Megan: How Do You Measure a Good Teacher?

“A good teacher is like a candle — it consumes itself to light the way for others.” ~ Author Unknown

How do you measure a good teacher? Recently I have felt like I can’t turn on my TV, listen to the radio, or pick up a newspaper without seeing a story about the state of education today. It’s hard not to take it personally when commentators always seem to have an opinion on what teachers need to do to “change.”

In the past few weeks, I have stayed late at work on many occasions, particularly on Fridays (as I know countless other teachers do). I enjoy the quiet of the building as I listen to music in my room. I relish the chance to make copies without standing in line and the ability to run to and from the printers (yes, I run in the halls).

Last Friday, there were four teachers in the building after dark. It was like a little after-school club. I started talking to one of my school’s new teachers, and I was blown away by all the fabulous ideas she had. She was so creative!

So I began to wonder . . . She and I are very different teachers, yet I’d like to think we are both good at what we do. There is no cookie-cutter version of the “perfect” teacher — so what is it that makes certain teachers great? What qualities does the “perfect” teacher possess?

Do creative ideas make a good teacher? Talking to this uber-creative teacher almost gave me a confidence crisis. I have been begging, borrowing, and stealing ideas from teachers I admire over the years.

Or is it the hours dedicated to the craft of teaching? So many of us log extra hours before and after the official school day. Yet some of the most amazing teachers I know are able to leave at 3:30 p.m... so maybe that isn’t it after all.

Or do years of experience shape a great teacher? Of the four teachers in the building that Friday, two of us were newer to the field (including me, of course!), while the other two were veterans. I wonder if years of teaching and expertise make some teachers so great. For one thing, they don’t have to spend quite as many hours planning.

Is it all about organization? Perhaps good teachers manage their time so well that they truly can get everything done during the school day.

As I pursue my masters degree in special education, I wonder if greatness equals mastery in one small niche, like emotional disorders or learning disabilities, or does it entail having skills across all content areas, all grade levels, and all disabilities?

And THEN I started to wonder if I had what it takes to be a great educator. Of the four of us who stayed late that night, all have backgrounds in special education, though only three currently teach it.

Ironically, this very week, one of my students bestowed upon me the “perfect teacher award.” There was a very lovely presentation in front of the classroom, complete with a bouquet of fake flowers arranged in a paper towel tube. The award itself is not a golden apple, it’s even better: a lovely sculpture of pink and yellow play-dough, mixed with staples.

So I asked my students what they thought a perfect teacher would be like. At first, they gave very cute answers (“You’re the perfect teacher, Ms. M!”), but I persisted. One student suggested, “A teacher who does things for us.” Another answered, “Perfect teachers help us.”

My favorite answer? “Perfect teachers care about us.”

I realized that the idea of the “perfect” teacher is perhaps very different for students than it is for the legislators who seem so intent on bemoaning the shortage of “qualified” teachers. For students, I think the perfect teacher is one who evokes positive emotions from themselves and their classmates. I don’t remember which teacher taught me how to read, how to multiply, or how to write in cursive. What I remember is how I felt in my favorite teachers’ classrooms: confident, happy, secure, eager to learn more.

In the end, I hope I can obtain all of the qualities I admire in teachers: specialized, but able to adapt to any and all situations; nurturing and patient, but willing to fight for my students and against public opinion; knowledgeable of special education best practices, but creative enough to adapt those ideas to help my students.

I hope that new and veteran teachers alike know that they are “perfect” in the eyes of the students who love them, look up to them, and depend on them.

 

Comments

[Meredith]

I would have to say that a good teacher is like a superhero. They are teachers that are able to assess each student's individual needs and use those findings to create supports to help meet the needs of their class. Then, good teachers are charged with the task of constantly evaluating the success of these supports to ensure the success of their students. This is all done while effectively managing classroom behavior, facilitating appropriate relationships and ensuring that each student is provided with basic needs and safety. A good teacher wears many hats, they take on not only the roll of a teacher, but a friend, a mentor and sometimes even a parent.

[Dana Peacock]

“Perfect teachers care about us.” That is the best answer we will ever find. As teacher's who actually spend the time with the chidlren, not working in higher powers of office, defining ourselfs does come from how we are able to enspire the children. No legislator should be able to inform the teachers what needs to be "changed" in his/her classroom. Maybe they should let the teachers help determine what should "change."

[Angela Sherwood]

I think about this issue all the time. As a student teacher I trained with a teacher who had thirty plus years of experience. I figured that would give me what I needed. I thought that I would learn all the tips and tricks. While I did learn an awful lot about teaching, I was surprized to find that I was helping her almost as much as she was helping me. I taught her how to use her computer and document camera better. I stressed multi culturalism in the classroom. After thirty years of teaching she had plenty to show me and she definitely knew what she was doing, but if I had to pinpoint the things that made her a great teacher it would come down to her ability to share and her ability to change. She shared what she knew and what she had with everyone and every time someone came to her with something better, she was willing to change.

[Buffy Burroughs]

I find the reoccurring theme of what makes a good teacher reassuring and scary at the same time. If caring is the pivotal factor, how are the "powers that be" going to cram it into a formula for teacher evaluation and/or merit pay?

[Stephen Dziadosz]

Megan,

The students at your school are very fortunate to have four teachers that care so much about them and their jobs that they are willing to stay late on Friday evenings. From experiences, just because a teacher stays after school, at least in of itself, does make a great teacher. However, I feel it is very revealing to how important the role is to the particular educator.

For myself, being a special education teacher's assistant, I witnessed firsthand similar dedication. The teacher of the classroom I instruct in stays after school at least two or three hours every day. Because of this, the class, even though it has eight students and six staff, is one of the most organized classrooms I have been a part of. For myself, this has been inspiring me for when I become a special education teacher. I am sure the work that you are doing is doing the same for someone at your school.

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Stephen

[Shonda Williams]

I enjoyed reading the post. I too ponder over what makes a good teacher. I use to think that a perfect teacher had it all together. But in reality, our opinion of a what a perfect teacher is totally different from what our students think. Students have a way of putting things in perspective for me and simplifying what "perfect" means. I can remember when I first began teaching I was alway critical of myself until one day one of my students told me that I was the best teacher he ever had because I was patient and nice to him. It made me feel very good because I was trying to live up to adults expectations of what "perfect" was not knowing that I was already "perfect" to my students.

[Angela Lenselink]

I really enjoye your blog. I think all of us try to be the "perfect teacher" and often compare ourselves to others. I kow I still do, and I'm an 18-year veteran to teaching. I loved your student's comment about "The perfect teacher cares about us". That comment sums everything up - kids just want to feel accepted and important. They want to know that even if they really mess up, tomorrow is a new day with a fresh start, and every day is a freash start. Our students don't really care how much extra time we put in or if we're super organized or super creative. They just need to know that we care enough about them as people to do the best job we've been trained to do and that we're willing to work hard to give them an adequate education. Thanks for a really enlightening blog.

[Venita Harris]

That is a good question to think about. As I spend time in reflection about my teaching practice, I find myself wondering if I am a great teacher. I am always looking for ways to improve some aspect of my teaching, whether it is being more creative, using more or different strategies, or personal development. I do believe that there are many great teachers. A quality that you spoke about as your favorite answer is a quality that I believe that all great teachers have in common. That quality is to have a caring heart. It reminds me of the saying that "it does not matter how much you know but it matters how much you care".(This is my paraphrased verson.) I believe that when a teacher really cares, they will figure out how to meet the needs of their students. I also think that students are more prone to learn from someone whom they know cares about them as a person. Great post!

[Charlotte King]

Everywhere I go to teach or substitute, I meet great teachers, and I’ve been interested in figuring out what makes them so good and different from others that say to me what makes me great with my little ones! What I have discovered is that the sameness of good teachers, regardless of the differences between them, has to do with having a lot of things in common with each other. For instance, practice of teaching…self-enrichment, study the size of class, age of students, and your school curriculum or standards. In my opinion, Good teaching is not about who teaches the best, it is about taking that extra time with all of your students. When I asked my church students that I mentor..”what makes a good teacher to them” I got answers like teachers who lecture a lot, people who go the extra mile, and a caring teacher. But the most common answer I received were teachers who have some sort of connective capacity, who connect themselves to their students, the students to each other, and everyone to whatever subject that is being taught at the time.

[Chris]

Power to the teachers who care. Politicians make me sick to my stomach that they only want to look at tests scores- do they even care if we care for our students?? Cheers to all of our teachers who make this world a better place for our children and young adults!!

[Timothy Monahan]

It is difficult to imagine a "perfect" teacher. It all depends on the circumstances, the experiences of both students and teachers alike. Bob Fecho wrote excessively about "better" practice in his book "Is This English?" I think we need to focus more on how we can continue to improve, year-to-year, day-to-day, even period-to-period. We can never get into a mindset that we are perfect, but we can do what we can to be better at helping spread learning and love in our classrooms. I think you're doing it! Great post!

[Jennifer]

I also wonder how we weed out the "great" teachers from the "bad" teachers? I agree that caring makes a teacher great, but the ability to relay the information students need to learn in a way they can learn it best also helps make a teacher great (which again goes back to caring because a teacher that cares will adjust lessons to his/her students' needs). Unfortunately I think we hire teachers that know all the answers, but not necessarily how to teach children. But a more involved hiring process is often too time consuming and expensive for schools to do. So what are some ways we can weed out the "bad" teachers so all children receive the best education possible?

[Annie Krolewski]

All this being said, do you think that our tenure system is still a valid one? Or do you think seniority should not take preference over some other criteria when deciding which teachers to keep?

[Annie Krolewski]

I 100% agree that "perfect" teachers care.

I think that there is no one-size-fits-all formula that will find a good teacher, nor weed out the "bad" ones. However, I do think that when a teacher really cares about his/her students, that this in turn creates "perfect" teaching of all different varieties. Teachers then do the best they can to ensure a positive environment for their students and make decisions and instructional plans that will lead to the most promising outcomes for their students.

It scares me how people who are not involved in education think they can determine who the best teachers are. Being a teacher, especially a Special Education teacher, means so much more than a number score on a state-mandated test, although they do have their place. True difference is made in the classroom when teachers get to know their students and develop a classroom environment that fosters positive academic, social, emotional, and behavioral growth in students, which is something that no single number will ever indicate.

[Lauren]

I think your favorite student's answer was your favorite for a reason. I think that it's true. And that's not to say necessarily that there are perfect teachers, but I think that teachers who care are the best teachers, which makes them perfect for teaching. When you care, you are willing to put in the extra time, you don't give up, and you' re willing to learn as much as you can and teach as much as you can.

[Carol]

This is an anonymous quote that is on a dog-eared card in my wallet: A Teacher's Prayer
“One day I would like to teach, just a few people, many and beautiful things that would help them when they will teach – a few people.”

[Jeanne]

Good teachers need to give students choices, help students see the progress they are making, make learning fun, allow students to help others and communicate positive things to parents.

[Rebecca]

I often wonder, how can teachers better be assessed. Should it be through academics or through frequent observation?

[Eric]

I agree with Elephantsgerald. Teachers do not have to be perfect. They need to be human, and humans are not perfect. I think students want to know that their teacher is human just like them. Part of being human, though, (in my opinion) is caring and the need to feel cared for. I think students will try harder for a teacher they know cares about them. They will care more about and want to impress this teacher. If the students are self-motivated to do well, there's not much in the way of them learning.

In a music composition class, I once heard the quote "The best composers are the best thieves." Every note combination that could be composed has already been done. But the best composers can take these combinations and switch them around a bit to make them their own. The same is true about teaching. All teachers have been students for many years. I personally know the teachers that I have learned the most from. If another teacher uses a great strategy for teaching that really works, there's no reason not to use it yourself. As this post says, Megan has taken ideas from teachers she admires. So the question is, what are the qualities of the great teachers I've had over the years? Well, without exception, they have all seemed to care a lot about me. Are there any other qualities all of my best teachers have had? As I begin my teaching profession, that is a question I would like to figure out.

[Karisa Bohon]

The best teachers my kids have had over the years have shared two skills. One is being able to keep their class under control. My kids have attention issues, so out-of-control kids in the room have a huge negative impact on their ability to focus and learn. The other is that they create a sense of community among the students in the classroom, and this helps kids have more compassion for each other and understand how their actions affect other people. Intelligence, creativity, a sense of humor (NOT at anyone's expense), a recognition that kids need to move their bodies, and of course dedication are all important ingredients, too.

[Elephantsgerald]

Kids do not want the adults in their life to be perfect. They want to be noticed, listened to, and cared about. They want to know that your teaching isn't a rigid rod to shape them, but something flexible and responsive to them, and to what happens.

Every week, every day, I discuss teaching with my students, and they always tell me my class is their favorite, I'm their favorite. The best thing a kid ever told me was that "you're intense about the things that matter, and cool about the things that don't." How can one bottle that?

[Gigi]

Call me cynical, but I don't know any students that consider any adults to be perfect. If they do, they are not relating to their peers.

[teachermum]

Great post. Lots to think about and very well said. Sounds like we should get some government people to read your blog...