A good teacher is accountable.

Accountable Holding yourself to the same expectations and standards as you hold your
students.
A teacher cannot have double standards. For example, if you do not allow your students to chew
gum in your class, then you should not chew gum either.
A good teacher is adaptable.
Adaptable Making changes to lessons or activities on the fly because of an unforeseen situation
or problem.
A teacher must be willing to change. If half the class does not understand a particular concept,
then you cannot move on and must quickly come up with a better way to teach that concept.
A good teacher is caring.
Caring Going the extra mile to ensure that every student is successful no matter what.
A teacher must figure out the personalities and interest of each student and incorporate
components that connect with each individual.
A good teacher is compassionate.
Compassionate Recognizing that your students have problems outside of school, and making
the necessary adjustment to help them through those issues.
A teacher must take outside factors into consideration. For example, if a student has just lost a
loved one, the teacher should be sensitive to that and adjust accordingly.
A good teacher is cooperative.
Cooperative The ability to work effectively with administrators, other teachers, and parents for
the good of your students.
A teacher must be able to build cooperative relationships with others around them even if they do
not necessarily like them.
A good teacher is creative.
Creative Taking a concept and shaping a lesson that is unique, engaging, and dynamic.
A teacher must be able to create lessons that grab their students attention and make them want to
keep coming back for more.
A good teacher is dedicated.
Dedicated Showing up everyday and spending the necessary time to provide your students with
the best education.
Teachers often arrive early and stay late. They work parts of weekends and summer to ensure
that they are prepared.
A good teacher is determined.
Determined Finding any means necessary to reach all students no matter the challenge.
Teachers must be willing to do anything to ensure that all students receive the education they
need.
A good teacher is empathetic.
Empathetic Being sensitive to a students struggles even though you may not personally be able
to relate to them.

A teacher must put themselves in the students shoes and see it from their perspective. This
approach is often transcending in how to help the child succeed.
A good teacher is engaging.
Engaging The ability to grab the attention of a classroom full of students and to maintain their
attention throughout the entirety of class.
A teacher must create lessons that are fun, fresh, and energetic. You want your student to walk
out of your class each day looking forward to the next.
A good teacher is evolving.
Evolving A continuous process of year over year improvement and growth.
A teacher must continuously look for ways to improve themselves as well as individual lessons
or components of lessons.
A good teacher is fearless.
Fearless Trying a new approach that may be outside the norm and may receive criticism or
scrutiny.
A teacher must be willing to try anything within the parameters of school policy to reach their
students. They must also be ready to defend their approach to criticism.
A good teacher is forgiving.
Forgiving Quickly putting incidents with student, parents, or other teachers behind you so that
it does not impact your teaching.
Teachers must be able to get past hurtful actions or accusations quickly. They must not hold it
against any student or let it impact how they teach in the classroom.
A good teacher is generous.
Generous Volunteering for extra assignments and/or giving money out of your own pocket for
classroom needs or individual student needs.
Teachers do not make enough money, but most teachers are willing to donate time and/or money
to help out in areas where a need is recognized.
A good teacher has grit.
Grit The determination to overcome any obstacle in the way of obtaining a long term goal.
A teacher must possess the grit necessary to make the personal sacrifices necessary to ensure that
every goal is reached every year.
A good teacher is inspirational.
Inspirational The ability of a teacher to get their students to buy into, believe in, and to be
motivated to become life long learners.
A teacher should make a lasting inspirational impact that follows a student throughout their life.
A good teacher is joyful.
Joyful Coming to class each day in a good mood, excited, and enthusiastic about doing your
job.
If the teacher has a lousy attitude, the students are going to have lousy attitudes. If the teacher is
joyful, the students are going to be joyful.

A good teacher is kind.

Kind The ability of a teacher to say and do things that uplifts, motivates, and inspires.
Kindness should be innate in all teachers. A mean spirit will turn students off, but a kind spirit is
invaluable.
A good teacher is organized.
Organized The ability to keep things neat and in order allowing teachers to access materials
quickly and to make efficient transitions.
Organization is a necessary quality for every teacher. Teaching encompasses so much that those
who are unorganized will be overwhelmed and swallowed up.
A good teacher is passionate.
Passionate Teaching with enthusiasm and exuberance on a daily basis because you love the
content and your students.
A passionate teacher connects with their curriculum and their students which maximizes
learning.
A good teacher is patient.
Patient The ability to see the whole picture and to understand that the school year is a
marathon, not a sprint.
A teacher must never give up on a student. They should continuously try new
strategiesunderstanding that eventually something will work.
A good teacher is resilient.
Resilient Not allowing adversity to stop you from accomplishing your goals.
A teacher must be resilient in overcoming the many obstacles that will present themselves over
the course of a year.
A good teacher is resourceful.
Resourceful Finding a way to make things happen.
A teacher must be able to figure out how to get supplies and materials for their classroom when
the funding is not available and to reach a student who has no interest in learning.
A good teacher is trustworthy.
Trustworthy The ability to get others around you to believe in you and what you are doing.
A teacher must gain the trust of both their students and parents. Any distrust will negatively
impact the classroom.
A good teacher is vulnerable.
Vulnerable Allowing your students to gain insight into your life without revealing a lot.
Vulnerability allows students to relate to their teachers as they share in common interests such as
sports, television, etc.
They break projects into realistic tasks with manageable deadlines. They
establish steps that will lead them toward the completion of complicated projects,
generate realistic deadlines for the completion of these steps, and work to meet
these deadlines. They give themselves false due dates to keep themselves
accountable for progression towards the completion of a project. They write their

tasks down and cross off activities once they are finished to give themselves a
sense of continual accomplishment.
3. They begin projects early. They give themselves the time and freedom to
brainstorm about the best alternatives to accomplish their objectives. Starting early
on tasks gives people the opportunity to gather information, think over the matter,
collaborate with others for assistance, and modify plans for convenience or
effectiveness. They are honest with themselves about how their plans are going and
willing to modify plans for better results.

hapter 26. The Qualities of Great Teachers

by Mark F. Goldberg
Greatness in teaching is just as rare as greatness in medicine, dance, law, or any other profession.
Although the qualities that make great teachers are not easy to inculcate or duplicate, understanding
these qualities can give all teachers a standard of excellence to strive for, and guide schools in their
efforts to recruit and retain the best teachers.
To that end, I offer the following observations about the key characteristics of great teachers. This list is
certainly not exhaustive, and the characteristics do not appear in any particular order of importance. In my
more than 40 years in education, including 24 years as a public school administrator who directly
supervised more than 130 different teachers, these qualities emerged as hallmarks of the best teaching.

Willingness to Put in the Necessary Time

You cannot achieve greatness by working from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Teaching, like every other serious
profession, requires time. Dennis Littky, an award-winning principal, said, You can't be a great teacher or
principal and not work long, long hours (personal communication, November 11, 1988). By investing time
to prepare for class, to go over student work, to meet students outside of class, to talk to parents, to
attend school meetings, and to serve on school committeesa great teacher indicates to students that
she or he sincerely cares about their learning.
When well-known and respected teacher Thomas T. Lyons retired from Phillips Academy in Andover,
Massachusetts, after a 36-year career, the many tributes he received from former students
overwhelmingly focused on the time he spent with them (Rimer, 1999). Lyons interviewed every youngster
individually at the beginning of the school year. One student, Julie Stephens, said, Mr. Lyons must have
invested at least 20 hours in me just on one paper (p. A6).
Most teachers belong to a teachers' association, union, or other organization that represents their
interests. Typically, some formal document or agreement specifies how many minutes per day or hours
per week they must teach; how much unstructured time they are entitled to; how many meetings they
must attend; and the compensation they must receive for additional work beyond the usual load. Great
teachers respect this agreement and acknowledge that it protects their rights, ensures academic freedom,

and spells out good professional working conditions. But they don't hesitate to go beyond the contract
voluntarily and oftenfor example, by meeting with a student study group during the teacher's
preparation period or after schoolin order to meet the needs of their students.

Love for the Age Group They Teach

My wife, who had a successful 32-year career in elementary education, had a natural affinity for the early
primary grades and grew increasingly uncomfortable with each grade above the 2nd. She read children's
literature for younger students with gusto, happily attended workshops to master materials and methods
to better teach primary math and science, and loved spending time with young children. But teaching
above grade 4, she was a fish out of water.
About 25 years ago, when the shift from junior high schools to middle schools took hold, I came across
many teachers who wanted to work with children of middle school age, 11 to 14, and who took pleasure in
the special challenges that those years posed. In many districts, the frequent requests to transfer from
junior to senior high school slowed or nearly stopped. Many middle schools developed advisory groups
and used a team approach to bring teachers and students into closer contact. Teachers who had
previously felt uncomfortable in junior high schools thrived in the middle grades, and a cadre of great
middle school teachers emerged.
Most teachers find joy in teaching because of their talent for relating to students in a particular age group.
Unfortunately, too many school districts transfer teachers on the basis of seniority from one grade to
another without recognizing the importance of fit. An important part of greatness is the match between the
teacher's skills and interests and the age of his or her students. A great middle school English teacher
might be an average 11th or 12th grade English teacher.

An Effective Classroom Management Style

Great teachers need to find their own ways to manage a group of students. For instance, if a student
were to interrupt the class inappropriately, Lee Canter's Assertive Discipline approach (Canter & Canter,
2002) would suggest consequences for failure to follow known and reasonable rules; Alfie Kohn (1996)
might suggest that the teacher ask himself or herself whether the content or methods of the lesson
contributed to the problem. The most effective teachers draw from these well-known theories, but adapt
them to their own personality.
Because great teachers develop and hone their own classroom management style, their techniques vary.

All, however, have at least the following common characteristics in their classrooms:
Few behavior problems.
A culture of respect that flows in every direction: teacher to students, students to teacher,
students to students, and everyone to guests.

Immediateor at least timelyteacher actions that usually work.

A clear, shared understanding of acceptable and appropriate behavior.

Positive Relationships with Other Adults

Too often, we underestimate the amount of time that teachers spend with other adults in a schoolother
teachers, administrators, and parents. Great teachers work well with each of these groups.
They depend on other teachers as a constant source of information, enrichment, and sometimes solace.
From study groups to faculty meetings to such rare moments as receiving an award or attending the
funeral of a student, teachers need to support one another. Outstanding teachers quickly become
identified as school leaders, whom other teachers admire and turn to for advice or collegial sharing.
The best teachers also find ways to work harmoniously with administrators and to show administrators
how they can support teachers. For example, the teacher may point out areas of the curriculum that need
attention and coordinate or offer to serve on a committee to explore solutions to a problem.
Great teachers also place a priority on keeping parents informed about their children's progress, and they
sensitively help parents understand their children's problems. These teachers understand that the lack of
a strong partnership between teachers and families may undo many of their best efforts.

Consistent Excellence
Greatness in teaching requires consistently outstanding performance over the years. That does not mean
that the teacher never has a bad day, or even a bad week. In fact, most great teachers have had a difficult
year or two. One of the finest English teachers I knew had a tough year adjusting to a new school, and a
somewhat spotty year about seven years later when serious family problems were weighing heavily on
him. Over the 19 years that I supervised him, however, he had 17 great years and two good years during
which he showed remarkable resilience and fortitude.
The best teachers get divorced, become ill, have problems with their own children, need to attend to
aging parents, and have other personal issues in the same proportion as other professionals. They also
have both mild and serious professional disagreements about new curriculums, teaching methods,
assessment techniques, and materials. But great teachers have the good judgment required to balance
these problems in a way that minimizes fluctuations in classroom performance.
Some teachers are able to compartmentalize personal and other issues; others require a short period of
time off to handle vexing problems. The best teachers consistently find ways to integrate new methods in
an ever-changing profession into their successful practices. Dedication to their work, flexibility, and the
willingness to grow are common to great teachers in the face of difficulty and change.

Expert Use of Instructional Methods

Great teachers use a variety of instructional methods that they feel comfortable with; within the same
school, you'll find different teachers getting excellent results using such methods as mini-lectures and
interactive lectures, problem-based learning, cooperative groups, and multiple intelligences approaches.
No single teaching method or approach works best for every teacher with every student.

We know, however, that research and experience strongly support some instructional approaches over
others. The best teachers select from the methods that are well researched and widely practiced at their
grade level or within their subject area, and become expert in several that fit their style and the needs of
their students at that time.

In-Depth Content Knowledge

Both progressive and conservative educators speak about the importance of content. From Deborah
Meier, the MacArthur award-winning advocate of small schools of choice, to William Bennett, the former
education secretary and critic of public schools, educators emphasize the importance of knowing the
subject you teach. Everyone agrees that great teachers possess a solid command of content, whether
their expertise lies in knowledge of reading in the early elementary grades or a serious command of
biology or mathematics at the high school level.
Because of the close connection between preparation time and content, the best teachers often spend as
much time preparing for a class as they do teaching it. Setting up a lab experiment for 5th graders,
reading a short story three times in order to formulate good questions for discussion, or working through
15 math problems and anticipating questions and obstacles takes time and deepens the great teacher's
mastery of content.

Capacity for Growth

Like any other profession, teaching undergoes constant change. The past 30 years have witnessed a
marked increase in education research and the emergence of solid information about teaching and
learning. Great teachers remain intellectually alive and open to responsible change grounded in theory,
research, and practice. Dozens of specific and well-researched techniques are available today to help all
learnersparticularly reluctant learners and those with disabilities. Since the late 1970s, all of the
following areas of education knowledge (and many others) have developed and become worth exploring:
technology; character education; rubrics; closing the achievement gap; standards; cooperative learning;
diversity; assessment and evaluation; multiple intelligences; reading instruction; curriculum reform; and
bilingual education/structured English immersion.
The much-used phrase lifelong learner really does apply. Although any great teacher must judiciously
decide what is worth pursuing and how to maintain high standards, only a Luddite would ignore the
potential of new methods for using technology, research on the most effective strategies for reading
instruction, or current cooperative learning approaches.
Of course, content knowledge is an important area of growth. Great teachers are always learning more
about math for elementary students, science for disabled students, or Shakespeare for Advanced
Placement students. In addition, outstanding teachers continually grow by taking college and inservice
courses, reading professional literature, and engaging others in serious conversation about school issues.

Often, the finest teachers serve on education committees or become teacher experts who lead study
groups or professional development courses.

Steadiness of Purpose and Teaching Personality

Some people, particularly people outside the profession, expect teachers to perform in classrooms and
to maintain a high energy level. Great teachers, however, are not necessarily performers. Instead, they
hold students' attention through subject mastery, skillful lesson design, actions that demonstrate caring,
and an honesty that reveals their individual personality.
After all, K-12 teachers conduct formal teaching for about 25 hours each week, 40 weeks each yearplus
individual conferences, hall duty, informal meetings, and other contacts with students. No one can sustain
a performance for that length of time. The great teacher is steady, intelligent, concerned, interesting, and
interested. The performers do not last long.

1- Research skills

Know how to find and collect relevant background information

Be able to analyze data, summarize findings and write a report

2- Critical Thinking skills

Be able to review different points of view or ideas and make objective judgments

Investigate all the possible solutions to a problem, weighing the pros and cons

3- Organizational skills

Be able to organize information, people or thins in a systematic way

Be able to establish priorities and meet deadlines

4- Problem-solving skills

Be able to clarify the nature of a problem

Be able to evaluate alternatives, propose viable solutions and determine the

outcome of the various options

5- Creative thinking skills

Be able to generate new ideas, invent new things, create new images or designs

Find new solutions to problems

Be able to use wit and humour effectively

6- Analytical/ logical thinking skills

Be able to draw specific conclusions from a set of general observations of from a

set of specific facts

Be able to synthesize information and ideas

7- Public speaking skills

Be able to make formal presentations

Present ideas, positions and problems in an interesting way

8- Oral communication skills

Be able to present information and ideas clearly and concisely with content and
style appropriate for the audience

Be able to present opinions and ideas in an open, objective way.

9- Adaptability skills

Develop the capacity to adapt to new situations and settings

Be able to tolerate change well

Have flexibility to adapt to the needs of the moment

Time Management Skill

How do you understand time management? It is a set of practices, principles, skills,

and tools to aid us in getting more value and essence out of our time with a goal of
improving our way of life. The essence of time management is not about completing
a lot of things, but it is more of making accomplishments and doing things that are
of greater importance. With this said, the goal must be quality over quantity,
meaning a more valuable output rather than bulky but with mediocre results.

What is in it for you to have good time management skill? You become more
efficient and effective as a person and as a working individual. Accomplishment rate
is higher