What Makes an Effective Teacher?

I recently filled out an application for something (which shall remain undefined at this point in time) and was asked the following question, among others. "What makes an effective teacher?" This was my response...

There is much talk today in education circles about the shortage of teachers and the need for "highly-qualified" educators in our schools. It seems like everywhere you turn there is an advertisement recruiting college-degreed people into the teaching field. Upon closer examination of these programs and definitions of "highly-qualified" one finds a list of requirements that include GPA's, test scores, college credits, and transcript totals. But nowhere in the definition of NCLB's highly-qualified teacher do you find the requirements of being selfless...of possessing passion...of believing in the worth of each and every child...of having the ability to relate to the students in a way that makes learning relevant, exciting, and fun. Although I agree that it is important for teachers to possess the appropriate academic credentials, I believe it is equally important to possess the inner qualities that are going to enable those teachers to actually impact students' lives.

First of all, a teacher must be selfless. The needs of his or her students will always take precedence over the teacher's personal feelings or desires. The teacher must be willing to sacrifice time, resources, and energy in order to truly be effective. Teaching can never be an 8-4 job in which the employee clocks in, clocks out and leaves it all tidily behind at the closing bell...not for the most effective teachers. The demands and needs are simply too great. An effective teacher doesn't see her position as just a job or a paycheck..it is a life's work that doesn't end when the students go home at the end of the day. It isn't limited by a salary or a clock.

Teachers are able to consistently exhibit this kind of self-sacrifice because of a deeply rooted purpose and passion for what they are doing. Teachers must love WHAT they teach and WHO they teach. It can never be just a job they endure for nine months for the sake of summer vacations and a retirement plan. They must operate from a drive deep within that is greater than just having a "job." The most powerful teachers are those that are masters of what they teach...they are mathmeticians, they are scientists, they are historians, they are English language experts who choose to share their love and expertise for math, science, history and English with students. Their knowledge and love for the content they teach is reflected in engaging and exciting lessons. They create an infectious interest in these subjects among their students. Teachers also have to love kids. It is amazing to me how many teachers enter the profession with no real affection for children. It is reflected in their impatience, in their harsh comments, in their lack of empathy and understanding toward students ....the types of attitudes that breed disciplinary issues and a breakdown of students' self-confidence and motivation. The best teachers have a natural connection with kids and love interacting with them on a daily basis.

Finally, effective teachers must have the ability to know how to relate to their students in a way that makes learning come alive. They must be in touch with the culture and generational world views of their students in order to know how to make their instruction relevant and engaging. They are constantly searching for ways to help their students apply content learning to meaningful real-world situations and scenarios. These rare teachers are the ones that can inspire even the most relunctant learners to excel. These teachers understand the fine line of speaking the langugage of kids without being a kid...they know how to relate without blurring the line between teacher and "friend." This means that teachers have to be constant learners themselves. They have to constantly be striving to educate themselves on the things that matter to kids, on emerging technologies, on emerging cultural trends, on emerging educational approaches and philosophies. They're open to growing and evolving as educators. These are NOT the teachers who are still using the same lesson plans from the 1960's when they began their educational careers. Simply put, the very best teachers are voracious learners.

It is unfortunate that so many adults can walk into classrooms across our country with a spotless transcript and the highest academic qualifications on paper, yet be completely ill-equipped to be an effective teacher. In order to truly strengthen our education system for our children, I believe that inner qualities and capabilities must be scrutinized just as closely as academic standards and proficiencies in recruiting effective and powerful teachers.