Good Teaching: the “final” verdict

Part I

Teaching is like a piece of machinery that breaks down often. When these issues

occur, most creators (teachers) mask the problems with a lot of talk and manuals.

Teaching should be like a well-oiled piece of machinery whose creators make changes

when changes are necessary. These creators also should care about the machinery

and work to make the product (students) the best that it can be. In order for teaching to

change into this well-oiled machine, its creators must be caring, confident about their

skills, and receptive to change. More specifically, an English teacher must care about

his/her students, be confident about his/her teaching skills, and seek out resources that

enhance and manipulate his/her craft. After this has been adopted into a teacher’s

repertoire, he/ she may become a good teacher.

Care is a term which seems to be a bit overused. Even so, it is a term that

should be adopted by any teacher hoping to become a good teacher. Care can come in

many forms. For starters, teachers need to care enough to motivate all of their

students. “Teachers are often frustrated by their students‘ deficiencies. More often than

not, these deficiencies are blamed on a lack of motivation or care in school. “Teachers

rarely [reflect] on their own insufficient teacher preparation or lack of teaching skills”

(Mastropieri, Scruggs, and Graetz, 2003, 104). With that in mind, it is our job to

research ways to fix this growing problem. “Students can be motivated in multiple ways

and the important issue is understanding how and why students are motivated for

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school achievement” (Linnenbrink and Pintrich, 2002, 313). It is our job, as caring

teachers, to figure out where motivation is hidden within our students. “Having a variety

of tasks in the classroom and multiple forms of assessment such as portfolios, essays,

and project-based assessments, classroom teachers may be able to provide all

students with the opportunity to be successful, thus fostering self-efficacy among all

students” (Linnenbrink and Pintrich, 2002, 316). It is important to understand that

students learn in very different ways, so giving them a multitude of options to conduct

their learning, students are given a better opportunity to succeed. In my classroom, my

students are given options often. For example, after completing a close reading of The

Giver, by Lois Lowry, we watched The Truman Show. Since these two texts correlate so

closely, I wanted my students to write a compare and contrast essay. After a comment

from a student, regarding this upcoming essay and his distaste for it, I asked him about

a type of essay that he would prefer to write. He promptly replied that he would prefer to

write an opinion essay that explored why he would rather live in Truman’s world (the

main character of The Truman Show) over Jonas’s (the main character of The Giver).

After some careful deliberation, I reworked this assignment, and I offered my students

five essay options for consideration. I found that using this technique helped my

students to see that I cared about their learning, and it also helped to foster good

teaching skills and student learning. “The ability to design and deliver lessons to

academically diverse learners, to select validated instructional methods and materials,

and use assessments to tailor instruction are all central to effective teaching” (Moats,

1999, 14). I feel that the above example shows that I am on the road, one lesson at a

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time, to becoming a truly effective teacher; this is something that coincides directly with

good teaching. Also, research has shown that “the design of classrooms and schools

can make a difference in motivating students for academic achievement” (Linnenbrink

and Pintrich, 2002, 314). The design of these environments should start with positivity

and trust (Intractor, 2006, 237). Once these important staples have been established,

teachers must then make sure that “They [possess a] flexible and deep understanding

of their subject matter and continually [seek] points of intersection between their subject

matter and the interests of their students” (Intractor, 2006, 237). “One of the features of

intrinsic motivation is high personal interest in the task or activity” (Linnenbrink and

Pintrich, 2002, 318). A great way to find this intersection could come in the form of

something simple; something that we all do daily. “Teachers or school psychologists

could talk informally with students about why they think they succeeded or failed in a

specific situation” (Linnenbrink and Pintrich, 2002, 318). Who is a better source for

information about student motivation than a student? After receiving valuable answers

from students, it is up to the teacher to start a routine that moves his/her classroom

toward success. This routine should most definitely incorporate popular culture.

“According to Morrell (2002), using popular culture has been found to be a highly

motivating and effective way to make connections to...youth’s literacy practices”

(Gambrell, 2004, 197). If this is true, wouldn’t a good teacher try his/her hardest to find

teaching tools, from popular culture, that help to spark his/her students’ interests in

reading?

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 Also important is a teacher’s confidence. A good teacher is confident in his/her

ability to be caring, trustworthy, and a teacher who can convey his/her subject matter

effectively. “Accomplished teachers have a rich understanding of the subject(s) they

teach and appreciate how knowledge in their subject is created, organized, linked to

other disciplines and applied to real-world settings” ( National Board for Professional

Teaching Standards, 1989/2002, 3). Once a teacher has accomplished an immense

task of this nature, he/she must then gain the confidence to believe that he/she can

impart this knowledge effectively upon his/her students. I know that this task is one that

has plagued me throughout my four short years of teaching. Quite often, I find that I am

teaching a lesson right after I have learned the information myself. For example, I teach

grammar lessons every other day in English 8. Each day that I introduce a new

grammatical concept, I find that I have to re-teach myself the concept in order to be sure

that I fully understand it. In my opinion, this is important because I cannot effectively

teach my students a concept if I do not fully understand it myself. This is an example of

good teaching for the pure fact that teachers are teachers because they have the ability

to impart knowledge clearly, fully, and effectively.

“Regardless of their confidence and skills, practicing teachers are begging for

instructional practices that provide them with tools to enhance learning outcomes for all

students who are struggling...” (Vaughn, Kilnger, and Bryant, 2001, 66). This is where

good teaching truly rears its head. I believe that a good teacher must seek out ways to

create a classroom that functions smoothly; a place where all students feel like success

is an option that is attainable. “Classroom-based research suggests that teachers are

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overwhelmed at the prospect of meeting the diverse needs of the students in their

classrooms. They are eager to embrace practices that assist in organizing the

classroom and improving their teaching to enhance outcomes for all students” (Vaughn,

Klinger, and Bryant, 2001, 73). With that in mind, how does a teacher use these facts to

become a great teacher?

One piece of information could be a possible answer to this question. It is our job

to seek out resources that will help us to fix issues within our classrooms/schools.

“Teachers need skills and tools that help them process and organize what they are

learning from their experiences” (Intractor, 2006, 233). As far as tools go, where do they

come from? There are so many places that a teacher can go to find resources that will

teach them how to conduct themselves within a classroom and meaningfully teach the

diverse body of students that step into this classroom. Before diving into this research,

head first, a good teacher establishes his/her goal(s). That fact brings up the question,

“Is the goal to discover the one best system of educational practice and thus

control curriculum and teaching? Or is knowledge to be used for illuminating the

complexities of human learning for the purpose of enriching teachers’ own

thinking about their practice and empowering them to see teaching and learning

from many lenses” (qtd. in Jalongo and Isenberg, 1995, 13)?

I feel as though the latter must be our main goal. All of this research can teach us a

plethora of ways to complete one task, or discover one outcome, but shouldn’t our main

goal be to keep our minds open in order to allow for further manipulation, even after

conclusions have been drawn and teaching practices (hopefully successful) have taken

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place. A good teacher allows his/her practice to be questioned, manipulated, and

praised. “Beginning teachers need skills and tools that help them process and organize

what they are learning from their experiences” (Intractor, 2006, 233). A great tool that

teachers can use to learn from his/her experiences will require him/her to open up

enough to share his/her experiences with colleagues. Going public is a very effective

tool because,

“Programs for teachers make the assumption that, no matter how skilled and

accomplished the participants are, they could be more effective if they could

learn the latest ideas, techniques, or strategies developed by other experts. As a

result, it makes sense to engage them explicitly in activities in which they can

learn with and from others” (Hatch, 2006, 7).

Who better to do this with than their fellow teachers? With that in mind, teachers should

have no choice but to share (go public) their questions and expertise with other

teachers. When a teacher goes public, in my experience, he/she generally learns about

his/her students, new techniques that they can incorporate into his/her teaching, and

ways to get through the tough times that every teacher encounters during his/her career.

To clarify, when teachers go public, and talk with their colleagues about specific

students, they can learn about those students’ behavior and progress within that

teacher’s class. In doing so, both teachers are able to make accommodations and

changes so that they can help that student to succeed. For example, I often go to my

colleagues when I am having issues with students. These colleagues are ones that

have or have had the student. These discussions were always conducted in a positive

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way. Most often, I ask guiding questions of my colleagues. These questions include,

“What types of issues, if any, do you have with this student?” and “What approaches do

you take with this student that work?” After discussions of this nature, I often find that I

have been equipped with a new arsenal. This arsenal can then be used to approach

the instruction of this student in a new way. This arsenal should be cherished and often

called upon because good teachers attempt to use, manipulate, and reuse these skills

when hoping to help their struggling students. This fact was reiterated by Darling-

Hammond and Baratz-Snowden, in their book What do teachers need to know? They

stated that in order for teachers to teach all students, they must, “Be able to develop

interventions, track changes, and revise their instructional strategies as necessary”

(2005, 27-28). Also helpful, with regards to going public, is the forum that is opened up

when teachers open up to one another. “The human being actually runs on stories, and

many of the greatest contemporary thinkers argue that the narrative mode is a supreme

means of rendering otherwise chaotic, shapeless events into a coherent whole

saturated with meaning” (qtd. in Jalongo and Isenberg, 1995, 5). With that said, it only

makes sense that teachers often benefit from telling each other stories about the trials

and tribulations that they live through each year. Telling stories about my day occurs

almost daily at the school that I teach. It is a very small school, so the staff is very

close. With that said, I often find myself breathing a heavy sigh of relief, after a long

school week. Once this has occurred, I walk out of my room and seek out colleagues

that are open to listen to the issue(s) that I struggled with during that week. Most often,

these discussions include questions about ways to deal with the teaching components

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that I struggle with most (classroom management and discipline). A teacher that goes

public about the “issues” listed above can be called a good teacher, in my opinion. The

reason that this is true is because this individual cares enough about his/her craft to

learn ways to change his/her classroom habits that are obviously not working.

Aside from going to colleagues for tools that shape them into good teachers,

teachers should utilize professional development opportunities. “Professional

development today...means providing occasions for teachers to reflect critically on their

practice and to fashion new knowledge and beliefs about content, pedagogy, and

learners” (qtd. in Darling-Hammond and McLaughlin, 1995, 1). Effective professional

development, development that fosters real change, needs to have specific

characteristics:

* It must engage teachers in concrete tasks of teaching, assessment,

observation, and reflection that illuminate the processes of learning and

development.

* It must be grounded in inquiry, reflection, and experimentation that are

participant-driven.

* It must be collaborative, involving a sharing of knowledge among educators and

a focus on teachers' communities of practice rather than on individual teachers.

* It must be connected to and derived from teachers' work with their students.

* It must be sustained, ongoing, intensive, and supported by modeling, coaching,

and the collective solving of specific problems of practice.

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* It must be connected to other aspects of school change (Darling-Hammond and

McLaughlin, 1995, 2).

Once professional development of this nature has been found, it is up to the teacher to

utilize what he/she learns in a way that brings about positive results for his/her

classroom. It is then that his/her student and school will benefit most from this teacher

and the professional development that he/she sought out.

Once an individual has entered into the very difficult profession of teaching,

he/she must continue to be devoted to his/her craft. If this does not occur, he/she will

never be able to be considered a truly good teacher. In order to accomplish this lofty

goal, one must care about his/her craft, become confident enough to convey the

knowledge that they have been put in place to impart, and be open enough to change

when necessary. In my opinion, that is what is needed to be considered a good teacher.

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 References

Darling-Hammond, L and Baratz-Snowden, J. (2005). What do Teachers need to

know? In L. Darling-Hammond and J. Baratz-Snowden (Eds.) A good teacher in

every classroom: Preparing the highly qualified teachers our children deserve

(pp. 5-28). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Darling-Hammond, L and McLaughlin, M. (1995). Policies that support Professional

Development in an Era of Reform. Phi Delta Kappan. 76.

Gambrell, L. (2004). Literacy motivation: Implications for urban classrooms.

Hatch, T. (2006). Introduction Bringing teaching out of the shadows and in the

classroom: Challenges and opportunities for learning from teaching. In T. Hatch,

Into the classroom: Developing the scholarship of teaching and learning

(pp.1-30). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Intractor, S. (2006). Beginning teachers and the emotional drama of the classroom.

Journal of Teacher Education, 57, 3, 232-239.

Jalongo, M.R. and Isenberg, J.P. (1995). Teachers’ stories, teachers’ knowledge and

How narrative connects. In Teachers’ stories: From personal narrative to

professional insight (pp. 1-51). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Linnenbrink, E. A., & Pintrich, P. R. (2002). Motivation as an enabler for academic

success. School Psychology Review, 31, 313-327.

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Mastropieri, M. A., Scruggs, T. E., Graetz, J. E. (2003). Reading comprehension

instruction for secondary students: Challenges for struggling students and

teachers. Learning Disability Quarterly, 26, 103-116.

Moats, L. C. (1999). Teaching reading is rocket science: What expert teachers of

reading should know and be able to do. Washington, DC: American Federation of

Teachers.

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, (1998/2002). What teachers

should know and be able to do. Washington, DC: Author.

Available at: http://www.nbpts.org/resources/publications

Vaughn, S., Klinger, J. K., & Bryant, D. P. (2001). Collaborative strategic reading as a

means to enhance peer-mediated instruction for reading comprehension and

content-area learning. Remedial and Special Education, 22, 66-74.

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 Teacher Wepage

Part III

Go to http://www.lhteach.weebly.com/

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 A Plan of ACTION

Part III

How am I going to ensure that I become a better teacher? I think that that is the

“golden ticket” question; the one that, if answered and attained will send the stellar

teacher past Go with two-hundred dollars in his/her pocket. It is a question that all good

teachers should continually ask themselves in order to self-reflect to achieve this

coveted “ticket.” After determining the standards that need to be met, with relation to

good teaching, I am able to do the following tasks:

• Place myself on the spectrum (the good teacher spectrum), in order to determine

how far I am from the goal of good teacher.

• Determine the things (a very vague word) that I need to learn, as a teacher, in

order to achieve this goal.

• Determine the things that I need to learn, as a MATC student, in order to achieve

this goal.

• Determine my overall learning goals.

When all of this has been accomplished, I will then be able to say that I have

accomplished my goal, a very hefty one at that; my goal to be a good teacher.

As I stated within my position paper, I believe that a good teacher is one who is

caring, confident, and able to change to meet the needs of the environment in which

he/she teaches. As far as where I stand with relation to that standard, I believe that I

am a novice. After four years, I still feel like I am feeling my way through the murky

waters of teaching; this is something that occurs daily. With that said, I am not bogged

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down by this fact. I feel as though these murky waters are ones that help me to grow by

way of self-reflection. To expand on that thought, I find myself reflecting on my days,

good or bad, in order to figure out what went well, in order to recreate those days, and

what went poorly, in order to remedy the issues that were barriers to meaningful

learning. This self-reflection is the key ingredient that I must employ in order to move

toward being a good teacher. Even more important is the fact that in self-reflecting, I

may have taken care of one component of my definition of good teaching. In clearer

terms, self-reflection shows that I am a caring teacher. After each day of teaching is

done, and I have reflected, I will learn new techniques and approaches in order to shape

(change) myself into that confident teacher that I know that I can be.

With that in mind, I also must figure out what it is that I need to learn in terms of

myself as a teacher. To begin, I must learn exactly what my students need in order to

be successful in my class. This can be accomplished by further researching the issues

that each has with the materials that I “throw” at them every day. Also, I must gain the

tools necessary to become a more confident individual/teacher in hopes of helping them

to understand how to do the same. How can I expect my students to see themselves as

worth something, and in turn believe that they can and should mark their lives by

success, if I cannot portray the same air about myself?

These points of learning are also true when speaking/thinking about myself as a

MATC student. I need to learn exactly what my needs are in order to be a successful

student. If I do not succeed, how can I become a better teacher? I must hold myself to

the same standards in which I hold my students; those standards are grounded in the

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fact that excellence is a priority, not an option. Even further, I become more confident in

my skills as a student. There have been many instances where I have written a paper

or conducted research, and have stopped to question if what I am doing is right,

effective, and/or even meaningful. At times, this hesitation can be a positive thing,

which had the result of pushing my thinking further, but other times it has come at a

detriment to my learning. Self doubt is a virus that has the potential to destroy its host.

As an MATC student, I must push through these times and come out a stronger and

more rounded individual. I have full faith in the fact that I can achieve my goals of

becoming a better teacher. This excellence comes with time, which is what makes me

more sure that I can achieve my hopes and dreams. I entered the MATC program 80%

wanting to get paid more and 20% wanting to learn about my craft (a fact I am ashamed

to admit). I am finishing up my first semester with a sense of rejuvenation, which may

hit me harder once I am done with my large projects, that tells me that I am going to be

a great teacher.

This greatness will come when I achieve my learning goals. These goals are

multi-tiered. First, my goals that pertain to my school are that I push myself to become a

stronger part of the staff. I want to become a teacher leader who portrays herself as

one who is so confident and knowledgeable that the other staff members cannot help

but to come to me for guidance. I am aware that this seems a bit arrogant, but if done in

the correct way, a teacher can be a leader who is respected and revered. By no means

am I saying that I want to be “knighted” and given the golden scepter of success. I

simply want to work with my fellow teachers to help our students and school to also

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achieve greatness. I can attain this status by continuing to research the best-practice

skills that are offered to us in this program (that is where the MATC falls into my

plans/goals). I plan to accept what I am given by my future professors, sift through what

I need to attain my goals, take them to my colleagues, and watch as the flower (our

students and school) grow into a strong and hearty garden of knowledge and excellence

. Also important is my self-directed path that I will take to achieve the goals listed

above. As I stated earlier, I reflect on my teaching daily. This reflection is one piece of

proof that I have set myself off on my self-directed path. Additionally, I must do more to

move myself down this path a bit faster. A teacher’s learning can become stagnant, so I

must consciously do more to explore, on my own, resources that are available to me.

The availability comes from book stores, online resources, and my colleagues. I should

continue to immerse myself in books about my craft, online journals, and the work of

my colleagues. Once I have done this, I will be more equipped to achieve my goals.

It is clear that I have my work cut out for me. Even so, I am confident that, with a

bit of perseverance I can do exactly what I set my mind to. I know that I will become

what I believe to be a good teacher, sooner rather than later.

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 Artifact Commentary

Now that I have completed my TE 807, I can reflect on the outcome of this

immense outpouring of my inner being. This artifact represents me and what I strive to

become within the near future (within five years, or so). I have compiled a complete

description of what it is that I hope to accomplish as a teacher and human being, at that.

I have sifted through the many pieces of writing that have been presented to me during

this semester and the few short years that I have been teaching. This artifact also

represents a growth that I have gone through during this semester. The major part of

this growth comes in the form of a rejuvenated passion that was beginning to fade after

a few long years of teaching. This class, along with TE 846 has served as a North star

that will guide me to my place in this profession. This artifact also serves as a reminder

of the passion that I will continue to hold in my heart.

I want my reader to notice the main point that I am trying to make within this

artifact. My point is that a receptiveness to change, the most important aspect of a

good teacher, is important for a good teacher to have in order for he/she to stay

effective. Also, I want my readers to see my voice within each piece. I believe that

everyone is unique, and everyone has the right to be heart and understood. It is my

hope that I have conveyed my points in a way that the reader is able to see through the

simple words and into my soul.

Lastly, this artifact should serve as proof of my commitment to becoming a good

teacher. The first step, in my opinion, is figuring out exactly what is needed to become a

good teacher. Once defined, an individual must take it upon himself/herself to seek out

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the guidance and tools needed to be the best that he/she can be. I believe that I have it

in me to do all that I have set my mind to. I hope to soon be an even more caring,

confident, and receptive to the change that is necessary to be the best that I can be.

This artifact is my first step. The second step will be taken every day that I wake up with

the passion that I feel today. I pray that this passion is something that never leaves me.

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