Annette Breaux on the anatomy of a great teacher

I read an article on Twitter this morning by Annette Breaux that I thought really highlighted what makes a great teacher. Here are a few of the points she shared:

– At the risk of overstating the obvious, great teachers truly love children. If you don’t love children, you can’t be a great teacher. Period

– Great teachers are masters at classroom management. They understand the importance of structure. Their management plans consist of clearly stated rules that are enforced fairly, calmly and consistently and of procedures that are are practiced until they become routines. No surprises.

– Great teachers are intelligent people who possess a thorough understanding of their subject matter. They are not, however, arrogant in their knowledge. Rather, they use their knowledge to simplify what’s complex and to accommodate their students’ individual abilities and levels of understanding.

– Great teachers (have) enthusiasm that is contagious, and they act as though everything they teach is their favorite. . .

– Great teachers are positive, kind, compassionate, patient people. Though they are as human as anyone else, they do not allow students to push their buttons. They handle even the most challenging situations with composure, thoughtfulness and professionalism. They never compromise a student’s dignity.

– Great teachers are problem solvers. They don’t play the blame game. They identify problems and immediately get to busy finding solutions.

– Great teachers don’t endure change; rather, they ensure it – not simply for the sake of change, but for the betterment of teaching and learning.

– Great teachers have a sense of humor, and they share it daily with their students.

– Great teachers continually strive to make learning fun, relevant, interesting, challenging and engaging. In the classrooms of great teachers, students are encouraged to question, discuss, debate, experiment, invent and make lots of mistakes.

– Great teachers recognize the importance of establishing positive relationships with their students.

– Great teachers have high expectations of all students. . .

– Great teachers are not perfect teachers. When they make mistakes, the act as good role models do, admitting their mistakes. . .

The bottom line is that great teachers are some of the most dedicated and committed people you will ever meet. . .

Read more from this article by visiting the SmartBLog on Education.