LT week 5- A Good Teacher

A good teacher cares about her students, both in their academic development and in their emotional (affective) domain. She will focus on each child as an individual, understanding that one child's circumstances, needs and goals will not be the same as another's. She creates a classroom environment that provides safety and freedom and community in order to give her students an optimal environment in which  to learn successfully. She takes the time to get to know each student, so she will be aware of any problems or influences from outside the classroom that might affect his/her ability to pay attention and think about the  classwork. She will notice if a student is struggling and needs extra help or attention to assist them in grasping new concepts. She encourages her students to explore and participate with confidence that they will be heard and respected. She welcomes feedback about her teaching and examines her practices to try to improve


From last week's T2P-

IF: If lessons are presented in a variety of styles,
THEN: then students will learn more effectively 
BECAUSE: because the lessons will appeal to their own preferred learning style and they will feel more comfortable and confident performing the tasks. 
CONTEXT: Regardless of personal preferences, some subjects are more easily presented and understood in one style than another.
EVIDENCE: According to Howard Gardner, each person has strengths in particular intelligences and learns better when they  use their preferred intelligence to process information. 
MORAL IMPLICATION: A teacher whose practices rely on traditional lectures and texts is not taking advantage of all the ways that students can be engaged. If students are given opportunities to learn material in their preferred styles they will feel more interested and more "recognized" as individuals with different talents, and may understand new material more easily. At least they will put more effort into the process, which will improve their success as a learner.
REVISED MORAL IMPLICATION: A good teacher will consider her students as individuals with different interests and abilities. By presenting material in ways that will stimulate their curiosity and enjoyment she is demonstrating her caring and attention to their preferences while providing them opportunities to learn and grow. People need to feel cared for and respected and feel a connection to the people around them (ie the teacher and classmates). Students who are given tasks they find relevant to their interests will put more time and effort into learning. This will create in them a joy of learning that will lead to growth in their academic and personal lives for all their lives.