A Student Orientation
If you were to walk into the classroom of any outstanding
teacher, regardless of her or his grade level, one thing will become
immediately clear: students are respected, attended to, and clearly more
important than the subject matter or the instructional materials used.
Quotable Quote
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"Effective teachers let students know that they are
somebody, not some body."
- William Purkey
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The best teachers are those who truly care for
their students. They exhibit empathy and
try to see the world through their students' eyes. They know students have good days and bad days
just like they do, and they adjust their instruction accordingly.
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So, too, are good teachers sensitive to their
students' cultural backgrounds. They
respect students' languages, customs, traditions, and beliefs. They never make fun of students who are different,
but rather celebrate these new opportunities for enriching the learning
experiences of all students.
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Students need to know that they will never be
embarrassed or ridiculed nor will they be intimidated or shown excessive
favoritism. The best teachers have
positive attitudes about everyone in the school - students, custodians,
secretaries, aides, librarians, cafeteria workers, and fellow teachers. High-achieving classrooms are supportive,
warm, and accepting.
·
Good teachers listen. They're aware of the "rule of
two-thirds," which states that in traditional classrooms (regardless of
grade or subject) two thirds of class time is taken up by talking, two thirds
of that time is taken up by teacher talk, and two thirds of the teacher's talk
is telling or demonstrating rather than interacting with students. These teachers know that students have much to
contribute to the curriculum and to each other and provide numerous
opportunities for them to do so.
·
Effective teachers provide opportunities for
students to get extra help. They are
observant of students' needs and work to provide the instruction or materials
that will help them succeed and flourish. Student progress is constantly monitored and
adjusted as necessary.
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The finest teachers are those who have high
expectations for their students. They
continually challenge their students, engaging them in higher-order thinking
activities, problem-solving, creative-thinking extensions, and other
instructional activities that s-t-r-e-t-c-h their minds. I once
worked for a principal who said, "Students don't fail, teachers do!" It was his belief that good teachers must take
personal responsibility for their students' learning. Good teachers are sensitive to the
instructional needs of every student and work for the success of each
individual in the classroom.
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Good teachers know they can significantly
increase student engagement in the learning process by incorporating students'
ideas in classroom discussions by:
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Rephrasing student ideas in teacher words.
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Using student ideas to take the next step in
problem-solving.
o
Drawing relationships between student ideas and
information shared earlier.
o
Using what students say as a summary of
important concepts.
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