I remember that you asked this question during NTI and we wrote on the board different characteristics of a good teacher. There were so many different characteristics from easy going to tough love. When we were asked to think of a good teacher, I thought of Mrs. McNeeley. She was my Junior and Senior English teacher in high school and she was the first teacher that encouraged me to enjoy literature, writing, and the "hated" grammar. The reason I thought she was such a great teacher is because she had such interesting ways of teaching the lesson that seemed to rarely involve books. She also was very strict in her grading but fair. You knew what grade you were going to get before she gave it to you because you knew if you had put effort into your work or not. She also seemed very calm even when students could be unruly (a characteristic I need to work on desperately). She was a teacher that we all respected because of the way she carried herself. I don't know that she would have ever done anything to punish us but we never took the chance to find out.
I guess with that long story, good teaching involves varied methods of teaching the same subject, tough love so that students learn principles, fairness so that students always know what they are going to get (they love consistency), and respect both from the teacher to the students and vise versa.
The reason I think they are so varied is because we all have different ideas about what good teaching is just like our students do. Some students will never leave my side because my teaching style is conducive to their learning while others may choose to try out another field. As much as I love Mrs. McNeeley and think that her teaching could not be beat, I am sure there are others that did not like her style as much as I did. Different strokes for different folks and we as teachers try to cover teaching styles for as many different folks as possible.
One side note, I have spoken with Mrs. McNeeley since and she no longer teaches the way she did before because she said that she is forced to teach to the test so that she has a high passing rate. I hope Obama gets this fixed because CTAE will have EOCT's soon and we will no longer be teaching so the kids can learn and explore but just reading text to make sure they get it.
Ginger, It breaks my heart that Mrs.McNeeley can't teach the way that she used to! This is my biggest fear with CTAE heading in the direction of EOCT's. I feel like I have experienced this to some degree, already. Last year I taught a Nursing Assistant class. The pressure for those students to pass their certification test was heavy!! I taught that class completely different than I had taught my other classes. I do not want to go down the road of the EOCT!
ReplyDeleteHey Ginger,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post on qualities of a good teacher. I agree with you and Tonya regarding possible impending changes in CTAE teaching requirements. We all bring our personal style to teaching based on what makes us "us". Balancing my own uniqueness, the uniqueness of each student, and the rigor necessary for a successful classroom atmosphere is a daily challenge for me. I am sure that your students benefit daily from your energetic, cheerful personality. Students always enjoy a teacher with a good sense of humor. Your desire to help students be successful is apparent during NTI discussion. Your students are fortunate!
Melissa
Ginger,
ReplyDeleteI like it. It was my 4th grade teacher Ms. Maddox. She had what it takes. I was in her class right after my father passed away, and was I ever a hand full. I hated her every minute that she was alive!! Until about 3 months into the year and then by far she was my favorite teacher ever.