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What Makes a Teacher Effective?

Chapter Six

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Questions Reflective Teachers Ask

• What am I doing and why?• How can I better meet my students’ needs?• What are some alternative learning activities to

achieve these objectives?• How could I have encouraged more involvement

or learning on the part of the students?

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Three Stages of Decision Making

• Planning decisions• Implementing decisions• Evaluating decisions

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Aspects of Reflective Decision Making

• Attitudes that foster learning and genuine human relationships

• Knowledge– Subject Matter Knowledge– Theoretical Knowledge– Personal Practical Knowledge

• Teaching skills that promote student learning

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Teacher-Competence Areas and Instructional Decision Making

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What Attitudes Does the Effective Teacher Possess?

• Attitude toward self - achieved through reflection, study, and participant observation

• Attitude toward children - positive attitude toward children; high expectations for students; willingness to examine own negative attitudes

• Attitude toward colleagues and parents - collaborative

• Attitude toward subject matter - enthusiasm

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Teacher Expectations

• Influenced by race, social class, gender, other teachers, and more

• May be unconscious• Communicated to students• Affect student behavior & performance

– Self-fulfilling prophecy

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What Subject-Matter Knowledge Does the Effective Teacher Possess?

• Discipline content - structure, elements, logic, possible uses, and social biases of subject content

• Curriculum content - school and district curriculum and standards

• Pedagogical content - best practices for teaching particular content

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Theories v. Theories in Use

Theory• Unproved explanation of

why something happens the way it does

• Basis for hypotheses, further study, research

Theory in Use• Idea held by a person

and used as basis of dealing with others

• Often unexamined, but assumed true

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Approaches to Classroom Management

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Kounin’s Research on Effective Classroom Management

Effective teachers use these skills:• Withitness• Smoothness• MomentumEffective teachers avoid these slow-down

behaviors:• Overdwelling• Fragmentation

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Guidelines for Effective Classroom Management

• Establish rules and routines– Define them clearly– Have students help

• Ensure students’ compliance– Establish positive relationships – Be willing to administer consequences

• Involve families– Communicate– Make sure they understand rules

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Effective Questioning Techniques

• Phrase questions clearly; ask brief questions.• Link questions to lesson objectives.• Ask thought-provoking questions.

– Avoid yes/no and leading questions.

• Question a range of students.– Balance volunteers with non-volunteers.

• Extend wait-time.• Encourage students to respond in some way to

every question.• Probe & provide feedback on responses.