What Makes a Great Teacher?
Via the Fast Company blog: Education: The Cream Is Rising
So does having high grades as a student teacher mean you’re going to create star performers out of your future students? The FC post seems to avoid unwrapping that point - but don’t you think it’s a rather important question to explore?
Perhaps the main thrust of the post was that the education field was attracting smarter talent…but does that mean anything on the front lines of the classroom?
In my opinion, not really. Most teachers are smart…but I’ve had more than my fair share of them who lacked the heart of a teacher.
For me, math was always my weak spot. (That’s why I’m a social worker who teaches English. I got as far away from math as I could.) There were concepts and operations that just never clicked with me, and though I’m sure I had really smart math teachers, not one of them had what it took to see my state of stall, and come along side to help me out. Or if they did, they quickly lost patience and moved on.
There’s more to being a great teacher than just having great marks on your training courses. (A really cool FC post that touches on this here:Talent is Everywhere (if you know how to look) Especially with teaching, I think there’s a lot to be said for talent, vocation, and heart - but I wonder how well DELTA or CELTA courses (or any other teacher training course for that matter) help you develop there?
Knowing the theories and facts about teaching is very important, but if you are lacking in the other areas like how to make what you know meaningful and understandable for your students, then prepare yourself: instead of inspiring your students to dig deeper and march forward, you’ll be great for a few (the smart, fast moving ones like you) but you’ll shut down the slow movers, and help perpetuate the idea in them that english class sucks, and I might as well give up on trying to learn the language in the first place.
Being a great teacher is more than just head knowledge.
Photo Credit:
Teaching Math or Something: by foundphotoslj
