The
teachers I admire most are those who remain intellectually curious and
professionally vital both inside and outside the classroom for decades.
They avoid stagnation at all costs and maintain an enviable passion for
children and the learning process. They remain vivid in the students'
memories forever because of their creativity, sense of fun, and
compassion.
Here are the qualities I feel contribute most to a successful, durable, and happy teaching career:
1. Successful teachers hold high expectations:
The
most effective teachers expect great accomplishments from their
students, and they don't accept anything less. In education,
expectations form a self-fulfilling prophecy. When teachers believe
each and every student can soar beyond any imagined limits, the children
will sense that confidence and work with the teacher to make it happen.
2. They think creatively:
The
best teachers think outside the box, outside the classroom, and outside
the norm. They leap outside of the classroom walls and take their
students with them! As much as possible, top teachers try to make
classroom experiences exciting and memorable for the students. They
seek ways to give their students a real world application for knowledge,
taking learning to the next action-packed level. Think tactile,
unexpected, movement-oriented, and a little bit crazy... then you'll be
on the right track.
3. Top teachers are versatile and sensitive:
The
best teachers live outside of their own needs and remain sensitive to
the needs of others, including students, parents, colleagues, and the
community. It's challenging because each individual needs something
different, but the most successful teachers are a special breed who play
a multitude of different roles in a given day with fluidity and grace,
while remaining true to themselves.
4. They are curious, confident, and evolving:
We're
all familiar with the stagnant, cynical, low-energy teachers who seem
to be biding their time until retirement and watching the clock even
more intently than their students. That's what NOT to do.
In contrast, the teachers I most admire renew their energy by learning
new ideas from younger teachers, and they aren't threatened by new ways
of doing things on campus. They have strong core principles, but
somehow still evolve with changing times. They embrace new technologies
and confidently move forward into the future.
5. They are imperfectly human:
The
most effective educators bring their entire selves to the job. They
celebrate student successes, show compassion for struggling parents,
tell stories from their own lives, laugh at their mistakes, share their
unique quirks, and aren't afraid to be imperfectly human in front of
their students.
They understand that teachers don't just deliver curriculum, but rather
the best teachers are inspiring leaders that show students how should
behave in all areas of life and in all types of situations. Top
teachers admit it when they don't know the answer. They apologize when
necessary and treat students with respect.
6. Successful teachers emphasize the fun in learning and in life:
The
teachers I admire most create lighthearted fun out of serious learning.
They aren't afraid to be silly because they can snap the students back
into attention at will - with just a stern look or a change in tone of
voice.
I often think of Disney Teacher of the Year Ron Clark who made one of his
Essential 55 rules
be "Do not bring Doritos into the school building" simply because he
hated Doritos himself! This irreverent rule (sneaked in amongst the
more important class rules) shows a silly, human side of the teacher
while modeling for the students that we can have fun while we get work
done.
*Text taken from www.about.com
