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What makes a great teacher? Teaching is one of the most complicated jobs today. It

demands broad knowledge of subject matter, curriculum, and standards; enthusiasm, a

caring attitude, and a love of learning; knowledge of discipline and classroom management

techniues; and a desire to make a difference in the lives of young people. With all these

ualities reuired, it!s no wonder that it!s hard to find great teachers. "ere are some

characteristics of great teachers. #. $reat teacher set high e%pectations for all students. &.

$reat teachers have, written ' out objectives. (. $reat teachers are prepared and organi)ed.

*. $reat teachers engage students and get them to look at issues in a variety of ways. +.

$reat teachers form strong relationships with their students and show that they care about

them as people.. $reat teachers are masters of their subject matter. -. $reat teachers

communicate freuently with parents.

"ere are some characteristics of great teachers

Great teachers set high expectations for all students. They e%pect that all

students can and will achieve in their classroom, and they don!t give up on

underachievers.

Great teachers have clear, written-out objectives.ffective teachers have lesson

plans that give students a clear idea of what they will be learning, what theassignments are and what the grading policy is. /ssignments have learning goals

and give students ample opportunity to practice new skills. The teacher is consistent

in grading and returns work in a timely manner.

Great teachers are prepared and organized.They are in their classrooms early

and ready to teach. They present lessons in a clear and structured way. Their

classrooms are organi)ed in such a way as to minimi)e distractions.

Great teachers engage students and get them to look at issues in a variety of

ways.ffective teachers use facts as a starting point, not an end point; they ask

0why0 uestions, look at all sides and encourage students to predict what will happen

ne%t. They ask uestions freuently to make sure students are following along. They

try to engage the whole class, and they don!t allow a few students to dominate the

class. They keep students motivated with varied, lively approaches.

Great teachers form strong relationships with their students and show that

they care about them as people.$reat teachers are warm, accessible, enthusiasticand caring. Teachers with these ualities are known to stay after school and make

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themselves available to students and parents who need them. They are involved in

school1wide committees and activities, and they demonstrate a commitment to the

school.

Great teachers are masters of their subject matter.They e%hibit e%pertise in thesubjects they are teaching and spend time continuing to gain new knowledge in their

field. They present material in an enthusiastic manner and instill a hunger in their

students to learn more on their own.

Great teachers communicate frequently with parents.They reach parents

through conferences and freuent written reports home. They don!t hesitate to pick

up the telephone to call a parent if they are concerned about a student.

I believe a great teacher is one who creates a classroom environment that makes their

students #.2 !3urious!, &.2 Want to !e%plore! 4!investigate!2 and (.2 allows them to !discover!. I

think instilling and encouraging these three elements in students makes a great teacher.

Is !curiosity! valued in your classroom? / great teacher creates a classroom environment that

makes the students !wonder! about the things they!re teaching? 5ou can tell if they are

asking uestions. 6r are they just !consuming! information?

7o the students want to e%plore and investigate the topics being taught? / great teacher

creates an atmosphere and motivates their students to want to e%plore and investigate, for

e%ample, through e%perimentation.

/ great teacher encourages and guides their students to !discover! answers, information,

solutions. !7iscovery! makes students happy.

"appy students think they have a great teacher. /nd they learn better and retain more when

they !discover! by their own efforts, rather than just being !given! information.

/nd yes, teachers can learn to make their students !wonder!, want to !e%plore!, and

!discover!, and thus be !great! teachers.