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Differences That Make A Difference. Defining the Extraordinary Teacher. What Makes Extraordinary Teachers Different From Very Good Teachers?. The Question To Be Answered Is:. Characteristics. A Number of characteristics have tentatively been identified
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Differences That Make A Difference Defining the Extraordinary Teacher
What Makes Extraordinary Teachers Different From Very Good Teachers? The Question To Be Answered Is:
Characteristics • A Number of characteristics have tentatively been identified • They arbitrarily have been categorized as professional or personal • All very good teachers may display many of these characteristics… the extraordinary teacher tends to display all or most of them consistently and with intensity
Professional Characteristics • Time is of the essence • Teaching is done “bell to bell”, in our case, beginning to end of class. There is no such thing as “down time”. • Bellringers start the class and “free time” is seen as teachable time! • They’re fast paced… talk fast… write fast… time is of the essence.
Professional Characteristics • Exceptional organization • Housekeeping (attendance, homework collection & distribution, etc.) is done seamlessly. • Teachers have a system for keeping track of all things they need to keep track of. • They have a clear view of and plan for the year.
Professional Characteristics • Seamless use of tools and opportunities • Seamless change in teaching strategies throughout the day. • Students seemed to know what would happen next.
Professional Characteristics • Students co-own the class • Students seem to know what comes next and move on their own to the next step. • Teacher allows the students to say “I pass” on direct questions. • Students have respect for each other. • Teacher makes notes. • Teacher says “trust me – I can get you through this”. • They frequently “dipstick” the class to assess what students know and take immediate intervention if needed. • Students take on responsibility for their learning. • Teacher frame of mind is not “what am I doing”, it’s “what are the students doing”.
Professional Characteristics • Some differences that don’t make a difference. • The building • Diversity • Seating • Gender • Teacher demeanor: students pick up on whether the teacher really wants them to learn or not. • Time doesn’t make a difference: no excuses!
Personal Characteristics • Passionate – Enthusiastic – Competent • Competency sometimes came from what the teacher did outside of class: professional organizations, etc. • Not all of their knowledge came from textbooks! They use other sources. • They’re the “unlabeled” leaders in the school. • Unofficial “mentors” to other teachers. • Students say “they know their stuff”!
Personal Characteristics • Teacher/Performer • There is a performance aspect to what they do. • They keep moving… use street talk…sense of a theater. • Teachers should take an acting class! You’re doing up to 5 shows daily… make it exciting.
Personal Characteristics • Experience Counts • Most of the “excellent” teachers they found had no less than 7 years experience. • What you’ve done outside the classroom, in another professional world, counts! Teach that to the students.
Personal Characteristics • Highly Verbal – Articulate- Clear Voice • Research showed that more highly articulate teachers created more successful students.
Personal Characteristics • Committed to success • “You know more than you think you do”. • They’re a coach! • They’re not afraid of the test.
Personal Characteristics • Widely Recognized • As unofficial leaders and mentors, “everyone” knows who they are. Think of someone you consider an excellent teacher. Do they have these qualities?
Personal Characteristics • Pleasantly Neurotic • A little bit off the wall. • Students perceive you as fun. • Do your own thing (not necessarily against administration, but not always strictly following the rules). • Love doing things differently just to see how things work. • Comments from Frank McCourt on Life Lessons from Teaching
Some Resources • Danielson, Charlotte, Enhancing Student Achievement – A Framework for School Improvement, ASCD, 2002 • Danielson, Charlotte and Thomas L McGreal, Teacher Evaluation –to Enhance Professional Practice, ASCD, 2000 • Instructional Strategies – How to Teach for Rigor and Relevance, International Center for Leadership in Education, 2000 (work by Dick Jones) • Marzano, Robert J., What Works in Schools, ASCD, 2003 • Stronge, James H., Qualities of Effective Teachers, ASCD, 2002