervention and what it is about. They also seem to like variety, and changes in the pace of the work (e.g. moving from something quite intense to something free flowing).

It is also worth going back to the dictionary definitions – and the origins of the word ‘teach’. What we find here are some hints of what Geoff Petty (2009) has talked about as ‘teacher-centred’ methods (as against active methods and student-centred methods).

If we ask learners about their experiences and judgements, one of things that comes strongly through the research in this area is that students overwhelming prefer group discussion, games and simulations and activities like drama, artwork and experiments. At the bottom of this list come analysis, theories, essays and lectures (see Petty 2009: 139-141). However, there is not necessarily a connection between what people enjoy doing and what produces learning.

Schoolteachers may use all of these methods – but so might sports workers and instructors, youth ministers, community development workers and social pedagogues. Unlike schoolteachers, informal educators like these are not having to follow a curriculum for much of their time, nor teach content to pass exams. As such they are able to think more holistically and to think of themselves as facilitators of learning. This means:

Focusing on the active methods in the central column; Caring about people’s needs, experiences and feeling; Looking for teachable moments when then can make inputs often along the lines of the first column (teacher-centred methods); and Encouraging people to learn for themselves i.e. take on projects, to read and study, and to learn independently and be self-directed (student-centred methods).

In an appendix to this piece we look at some key activities of teaching and provide practical guidance. [See key teaching activities ]

What does good teaching look like?

What one person sees as good teaching can easily be seen as bad by another. Here we are going to look at what the Ofsted (2015) framework for inspection says. However, before we go there it is worth going back to what Paul Hirst argued back in 1975 and how we are defining teaching here. Our definition was:

Teaching is the process of attending to people’s needs, experiences and feelings, and making specific interventions to help them learn particular things.

We are looking at teaching as a specific process – part of what we do as educators, animators and pedagogues. Ofsted is looking at something rather different.  They are grouping together teaching, learning and assessment – and adding in some other things around the sort of outcomes they want to see. That said, it is well worth looking at this list as the thinking behind it does impact on a lot of the work we do.

Inspectors will make a judgement on the effectiveness of teaching, learning and assessment by evaluating the extent to which: teachers, practitioners and other staff have consistently high expectations of what each child or learner can achieve, including the most able and the most disadvantaged teachers, practitioners and other staff have a secure understanding of the age group they are working with and have relevant subject knowledge that is detailed and communicated well to children and learners assessment information is gathered from looking at what children and learners already know, understand and can do and is informed by their parents/previous providers as appropriate assessment information is used to plan appropriate teaching and learning strategies, including to identify children and learners who are falling behind in their learning or who need additional support, enabling children and learners to make good progress and achieve well except in the case of the very young, children and learners understand how to improve as a result of useful feedback from staff and, where relevant, parents, carers and employers understand how learners should improve and how they can contribute to this engagement with parents, carers and employers helps them to understand how children and learners are doing in relation to the standards expected and what they need to do to improve equality of opportunity and recognition of diversity are promoted through teaching and learning where relevant, English, mathematics and other skills necessary to function as an economically active member of British society and globally are promoted through teaching and learning.

We see some things that many will not disagree with like having high expectations of learners, knowing what the needs of the group may be, having expertise in the area being taught; recogniting diversity and having a concern for equality of opportunity; and so on. We may also see the role that assessment plays in reinforcing learning and helping to shape future learning. However, there are things we may disagree with. Perhaps more importantly there are all sorts of things missing here. For example, why is there an emphasis on economic activity as against social, religious and political participation? Another issue, for many of you reading this, is possibly the way in which little account is made of the extent to which learners take responsibility for their own learning. They are encouraged to contribute to learning but not own it.

Good teaching is rather more than technique according to Parker J. Palmer . Good teaching, he says, ‘comes from the identity and integrity of the teacher’ (Palmer 1998: 11). It is the way we are experienced, our enthusiasm, our care, our knowledge, our interest in, and concern for, people that is the key to whether we are felt to be good teachers. As Jackie Beere (2012) and others have argued we need to be present as people in the classroom or learning environment.

This is not to say that technique isn’t important. It is. We need to be skilled at scaffolding learning; creating relationships and environments for learning; and catching teaching moments. It is just that these skills need to be employed by someone who can be respected, is experienced as real and is wise.

In this piece we have made a plea to explore teaching as a process rather than something that is usually approached as the thinking and activity associated with a particular role – the school teacher. As has been argued elsewhere a significant amount of what those called school teachers do is difficult to classify as education (see What is education? ). Even the most informal of educators will find themselves teaching. They may well work hard at building and facilitating environments where people can explore, relate and learn. However, extending or deepening that exploration often leads to short, or not so short bursts of teaching or instructing. For example, as sports coaches or outdoor educators we may be both trying to develop teamwork and build particular skills or capacities. As a specialist or religious educators we might be seeking to give information, or introduce ideas that need some explanation. These involve moments of teaching or instructing. Once we accept this then we can hopefully begin to recognize that school teachers have a lot to learn from other teachers – and vice versa.

We also need to unhook ‘pedagogy’ from school teaching within English language discussions – and to connect it with the tradition of didactics. One of the problems with the false link of school teaching to pedagogy is that it is impairing a proper discussion of pedagogy. However, that may change a little in the UK at least with the development of professional standards for social pedagogy and the emergence of graduate and post-graduate study in the area.

Further reading and references

Check out the Teaching and Learning Toolkit . The Educational Endowment Foundation has produced a very accessible review of the evidence concerning different things that schools do. Many of the things that schools do have little or no evidence to support them e.g. streaming and setting, insisting on school uniform, using performance related pay. Some things are very productive like giving feedback; teaching specific strategies to set goals, and monitor and evaluate academic development; peer tutoring; and early years’ intervention.

Key teaching activities . This infed page outlines 9 key activities and why they are central to the process of teaching.

Alber, R. (2014). 6 Scaffolding Strategies to Use With Your Students, Eductopia . [ http://www.edutopia.org/blog/scaffolding-lessons-six-strategies-rebecca-alber . Retrieved February 9, 2016].

BBC Active (2010). Methods of Differentiation in the Classroom .   London: Pearson Education .  [ http://www.bbcactive.com/BBCActiveIdeasandResources/MethodsofDifferentiationintheClassroom.aspx . Retrieved: January 31, 2016]

Beere, J. (2012). The Perfect Ofsted Lesson Bancyfelin: Independent Thinking Press.

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Capel, S., Leask, M. and Turner T. (eds.) (2013). Learning to teach in the secondary school. A companion to school experience . 6e. Abingdon: Routledge.

Castle, E. B. (1961). Ancient Education and Today . Harmondsworth: Pelican.

Coe, R. et. al. (2014). What makes great teaching. Review of the underpinning research. London: The Sutton Trust. [ http://www.suttontrust.com/researcharchive/great-teaching/ . Retrieved December 20, 2014].

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Cowley, S. (2011). Teaching for Dummies . Chichester: John Wiley.

Davey, A. G. (1972) ‘Education or indoctrination’, Journal of Moral Education 2 (1):5-15.

Department for Education and Skills. (2004a). Pedagogy and Practice: Teaching and Learning in the Secondary School, Unit 6 Modelling . London: Department for Education and Skills. [ http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110809101133/http://wsassets.s3.amazonaws.com/ws/nso/pdf/c60e7378e118be7f7d22d7660f85e2d8.pdf . Retrieved: February 25, 2016]

Department for Education and Skills. (2004b). Pedagogy and Practice: Teaching and Learning in the Secondary School, Unit 7 Questioning . London: Department for Education and Skills. [ http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110809101133/http://wsassets.s3.amazonaws.com/ws/nso/pdf/027c076de06e59ae10aeb9689a8a1c04.pdf . Retrieved: February 25, 2016]

Department for Education and Skills. (2004c). Pedagogy and Practice: Teaching and Learning in the Secondary School, Unit 8 Explaining . London: Department for Education and Skills. [ http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110809101133/http://nsonline.org.uk/node/96982?uc=force_uj . Retrieved: February 25, 2016].

Department for Education and Skills. (2004d). Pedagogy and Practice: Teaching and Learning in the Secondary School, Unit 10 Group work . London: Department for Education and Skills. [ http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110809101133/http://nsonline.org.uk/downloader/100963eebbb37c81ada6214ed97be548.pdf . Retrieved: February 25, 2016]

Department for Education and Skills. (2004e). Pedagogy and Practice: Teaching and Learning in the Secondary School, Unit 11 Active engagement techniques . London: Department for Education and Skills. [ http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110809101133/http://nsonline.org.uk/node/96205?uc=force_uj . Retrieved: February 25, 2016].

Department for Education and Skills. (2004f). Pedagogy and Practice: Teaching and Learning in the Secondary School, Unit 12 Assessment for learning . London: Department for Education and Skills. [ http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110809101133/http://nsonline.org.uk/downloader/2deff878cffd2cdcd59a61df29e73105.pdf . Retrieved: February 25, 2016].

Didau, D. (2015). What if everything you knew about education was wrong? Bancyfelin: Crown House Publishing.

Dweck, C. S. (2012). Mindset . London: Robinson.

Gervis and Capel (2013). ‘Motivating pupils’ in S. Capel e t. al. (eds.) Learning to teach in the secondary school. A companion to school experience . 6e. Abingdon: Routledge.

Great Schools Partnership (2013). ‘Differentiation’, S. Abbott (ed.) The Glossary of Education Reform . [ http://edglossary.org/differentiation/ . Retrieved February 10, 2016].

Great Schools Partnership (2015). ‘Scaffolding’, S. Abbott (ed.) The Glossary of Education Reform . [ http://edglossary.org/scaffolding/ . Retrieved February 10, 2016].

Hattie, J. (2009). Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement . Abingdon: Routledge.

Hamilton, D. (1999). ‘The pedagogic paradox (or why no didactics in England?)’, Pedagogy, Culture & Society , 7:1, 135-152. [ http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/14681369900200048 . Retrieved: February 10, 2012].

Havinghurst, R. J. (1953). Human Development and Education . London: Longman, Green.

Herbart, J. F (1892). The Science of Education: its general principles deduced from its aim and the aesthetic revelation of the world , translated by H. M. & E. Felkin. London: Swann Sonnenschein.

Herbart, J. F., Felkin, H. M., & Felkin, E. (1908). Letter and lectures on education: By Johann Friedrich Herbart ; Translated from the German, and edited with an introduction by Henry M. and Emmie Felkin and a preface by Oscar Browning. London: Sonnenschein.

Hirst, P. (1975). What is teaching? In R. S. Peters (ed.) The Philosophy of Education . London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.

Jeffs, T. and Smith, M. K. (2018) Informal Education .London: Educational Heretics.

Kant, I. (1900). Kant on education (Ueber pa?dagogik) . Translated by A. Churton. Boston: D.C. Heath. [ http://files.libertyfund.org/files/356/0235_Bk.pdf . Accessed October 10, 2012].

Kansanen, P. (1999). ‘The “Deutsche Didadtik” and the American research on teaching’ in B. Hudson et. al. (eds.) Didadtik-Fachdidadtik as science(s) of the teaching profession ? Umeå Sweden: TNTEE Publications. [ tntee.umu.se/publications/v2n1/pdf/2_1complete.pdf . Retrieved: February 26, 2016].

Kirschenbaum, H. and Henderson, V. L. (eds.) (1990). The Carl Rogers Reader . London: Constable.

Lieberman, M. D. (2013). Social. Why Our Brains Are Wired to Connect . Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Nuthall, G. A. (2007). The hidden lives of learners . Wellington, New Zealand: New Zealand Council for Educational Research.

Ofsted (2015). The common inspection framework: education, skills and early years. London: Ofsted. [ https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/461767/The_common_inspection_framework_education_skills_and_early_years.pdf . Retrieved May 28, 2018]

Palmer, P. J. (1998). The Courage to Teach. Exploring the inner landscape of a teacher’s life . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Petty, G. (2009). Teaching Today. A practical guide . Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes.

Smith, M. K. (2012). ‘What is pedagogy?’, The encyclopedia of pedagogy and informal education. [ https://infed.org/mobi/what-is-pedagogy/ . Retrieved: February 25, 2012].

Smith, M. K. (2015). What is education? A definition and discussion. The encyclopedia of pedagogy and informal education . [ https://infed.org/mobi/what-is-education-a-definition-and-discussion/ . Retrieved: February 25, 2016].

Snook, I.  (1972). Concepts of Indoctrination: Philosophical Essays . London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.

Wilson, L. (2009) Practical Teaching. A guide to PTLLS and DTLLS . Andover: Cengage.

Wood, D. J., Bruner, J. S., & Ross, G. (1976). The role of tutoring in problem solving. Journal of Child Psychiatry and Psychology , 17(2), 89-100.

Wragg, E. C. and Brown, G. (2001). Questioning in the Secondary School . London: RoutledgeFalmer.

Young, N. H. (1987). ‘Paidagogos: The Social Setting of a Pauline Metaphor’, Novum Testamentum 29: 150.

Zwozdiak-Myers, P. and Capel, S. (2013). Communicating with Pupils in Capel, S., Leask, M. and Turner T. (eds.) Learning to teach in the secondary school. A companion to school experience . 6e. Abingdon: Routledge.

Acknowledgements

The section ‘teaching, pedagogy and didactics’ draws heavily on another piece written by Mark K Smith for infed.org ( see Smith 2012 ).

The ACE diagram is taken from Smith, M. K. (forthcoming). Working with young people in difficult times (Chapter 1). https://infed.org/mobi/working-with-young-people-in-difficult-times/

Picture:   Group project by Brande Jackson . Flickr | ccbyncnd2 licence

How to cite this piece : Smith, M. K. (2018). ‘What is teaching?’ in The encyclopedia of pedagogy and informal education . [ https://infed.org/mobi/what-is-teaching/ . Retrieved: insert date].

© Mark K Smith 2016, 2018.

Last Updated on August 24, 2020 by infed.org

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Teaching as a Profession Essay

Teaching is a respected profession which demands consistency and patience. Educators are not only seen as knowledge distributors but also mentors and role models. This article “ Teaching as a Profession Essay” sheds light on the value of such teachers and what the world would be without them. Let’s get started with the importance of teaching profession.

Many teachers dedicate all their lives to empowering students and making them better and more successful human beings in their lives. Furthermore, they even help them financially so that they’re not left behind in life. These are those children who can never afford to be admitted to coaching classes for competitive exams. Anand Kumar teaches, guides, and motivates students to dream big and fulfil those dreams.

Table of Contents

Some Respected Teachers in History

The first Anand Kumar from Super 30 (played by Hrithik Roshan) made a record of selecting 18 students for IIT out of 30 students.

The next example in front of us is Siva Subramania Iyer. He was the teacher of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and he was responsible for giving India its Missile Man. He taught him to fly high and inspired him to make it big.

Thus, not only teaching a profession a thing to pursue but also a passion that can take you to heights.

What is a Teaching Profession?

We all know what it is teaching profession. But still, we need to be aware of the importance of teaching profession. They mentor and motivate students to perform well in their studies and be passionate about their careers.

Let’s explain teaching as a profession. Teaching is a job made to make students more capable and teach important academic and life lessons even about values like respect, sharing, ethical values, and cultures.

Teachers are the ones who teach students to live life with discipline and high value and also play a crucial role in shaping the minds and lives of students, allowing them to attain knowledge, skills, and values crucial for personal and intellectual growth.

Importance of Teaching Profession

Teaching is the most desirable Profession nowadays. The importance of the Teaching Profession incorporates tomfoolery and learning together. Being in the teaching profession doesn’t mean you have to share your knowledge.

Teachers play a vital role in student’s life by assisting them with achieving their goals. Therefore, choosing the Teaching Profession offers perpetual career opportunities. However, Teaching isn’t the only Profession; in fact, it is the activity to serve education. Let’s check out the reasons explaining the importance of teaching profession in this “Teaching as a Profession Essay”.

Improves Communication Abilities

Teaching is a systematic strategy to communicate with more and more people. In this manner, being in the teaching profession will improve communication abilities. Therefore, one can interact more confidently with others.

Fun and learning together

Among all careers and professions, we found teaching much better. The Importance of the Teaching Profession is that one can have fun and learn together. Other than training students, teachers can be involved in other educational program activities.

Experience To Handle Various Youngsters

School or college is a place where various students with various mentalities reach. The teacher should have the ability to handle all youngsters normal, savvy, or physically disabled.

Brilliant Organization Abilities

The teaching profession makes one multi-tasker; notwithstanding teaching academics to students, teachers, and Organizational abilities. Being organized means one can manage time and resources proficiently and really for improved productivity.

Ethical And Restrained

One characteristic of the teaching profession involves morals and discipline. Teachers teach ethical values which make students more focused. 

Setting up Role Models for Others

Being a teacher isn’t a lot of complex however being a favorite of all is what matters. Teachers should inspire students to find their secret talents and achieve their aims. An inspired teacher can make students motivated by setting up Role models.

Assemble Future Leaders

Teachers are the source of affecting tomorrow’s leaders. 

Inspire and Influence

Teachers have the added responsibility of shaping the future generation and also have an opportunity to make a distinction. They will have the exceptional opportunity to guide a mass in the correct direction.

Improvement and Learning

It will associate with young, curious, personalities all day, you would actually want to propel yourself and get better consistently. At the point when you are in an environment that asks a lot of questions and is curious, you grow and develop consistently.

Work Satisfaction

Teaching provides job satisfaction that resembles no other and the joy of making a distinction and making a change in the correct direction is like no other.

Teaching is a deferential job and look up to teachers for work. They guide and direct students and also they inspire and shape future generations.

Potential for Growth

It is a clear career path with a lot of opportunities and with online teaching apps and virtual classrooms on the rise you can teach from the comfort of your home and without any geographical restrictions.

Role of a teacher

While writing an essay on teaching as a profession, the role of a teacher must be included. Teachers should find different ways to teach students and apply them in teaching so that the maximum information and knowledge reach the students.

They are responsible not just for teaching the syllabus but also for inspiring students by exchanging thoughts, sharing a bond, and being with them in every up and down.

Teaching skills, knowledge, personality, and ways of imparting pieces of information are some factors that affect the learning patterns of students. It helps teachers to become successful teachers and mentors for their students.

Academic Path For A Teacher

To pursue teaching as a profession, you can follow some of the below-mentioned ways:

Nursery Teacher

To become a teacher of pre-primary, you should complete your 12th and pursue a Nursery Teacher Training (NTT) course of 1-year duration. You can also go for a Kindergarten Training Program or a Montessori Teacher Training program for about 9 months to 1 year. Even after completing graduation, you can opt for these courses. With the right qualifications and skills, you can try your career in teaching.

Also, by pursuing the child development program of Anganwadi Workers (AWW) – Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), you can begin your career as a teacher in Anganwadi.

Primary School Teacher

In the primary section of teaching, you can have the chance to teach students a variety of subjects and enhance the learning experience. If you want to make your career as a teacher for primary classes, then you have the following options:

The option of a Primary Teacher Training (PTT) program of a 2-year duration is also available for pursuing.

You can also take part in the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) to get recruited as Primary School Teachers in Government schools and Government primary schools.

Secondary and Higher Secondary School Teachers

If you want to be a teacher of higher secondary classes then you can do a Master’s degree after graduation and then pursue a B.Ed. degree.

If you want to qualify as a teacher for central government-run schools, then the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) will be the option for you. CTET is conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for applicants to be eligible to be a teacher at the secondary and higher secondary levels.

You can also opt for the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) or a State Level Eligibility Test (SLET) for recruiting secondary-level and higher-secondary-level teachers.

College and University Teacher

If you want to teach students in colleges or universities or want to be called a lecturer in government or private colleges and universities, then follow the available options:

How to Become a College or University Teacher?

If you want to choose teaching as a career in a college or university, you must get a degree in a Master’s program.

Once you complete a Master’s degree, you can apply for the National Eligibility Test (NET) conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). NET requires a postgraduate degree and a certification of eligibility for entrance.

It is an essay on the teaching profession that can help you on your pathway to becoming a teacher.

Characteristics of Teaching

However, many teachers teach in schools/academies/Institutions or colleges, yet not all may prevail with regards to being great teachers for students. So, what are the characteristics of the Teaching Profession that make teachers more successful in the classroom?

Those who enjoy investing energy with youngsters and will make others educated with their abilities can choose Teaching as a Profession.

To become an exemplary teacher, one may possess relevant qualities like creating a dynamic environment, being adaptable, and kind, classroom management, a good comical inclination, an active personality, being Innovative, calm demeanor, experience, and so on.

Teachers’ unions and teachers’ associations

In most countries, there is one major teachers’ organization to which all or nearly all teachers belong and pay duty. Sometimes participation is obligatory, sometimes voluntary.

In the former Soviet Union, where a significant part of the political and social existence of the people had been organized around unions, there were three teachers’ unions — preschool teachers, primary and secondary school teachers, and teachers in advanced education. These unions provided pensions, vacation pay, and debilitated leave pay and in this way touched the welfare of teachers at many points.

England, for example, has two distinct associations for male and female secondary school teachers, two unique associations for male and female headmasters of secondary schools, and a separate Association of Teachers in Technical Institutions.

These associations are parallel to the National Union of Teachers, which is open to any qualified teacher from nursery school to college level. The National Union has no political affiliation except for being politically powerful by its own doing.

France, in contrast, has a wide variety of teachers’ organizations, with various political leanings, however, they do not manage everything well together and are politically less successful.

In this “Teaching as a Profession Essay”, we learn the importance of teaching profession and how to explain teaching as a profession. Teaching provides a way to give back to society and teachers have so much potential in the field, that they should be given every opportunity possible to use it.

Teaching is a profession of imparting knowledge and skills to students in a way that will help them achieve their full potential and such as teaching can be an incredibly rewarding career. Teaching is one of the few professions that allow you to work with children and then retire from the same occupation while still young.

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Classroom Q&A

With larry ferlazzo.

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to [email protected]. Read more from this blog.

Four Strategies for Effective Writing Instruction

• Share article

(This is the first post in a two-part series.)

The new question-of-the-week is:

What is the single most effective instructional strategy you have used to teach writing?

Teaching and learning good writing can be a challenge to educators and students alike.

The topic is no stranger to this column—you can see many previous related posts at Writing Instruction .

But I don’t think any of us can get too much good instructional advice in this area.

Today, Jenny Vo, Michele Morgan, and Joy Hamm share wisdom gained from their teaching experience.

Before I turn over the column to them, though, I’d like to share my favorite tool(s).

Graphic organizers, including writing frames (which are basically more expansive sentence starters) and writing structures (which function more as guides and less as “fill-in-the-blanks”) are critical elements of my writing instruction.

You can see an example of how I incorporate them in my seven-week story-writing unit and in the adaptations I made in it for concurrent teaching.

You might also be interested in The Best Scaffolded Writing Frames For Students .

Now, to today’s guests:

‘Shared Writing’

Jenny Vo earned her B.A. in English from Rice University and her M.Ed. in educational leadership from Lamar University. She has worked with English-learners during all of her 24 years in education and is currently an ESL ISST in Katy ISD in Katy, Texas. Jenny is the president-elect of TexTESOL IV and works to advocate for all ELs:

The single most effective instructional strategy that I have used to teach writing is shared writing. Shared writing is when the teacher and students write collaboratively. In shared writing, the teacher is the primary holder of the pen, even though the process is a collaborative one. The teacher serves as the scribe, while also questioning and prompting the students.

The students engage in discussions with the teacher and their peers on what should be included in the text. Shared writing can be done with the whole class or as a small-group activity.

There are two reasons why I love using shared writing. One, it is a great opportunity for the teacher to model the structures and functions of different types of writing while also weaving in lessons on spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

It is a perfect activity to do at the beginning of the unit for a new genre. Use shared writing to introduce the students to the purpose of the genre. Model the writing process from beginning to end, taking the students from idea generation to planning to drafting to revising to publishing. As you are writing, make sure you refrain from making errors, as you want your finished product to serve as a high-quality model for the students to refer back to as they write independently.

Another reason why I love using shared writing is that it connects the writing process with oral language. As the students co-construct the writing piece with the teacher, they are orally expressing their ideas and listening to the ideas of their classmates. It gives them the opportunity to practice rehearsing what they are going to say before it is written down on paper. Shared writing gives the teacher many opportunities to encourage their quieter or more reluctant students to engage in the discussion with the types of questions the teacher asks.

Writing well is a skill that is developed over time with much practice. Shared writing allows students to engage in the writing process while observing the construction of a high-quality sample. It is a very effective instructional strategy used to teach writing.

‘Four Square’

Michele Morgan has been writing IEPs and behavior plans to help students be more successful for 17 years. She is a national-board-certified teacher, Utah Teacher Fellow with Hope Street Group, and a special education elementary new-teacher specialist with the Granite school district. Follow her @MicheleTMorgan1:

For many students, writing is the most dreaded part of the school day. Writing involves many complex processes that students have to engage in before they produce a product—they must determine what they will write about, they must organize their thoughts into a logical sequence, and they must do the actual writing, whether on a computer or by hand. Still they are not done—they must edit their writing and revise mistakes. With all of that, it’s no wonder that students struggle with writing assignments.

In my years working with elementary special education students, I have found that writing is the most difficult subject to teach. Not only do my students struggle with the writing process, but they often have the added difficulties of not knowing how to spell words and not understanding how to use punctuation correctly. That is why the single most effective strategy I use when teaching writing is the Four Square graphic organizer.

The Four Square instructional strategy was developed in 1999 by Judith S. Gould and Evan Jay Gould. When I first started teaching, a colleague allowed me to borrow the Goulds’ book about using the Four Square method, and I have used it ever since. The Four Square is a graphic organizer that students can make themselves when given a blank sheet of paper. They fold it into four squares and draw a box in the middle of the page. The genius of this instructional strategy is that it can be used by any student, in any grade level, for any writing assignment. These are some of the ways I have used this strategy successfully with my students:

* Writing sentences: Students can write the topic for the sentence in the middle box, and in each square, they can draw pictures of details they want to add to their writing.

* Writing paragraphs: Students write the topic sentence in the middle box. They write a sentence containing a supporting detail in three of the squares and they write a concluding sentence in the last square.

* Writing short essays: Students write what information goes in the topic paragraph in the middle box, then list details to include in supporting paragraphs in the squares.

When I gave students writing assignments, the first thing I had them do was create a Four Square. We did this so often that it became automatic. After filling in the Four Square, they wrote rough drafts by copying their work off of the graphic organizer and into the correct format, either on lined paper or in a Word document. This worked for all of my special education students!

I was able to modify tasks using the Four Square so that all of my students could participate, regardless of their disabilities. Even if they did not know what to write about, they knew how to start the assignment (which is often the hardest part of getting it done!) and they grew to be more confident in their writing abilities.

In addition, when it was time to take the high-stakes state writing tests at the end of the year, this was a strategy my students could use to help them do well on the tests. I was able to give them a sheet of blank paper, and they knew what to do with it. I have used many different curriculum materials and programs to teach writing in the last 16 years, but the Four Square is the one strategy that I have used with every writing assignment, no matter the grade level, because it is so effective.

‘Swift Structures’

Joy Hamm has taught 11 years in a variety of English-language settings, ranging from kindergarten to adult learners. The last few years working with middle and high school Newcomers and completing her M.Ed in TESOL have fostered stronger advocacy in her district and beyond:

A majority of secondary content assessments include open-ended essay questions. Many students falter (not just ELs) because they are unaware of how to quickly organize their thoughts into a cohesive argument. In fact, the WIDA CAN DO Descriptors list level 5 writing proficiency as “organizing details logically and cohesively.” Thus, the most effective cross-curricular secondary writing strategy I use with my intermediate LTELs (long-term English-learners) is what I call “Swift Structures.” This term simply means reading a prompt across any content area and quickly jotting down an outline to organize a strong response.

To implement Swift Structures, begin by displaying a prompt and modeling how to swiftly create a bubble map or outline beginning with a thesis/opinion, then connecting the three main topics, which are each supported by at least three details. Emphasize this is NOT the time for complete sentences, just bulleted words or phrases.

Once the outline is completed, show your ELs how easy it is to plug in transitions, expand the bullets into detailed sentences, and add a brief introduction and conclusion. After modeling and guided practice, set a 5-10 minute timer and have students practice independently. Swift Structures is one of my weekly bell ringers, so students build confidence and skill over time. It is best to start with easy prompts where students have preformed opinions and knowledge in order to focus their attention on the thesis-topics-supporting-details outline, not struggling with the rigor of a content prompt.

Here is one easy prompt example: “Should students be allowed to use their cellphones in class?”

Swift Structure outline:

Thesis - Students should be allowed to use cellphones because (1) higher engagement (2) learning tools/apps (3) gain 21st-century skills

Topic 1. Cellphones create higher engagement in students...

Details A. interactive (Flipgrid, Kahoot)

B. less tempted by distractions

C. teaches responsibility

Topic 2. Furthermore,...access to learning tools...

A. Google Translate description

B. language practice (Duolingo)

C. content tutorials (Kahn Academy)

Topic 3. In addition,...practice 21st-century skills…

Details A. prep for workforce

B. access to information

C. time-management support

This bare-bones outline is like the frame of a house. Get the structure right, and it’s easier to fill in the interior decorating (style, grammar), roof (introduction) and driveway (conclusion). Without the frame, the roof and walls will fall apart, and the reader is left confused by circuitous rubble.

Once LTELs have mastered creating simple Swift Structures in less than 10 minutes, it is time to introduce complex questions similar to prompts found on content assessments or essays. Students need to gain assurance that they can quickly and logically explain and justify their opinions on multiple content essays without freezing under pressure.

Thanks to Jenny, Michele, and Joy for their contributions!

Please feel free to leave a comment with your reactions to the topic or directly to anything that has been said in this post.

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at [email protected] . When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it’s selected or if you’d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

You can also contact me on Twitter at @Larryferlazzo .

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Role of A Teacher Essay: Write It Easily

Table of Contents

Teachers stay in the lives of their students forever: either in memories of carefree times or in the form of knowledge they received from a certain teacher. All of us are influenced by teachers from high school or university. And everyone has a different experience. So how to write essays about teachers ? Let’s find out together.

What Is the Role of a Teacher Essay?

This is a type of essay in which students describe the role of teachers in their lives. Many courses will assign you to write an essay about this theme. Also, it may serve as a strong personal statement when applying for college. So no matter what the purpose of the role of the teacher essay is, students always struggle with what to write in this academic piece of writing. If you are one of such students, you definitely need to go on and make it clear for yourself. 

What to Write About in Teacher Essays ?

There are a lot of ideas on what should essays about teachers consist of. Because this is a huge field of discussion, it might be quite challenging to structure the information properly. Let’s get to the simple question: who is a teacher for you? By defining what role a teacher plays in your academic and personal life, you will be able to get your essay written in an appropriate manner. Here are the roles teachers occupy:

• Teachers give knowledge. First of all, a teacher is a person who teaches. It might sound simple but people in that profession are responsible for improving their student’s knowledge in a certain field. 
• They support. Another mission of a good teacher is to support students in their educational journey. Sometimes it is harder, other times it is easier and you can definitely feel that teachers are those who are going along with you through the challenges.
• Teachers inspire. Who is the first standard of knowledge for students? Of course, their teachers. Good ones always inspire students to learn more through their examples. So why don’t you share your experience in having a teacher that is a standard for you?
• They evaluate. Constructive criticism is what is needed for growth. Dedicated teachers always find a way to motivate students for better results. They don’t just put an F grade but explain the growth zones. 

How to Write Essays About Teacher

Essays about teachers don’t have a specific structure or flow. Unless you are given a manual on what to write about in your work, you can be creative in your own way. The following ideas will help you in writing your role of a teacher essay.

Think About a Real Example

When writing your essay, think over the teachers that are standards for you. Analyze what skills they have, and how they teach the material and influence you. You can describe your own example as providing real-life experience in an essay is always a good idea.

Consider This Profession From Different Angles

As we mentioned above, a teacher is not only a person who shares expertise in a certain field. This is a motivator, influencer, evaluator, and supporter in one profession. Describing a teacher from a different perspective will greatly complement your work.

Imagine That You Are a Teacher

In essays about teachers , you can also write about how you would teach if you were a teacher. Thus, you will apply this profession to yourself and see how challenging it might be to become a teacher, even imaginary.

Essay About a Good Teacher: Final Words

Writing the role of a teacher essay requires thorough preparation. Even though this piece of writing is more flexible than other ones, you have to conduct deep analysis to write a professional essay. Use your own examples and look at this theme from different perspectives and you will write a high-quality essay.

What is the role of the teacher essay?

The role of the teacher essay is an essay in which the profession of a teacher is described. Its purpose is to provide readers with a clear understanding of how teachers are valuable and important in our lives.

What is the role of a teacher in the life of a student essay?

In this type of essay, you have to write about teacher-student cooperation. Teachers play a crucial role in the lives of their students. Sometimes they become their “school parents’’. That is what should be described in this type of academic writing. 

What is a good sentence for a teacher?

The best way to describe any teacher is to look at his profession from different angles. Teachers don’t only teach. They perform a lot more functions in the educational process. Describing these functions will be a good sentence for a teacher. 

100+ Personal Essay Topics For College And Writing Tips

Complete guide on college papers format, how to check for plagiarism.

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Essay on Teaching Profession & Its Benefits

Teaching is an often under-appreciated profession, but the impact of a good teacher cannot be overstated. Teachers are an essential part of society, shaping the next generation’s future.

But what makes a great teacher? There are many qualities that make someone successful in this role. Great teachers balance the needs of their students with their own needs for success; they work to create engaging lessons; and they prepare students for all aspects of life after high school.

Teaching also provides a chance for personal growth and development as well as the ability to make a difference in lives. This essay will explore some benefits of teaching profession.

Essay on Teaching Profession

Teaching is a noble profession. It requires a person to have a deep knowledge of the subject matter, be able to convey it to others, and have the patience for those who don’t learn as quickly as others.

A good teacher is not only knowledgeable on the topic but also has a set of relationships with the students that go beyond the classroom.

Teaching might not be an easy task but it is an important one. Teaching can change someone’s life by teaching them new skills or providing them with a more thorough understanding of something they were previously confused about.

1 – Why teaching is important?

Teachers make a real difference in the lives of people who are ill or suffering. Students learn to develop their own learning styles Students get to know one another and develop social skills and begin to know their place in the world.

The teachers serve the community because they are there to help educate the youth of tomorrow. By having a profound impact on the lives of students and their families, you are helping people reach their potential and providing them with opportunities they might not have otherwise.

Teaching is important because it makes a huge impact on development of society or a country. It is a profession that has the ability make a stronger nation.

2 – Reasons to Become a Teacher

The role of the teacher is to be a caretaker of others; responsible for bringing out the best in everyone you come into contact with. There may be a lot of reasons to become a teacher but some are listed here.

• Teaching gives you the opportunity to teach and motivate others to do great things, even if it is a student in your classroom.
• The ability to help others learn, both inside and outside the classroom.
• Learning new skills and adapting your ways of teaching and learning in order to satisfy the needs of different students.
• Learning how to work with others and collaborating to achieve a common goal.
• Making a difference and positively influencing lives.
• Get credentialed.

3 – Teaching is Great for Personal Growth

Teaching allows you to make a difference in students’ lives, which can be very rewarding for teachers themselves. Teachers can teach lessons about creativity, patience, perseverance, creativity, and responsibility, among many other things.

These lessons are crucial to a child’s life and can help mold the next generation of successful people. Teaching Makes you a better person. One of the best things about teaching is that it makes you a better person.

Children inspire teachers and, in turn, they can teach children to follow their dreams, achieve their goals, and be independent. By teaching students, you can inspire the students you once were. As a teacher, you have the opportunity to teach students the value of education and the joys of learning.

4 – Benefits of Teaching

The job satisfaction level of teaching is particularly high. Many teachers tell us that they are really able to connect with their students and share a passion for what they are learning.

In addition to developing other professional skills, teaching also allows students to learn the essential skills necessary for success in college and in life.

Research shows that children are more successful when they are taught at a younger age, and it is generally recommended that teachers serve from 6 to 18 years of age.

There are many rewards that come with becoming a teacher. Some people become teachers for the financial benefits but others choose it because they have a passion for the subject they are teaching and want to share that love with others.

Teaching also provides opportunities for personal growth and development.

5 – The Need for Teachers

Teachers are needed in all professions, but the lack of teachers in certain occupations, such as in the military, means that there are a lot of people who could benefit from a teacher’s presence. There are about 2.5 million teachers, or 18% of the total teacher workforce, in the U.S., but most of those people will never see the inside of a classroom.

In fact, the vast majority of students who need teachers are not even aware that they need them.

In a culture where children learn at a faster rate, they want more hands-on learning experiences. At present, America’s children spend less time studying and doing traditional lessons and more time doing research, in comparison to their counterparts in other countries.

The teacher’s role in this situation is to provide this hands-on learning experience. Being able to instill in children an enthusiasm for learning is what teachers do best, and the best teacher in the world is one who inspires children to learn.

6 – Challenges of teaching

Teaching is a stressful job, which means that some people are discouraged and turn down the opportunity to teach. However, teachers do not have much time off, since the students usually need to meet with them on a daily basis. Therefore, they have to be at their best and available. The job also requires a lot of patience, because students can be difficult to deal with. Experience of teaching Teaching requires a high level of knowledge, and a good knowledge of the subject of study is necessary. Many teachers also need a thorough knowledge of the educational system in the country they teach in. Teachers also have to be able to read and write in multiple languages, which may be a challenge in the Philippines.

Teaching jobs come with a lot of challenges and stress. Some of these challenges are occupational and some are related to age. Regardless of the challenges you face, the biggest challenges facing teachers are the following: Overcrowding Class sizes are high, especially in public schools. In addition to the extra people in your classes, some schools have open classrooms that are designed so that students can come in and out at will. As a result, teachers spend a lot of time with their students when it is not a class period. This is important to learn about so that you can set up a classroom that will be able to function well. You can train your students in the art of teaching so that they can accomplish more on their own. Relationships Teaching is a way to be in a community.

7 – Teaching as a career

You’ll be able to teach a variety of different things including preschool, home-school, and higher education. You could teach middle school or high school and teach at the college level or teach kindergarten or elementary school and work at the elementary or junior high level. It can be a career you can pursue in order to make a difference in lives. You can learn valuable teaching techniques and then use these techniques for your students. You can take up other interests after teaching. It’s possible to work in the summer to earn extra money. Teaching Essay: What do you need to know? If you’re thinking of becoming a teacher, then you must start reading a lot about the subject. This will help you to find out all the details about it, the job, the pay, and the work-life balance.

Teaching may be the most popular career option in the United States. Even though the job market has not been as favorable to young people as many may think, many remain devoted to teaching. Having a job as a teacher means that you can also be a job seeker. It is important to consider all of the factors before deciding on a career, especially if you plan on staying at one position for the rest of your life. Other careers Teaching may not be the most popular choice for young people, but it is not out of the question. Other options include becoming a police officer, a teacher in a foreign language, or a nurse.

8 – How to become a teacher

As the link between life and education, the teaching profession is not something that you can just wake up and decide to do. You must be attracted to the teaching field and have a great passion for it. In a market where many people are on the lookout for teaching jobs, you must be outstanding in what you do in order to win the position. In the last 15 years, there has been a steady increase in

Becoming a teacher can be simple and economical as well. You can learn the necessary skills in no time by getting some guidance and the proper materials. You can also find free tutorials online on how to become a teacher. You can also find online videos and books on teaching at all levels of education. With these, you can effectively teach the course you need to teach. What to expect when you become a teacher In addition to all these, there is a good deal of satisfaction when you teach because you enjoy teaching. But you can make your teaching life even more rewarding by meeting the students and giving them the experience of learning something from a person. You can give them what you did not have as a student, and then you can teach them more effectively.

9 – Conclusion

Teaching provides a way to give back to society and to help improve the lives of those who come after us. Since teachers have so much potential in the field, they should be given every opportunity possible to use it. Don’t let yourself be left out of the perfect opportunity. Be the one to bring change and be the one to inspire others. Become a teacher, and it will change your life.

Teaching is the profession of imparting knowledge and skills to students in a way that will help them achieve their full potential. As such, teaching can be an incredibly rewarding career. What’s more, teaching is one of the few professions that allow you to work with children and then retire from the same occupation while still young. Teaching gives you the chance to make a lasting impact on the world by inspiring a new generation of thinkers and leaders. Teaching is also a way for people to find meaning in their lives after struggling in other areas.

For some, the feeling that comes from helping others is a driving force that motivates them in life. If you enjoy helping others and have a desire to make a difference in their lives, teaching might be the right profession for you. Helping others, seeing them achieve their goals, and seeing them grow can build a lasting positive impact in your life. Job Security Some people worry about job security in this day and age. Teaching, while not the most secure of professions, is at least considered to be a stable career. There is always going to be demand for teachers because kids need an adult in their life who is always there for them. Teachers will always have a place in the workforce because they help children to learn.

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