Chapter 6: What Makes A Teacher Effective? Notes

Chapter 6 asks the question, "What makes a teacher effective?" Teaching is more than just intuition. Decisions must be made and acted upon on a day to day basis. Teachers must be able to plan decisions, implement decisions, and evaluate decisions. This is a process known as reflective decision making. The chapter highlights the importance of keeping a positive attitude in the classroom as an educator's attitude determines how students respond to lessons and the classroom environment. An educator's attitude towards themselves is also import. Self-understanding must be achieved in order to generate a positive attitude towards oneself. The chapter advises that a potential teacher take self-understanding and self-examination seriously as it is a step in being able to become the best teacher one can be. Teachers must always try to maintain a positive attitude in the classroom. Children are highly sensitive to adult behavior, so that is why casting all bias aside and treating students fairly while reflecting a positive attitude is important. This stimulates a positive learning environment. Another thing teachers must practice is having high expectations of their students so that their students may have the motivation and drive to succeed and meet those expectations. An educator must not only maintain a positive attitude towards his or her students, but towards colleagues, parents and the subject matter. If a teacher shows no interest in what they are teaching, then how can they expect their students to care? The chapter highlights the essential skills that are required in being an effective teacher. Those outlined are: the ability to ask questions, the ability to provide feedback, the ability to plan instruction, the ability to diagnose student needs, the ability to vary the learning situation to keep students involved, the ability to recognize when students are paying attention, the ability to use technological equipment, the ability to assess student learning, and the ability to differentiate instruction based student experiences. There are various other skills that teachers must possess in order to be effective in their teaching. Characteristic behaviors that are addressed, based on research by Gary Borich, are" lesson clarity, instructional variety, teacher task orientation, engaged learning time, and student success rate.  Another important topic that the chapter discusses is classroom management.  It is defined as "actions taken to create and maintain a learning environment conducive to successful instruction." Classroom management is also required to stimulate a positive learning environment. A teacher's questioning skills are also imperative in teaching students, as is their planning skills. Those two skills are related to one's effectiveness as an educator. Effective questioning techniques include avoiding vague questions, asking brief questions, encouraging students to respond, and avoiding asking yes or no questions. Planning skills are essential in allowing lessons to run smoothly. Four types of planning are addressed in the chapter: yearly, unit, weekly, and daily. Each one is as effective as the other. The chapter is wrapped up by readdressing the skill areas reviewed in the classroom; classroom management, questioning, and planning. These essential three contribute to the makings of an effective teacher.