Characteristics of an Effective Educator

What are the Characteristics of an effective educator?

The characteristics of an effective teacher are much in line with the four components that make up the framework that SPU has adopted for its teacher certification program, service, leadership, competence and character.   Teachers must first be committed to the concept of acting as “servant leaders.” Robert K. Greenleaf coined this term in his book, The Servant as Leader.   An effective teacher must hold a life paradigm that revolves around living with a desire to serve first.  As educators we must try to approach life through the eyes of service as a means to contribute to the betterment of our students. 

An effective teacher must be able to both contribute personally to the effort and have the ability to elicit the help of those around her -this is true Leadership a natural derivative of trying to serve.   All participating parties have something to offer.  An effective teacher is able to encourage others to contribute their gifts to the final goal (whatever it might be).   As leaders, effective teachers, involve themselves with passion and commitment, and inspire others to do the same.  They positively affect the growth and well-being of the students, families and administration for whom they serve. 

Effective teachers are competent professional educator.  As instructors they maintain competence in their ability to effectively maintain procedures, lesson plans, and the use of ever changing technology.  And even more importantly, they contribute to the successful development of communities that are culturally competent. 

Educators influence the future of those for whom they are in contact with.  Effective educators hold themselves to a set of high moral values and operates through the prerequisite of good character.  They in turn demonstrate an ability to teach and motivate those around them to also hold themselves accountable to live with character as well.

Effective teachers are accomplished, prepared, and respected.  They have taken the time to learn what being truly effective is.  In the words of Wong & Wong, “Every one of us is both a student and a teacher.  We are at our best when we each teach ourselves what we need to learn  (The First Days of School p.10).”

EDU6132

Module 4 bPorffolio Reflection Prompt

Prompt: Over the past few weeks, we have been discussing nature vs nurture, the basics of biological development and a few different perspectives on cognitive development. Please reflect and write about the big ideas that you have learned and the implications for classroom practice. Please include ideas from your peers during discussion forums, your own experiences and new ideas learned from class materials.

            As a new teacher, I feel a high sense of moral responsibility to account for both the biological and environmental influences that my students bring with them to the classroom. In actuality, it may be impossible to fully comprehend this multifaceted arena of both psychological temperaments as well as sociological impacts.  EDU6132 Learners in Context, has afforded me the opportunity to at least begin to examine this complicated concept of biological and cognitive development as it pertains to the classroom.

As I understand it, the degree of love, kindness and mercy that encompasses every individual and resultantly impacts who that person becomes is known as the “nurture” effect. Conversely, our genetic makeup at birth is the “nature” of who we are. There has been an ongoing debate around the balance of these two paradigms,( Pressley and McCormick (2007)  p.4).  Are we based entirely on our genome? Or are we as humans solely entities of our environment and the relationships within it? Many of those who have contemplated and studied this area of human development have come to the conclusion that our temperaments, interests, and talents are not determined entirely at birth but are a combination of both the contributions of nature and nurture.

In addition, according to Pressley and McCormick (2007) children are born with a potential intellectual aptitude. This is a range of “possibilities” that are influenced by the environment in which that child is exposed. The “reaction range” that is allotted for intelligence genetically is either muted or enhanced according to the multitude of environmental factors that come into play (Pressley & McCormick, 2007, p. 4).  Again, we are examining the environmental influences on and individuals given nature. 

            With this diverse understanding, I have begun to see the importance of acknowledging the individuality of each student.  Instead of trying to ebate over what has brought each person to where they are, I think it is important to focus on the larger picture of where we are going.  Thomas Likona’s 1991 study on the stimulation of socially responsible thinking behavior was an inspiring stepping stone. I can relate to quite a number of the techniques for moral education that he has listed. As teachers, it is undoubtedly our job to influence the moral behavior as well as the moral reasoning in our students and colleagues. I think we all need to step back and look at our lives on a bigger scale. We will be touching so many people, so many souls, as we traverse the classrooms and schools we teach in. This is a high order responsibility.

 The Direct Teaching technique, as described by Likona (p.83) is a great example of how to deal with moral issues in a diverse classroom head on. Last year, I read A Cricket in Time Square with my 4^th and 5^th graders. For those of you wo have not read this adorable little book, there is a scene in it in which The main character goes to a small Knick knack shop in located in San Francisco’s Chinatown. He has a conversation with the Chinese store keeper, who tells him all about the wonderful luck this cricket will bring the boy and his family if he treats him with love. To make a long story short, several of my students began to make some racially negative remarks. I have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to things like this. Book club closed. It was time for some diversity training and some real heart to heart discussions. I began that day with a DIRECT explanation of why this behavior was unacceptable and how that affects us all. We talked about instances in history where racial prejudice resulted in the destruction of lives.      Moving on, I knew that I had really pound it in that day but I did not feel it had taken solid root. Sure enough, I overheard few racial joke being told among students on our way back from recess. Hearing those words hurt and since I am not one to really holds back, what hurt more was when I called the students on this I was told that they were being retold after hearing them from a parent. Ouch!! Now, I saw how deep this lair of injustice really is. I moved to another moral behavioral technique at this point, the use of curriculum to encourage moral growth.  I began to give journal topics that asked moral questions for free writing. We did several exercises in diversity. I brought in current news articles that were related to racial prejudice, from the integration of a Cleveland Mississippi school district at this late date, to the Black Lives Matter Campaign that was and still is a big part the media today. My goal was just to get them thinking and questioning their own choice. What they thought, how they judged others, what they chose to verbalize. I saw my students change, I saw them really thinking about what they read and what they heard. I was so proud of them and the potential for progress that I witnessed.

References

Marzano, R. J. (2007). The art and science of teaching: A comprehensive framework for effective instruction. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Pressley, M. & McCormick, C. B. (2007). Child and adolescent development for educators. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.