What is a good teacher?
A good teacher is….
inspiring, patient, encouraging, strong, educated, multi-tasker, flexible, creative, caring, nurturing, open, friendly, warm, inviting, challenging, supportive, inclusive, learner, thinker,…. and more.
Looking at the pictures from the Phillip and Carr article, I notice that the teacher is definitely the star of the show. I think only one picture incorporates students- and they are off to the side. It seems that many times, teachers focus on their own performance. “That was a great lesson I taught”, or “I got through the curriculum”, or the attitude of “my students are excelling because I am a great teacher” (although somewhat true). I used to teach a pre-school/kindergarten class. The children were wonderful and eager learners. The parents would thank me profusely, knowing that their kids were soaring during their time with me. However, I would think, “Don’t thank me, this is my job. It’s the kids that are doing all of the hard work!”
To me, that is what a true teacher is. A teacher inspires a child to learn and want to learn more. A teacher challenges children to extend their thinking. A teacher supports children socially and educationally to grow. A teacher should not be the focus of the class. The children must be the focus of the class. When I teach, I want the children to think of the class room as “our room”, not Mrs. Goldsmith’s busy bees. A good teacher encourages the growth of the child, and must strive to grow with the child as well. I guess that we can truly learn from each child in our class and know that it adds to our own growth in professional experience and makeup.
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