'Simple but Effective Ways to be a Great Teacher'

Looking to really connect with your students?

• A Great Teacher Will Always Be There- If you are not in your classroom, you are not teaching. Yes, teachers must take days off occasionally, but do not make it a habit. If you are feeling a little sick, unless it is serious, show up! A sick regular teacher is ten times better for his or her students than a healthy sub is. Regular attendance is a must. Be proud to have a perfect attendance record.
•  A Great Teacher is Accessible- You need to help your students at all times. That means before school, during lunch, and after school. No, you do not have to do it all the time. Start out with something like two days a week before school, lunch, and after school. You are the best tutor your students can get. Teach them!
•  Great Teachers Know Their Students on a Personal Basis- Talk to them during lessons. What is their favorite music? TV? Movies? Talk to them in the hallways. The more you know, the more you can adapt. It is easy to converse during class time. Little comments between concepts can go a long way. If some show up early for class, you can really get personal. No class time? Pass out a questionnaire. Above all, learn their names quickly!
•  A Great Teacher Knows Many Parents- Get phone numbers. Make two calls a day to parents. If you can, make more. They do not need to be long. Just a short hello and that you are interested in their child. In just a short time, you can indeed make contact to at least one parent of each student. Parents can be your biggest ally. Students will perform and behave better if they know you are talking to their parents.
• A Great Teacher Knows What They are Teaching- If you do not know what you are doing, how can you teach? This involves complete preparation.
•  A Great Teacher Attends school events- Make yourself seen at school sports and performances. Being seen in this setting shows students you care about them and support them.
•  A Great Teacher Lives in or Visits the Neighborhood- If you do not live in the same place as your school, make some visits on weekends. Go to a local place to eat. Shop at a local store. Many of your students may have parents who own local businesses. Patronize them. Visit a church. The more your students see you, the more they will be willing to behave in class. They will see you as someone who is willing to be on their level.
•  A Great Teacher Eats Lunch on Campus- Wander around at lunch and sit at a student table. Buy a school lunch and join them. Many students help sell food. Make a point to buy something.
•  A Great Teacher is Always Fair- Expect the best, but be flexible. Fairness does not have to mean leniency It simply means to grade your students on a balanced scale.
•  Great Teachers Never lose Their Cool- Bite your tongue. All things will pass. Never carry a grudge. Things in your classroom will happen. This goes hand in hand with being professional. Acting like a raving lunatic is a sure way to shorten your career.

'Effective Teaching'

Do you want to be an effective teacher? If so, you have to follow the routine set by most effective teachers.

First, you must review the previous lesson. Reviewing frequently will strengthen learning. Spend between 5 and 10 minutes at the start of each class reviewing. The method is of your choosing. Either oral or written.

When teaching new material, go slow. That is, stop after each step and check for class comprehension. It is best to present small steps at a time, rather than one complete big concept. Our brains can only grasp a few things at a time fully. Help your students succeed by using this teaching concept.

Always ask questions of your students. You need to know right away how many are getting the material. Asking questions frequently keeps your students engaged and actively learning.

You as the teacher are the expert. You must model the behavior desired. Do as many detailed examples as you can. Again, always asking for feedback and comprehension. Remember, the best one to help your students grasp the material is you!

Students must be allowed to do independent practice. Students need to work alone. But this doesn’t mean you always need to leave them dangling without a life line. Leave examples on the board. Give hints as you walk around the room, Encourage the students. You can even leave written notes and prompts on the board. With independent practice, a guide is always needed. That guide is you, the teacher. Try and visit each student and check where they are going wrong or right. Steer them in the correct direction.

The smaller the steps you give and ask for practice, the better the overall understanding will be. Students will build, sometimes refered to as “scaffolding,” to the next level.

Veteran teachers know the mistakes their students will make. An effective teacher will point these out as they present the material. When you come across a part where many students go wrong, point out things to watch out for. Anticipate where your students will make errors.

As bad as it sounds, practicing something is the only way to get good at it. The best place to practice is in your classroom. So, when you assign homework, beware of this fact and do not give homework that requires an expert on the first day.

The last part of an effective teacher, but not the least, is by checking for mastery. This must be done on a weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly basis. It comes in the forms of quizzes and exams.

The above steps are not hard for any teacher. Be determined to be the most effective teacher you can be!