Making the connection.

It is my opinion that good teaching is the result of making good connections to the student population. These connections may manifest in the form of communication styles, classroom setting, and teacher availability. These connections contribute to a conducive learning environment. On Monday, good teaching may consist of providing support and structure by assigning work groups. On Tuesday, good teaching may manifest in the form of listening to individual concerns associated with project completion. Good teaching is not one single element but many fused together. Good teaching identifies the need and chooses the tool required to fill the need.

We each possess different ideas about what "good teaching" is because good is a subjective assessment of teaching. "Good" is defined by the individual as what that individual considers to be positive teaching aspects. Good in one person's mind may be 5.1 on a scale of 10. Good in another person's mind may be in the range of 7-8 on a scale of 10. This subjectivity can lead to unintended pressure on an individual that has a lower expectation for their good teaching strategy if paired with someone with a higher expectation for good teaching. At the end of the day, good teaching is measurable. Good teaching produces a product. If the product does not meet the criteria as specified, good teaching can identify at what level an error occurred and work to improve the outcome.