Hopefully, most of us had at least one teacher in middle school who was "that" teacher. By this, I reference the teacher that we loved and learned from. We looked forward for his or her next lesson for the sake of learning rather than as a means to achieve a grade. No teacher can be "that" teacher for every student, as students have unique interests, personalities, and learning styles. However, some qualities help teachers to be effective when working with middle school students. I am certainly not an expert, but here are a few qualities that I see as important for effective middle school teachers:
Knowledge: Effective middle school teachers have a strong foundational knowledge of the subject they teach as well as academic knowledge about teaching middle school students. Teachers who truly know the subjects they teach can more successfully share this information with students. In addition, knowing more about a subject than the syllabus requires allows a teacher to include special focus on elements that classes find interesting. Academic knowledge about teaching incorporates psychological information about adolescence and teaching strategies. College Professors share this information because it matters, so teachers should use this knowledge as a foundation for planning lessons, classroom management procedures, and more. In addition, effective teachers seek to continue adding to both categories of knowledge through classes and familiarity with current research as long as they continue to teach.
Leader: An effective teacher needs the confidence and authority to lead a class. This includes classroom management aspects, as teachers with leadership and good classroom management (although there is little distinction between the two) can maximize class time and thus help students to learn. It also includes the simple confidence to work with a class of students without losing focus. Finally, a teacher who is also a quality leader leads by example, encouraging students to behave well, work hard on schoolwork, and make intentional decisions.
Passion: Many teachers are passionate about the subjects that they teach. Effective middle school teachers are passionate about teaching the subjects to middle school students. This shows in their genuine concern for their students. Effective teachers respond to students' academic, emotional, and other needs. When necessary, this means that effective teachers have the flexibility to diverge from previously planned lessons or schedules in order to accommodate for students' needs. Rhoda C. Sommers discusses this passion by describing effective teachers as "real" teachers.
At this point in time, I do not have the characteristics necessary to be "that" teacher. I lack the academic knowledge, which I hope to gain throughout the course of this semester and in future education classes. I also do not know whether I have the confidence to be a leader in a classroom of students. Work in a middle school as part of this class should help me to develop this confidence. I will know that I have achieved the type of confidence necessary for leadership when I can place more emphasis on students than on my specific actions. This does not imply forgetting to act appropriately or utilize important classroom management techniques. Rather, it means that the "spotlight" feeling will diminish in favor of concern for student achievement.
What do I have now? Passion. I love social studies and have thoroughly enjoyed every opportunity I have had to teach. Moreover, I have seriously considered teaching in a middle school because of the unique challenges and opportunities that the young adolescents bring to class. That is a short list compared with the laundry list of ways I have yet to learn and develop, but I truly believe in lifelong learning. I can only be "that" teacher for a student if I continue to work on these qualities long after college graduation.
Jennifer, I know you can be "that" teacher! I agree with the emphasis that you placed on the teacher characteristic of knowledge. It's not only important to know extensive amounts about our content areas, but it is also essential to understand middle schoolers and to continue to learn after college.
ReplyDeleteDid you see that Ashley linked to the same article in his blog? You two must be feeling the "real" teacher vibes.
"That" teacher for me was my mom in elementary school (I was homeschooled.) She has a passion for life, and pushed me to discover and pursue topics that I could be passionate about. If not for her, I would be much less interesting person today.
ReplyDelete"That" teacher in secondary school was my English teacher at Crown College where I did PSEO. She was an excellent example of how sheer vivaciousness could get even the most quiet of students to participate in discussions, and to really care about the subject being taught.
The part of your post that really caught my eye was when you said, "...it means that the "spotlight" feeling will diminish in favor of concern for student achievement." This statement is very consistent with the research on teacher development. It is very common for new teachers to focus more on themselves and what they want to accomplish than on how those decisions impact students and their learning. What ideas do you have for applying this awareness?
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments! I did notice that Ashley linked to the same article. It helped me to focus my thoughts for this blog post, and I am glad that someone else thought the same way.
ReplyDeleteBen: I like seeing that you can name "that" teacher for different parts of your educational experience. You also put thought into what made them quality teachers. I think it can only help us to think about teachers who were "that" teacher as we prepare to teach.
At this point, I do not know how exactly to remove the spotlight effect. I act in theater, where the focus is more on being in the spotlight. Eventually, I think that habit should disappear on its own as I learn to think of students first. Until then, the best thing I can think of is to consciously plan how every part of the day affects the students. If this requires writing how it affects students throughout the lesson plan, so be it.
I really connected with the attribute about passion. I truly believe than an effective middle school teacher should be passionate and really care about their job. Once this is shown, students will feed off of this and become passionate about leanring as well. A teacher that lacks passion is not an effective teacher because I believe it is successful for anyone's success as a teacher. It shows that you are willing to put in the hard work and effort to make your classroom successful. I hope that all teachers can realize what you said in this blog post.
ReplyDeleteAshley: I am glad you connected with the idea of passion. I assume you found this passion necessary in your internship this summer? It sometimes feels as if we shun passion about a job as an ideal or just the reason we begin jobs in the first place. I would argue (and I am glad you agree) that it makes a significant difference in student learning. You also made an interesting comment connecting passion for teaching with the need to , "put in the hard work and effort to make your classroom successful." Passion for teaching (hopefully) makes this hard work feel less burdensome.
ReplyDelete