Characteristics Of Good Teachers Essay

Each of these teachers is invited to compete for the Carnegie Professor of the Year Program and is asked to submit an essay on what constitutes good teaching.

Simply using the latest techniques, however, does not assure excellent teaching or enhanced learning. That's the question the Carnegie Foundation asks annually.

A teacher who means well but does not understand the totality of the learning process can use all the new techniques in the world and still be mediocre. Every year, the Carnegie Foundation identifies a few college professors who are considered the best in their disciplines.

Good teachers meet all challenges with a positive attitude.

Fourth, good teachers never have enough time and never finish their work, but they don't complain about the long hours because they love what they do.

"Faking it" usually doesn't work beyond the second day of class (even if we've all had those 8 a.m. Yellownotes." This faculty member had been teaching from the same lecture notes for so many years that the paper on which they were written turned yellow and the notes had to be kept in plastic covers to keep them from disintegrating. Yellownotes was not respected by his students because he never took risks and never varied.

At the other end of the spectrum, Beidler describes an experiment he tried one semester.He didn't assign a textbook for a writing class, instead asking the students to write their own textbook on writing.His students recognized the risk he was taking and worked hard to assure that both they and he succeeded.Teachers who know their students' likes, dislikes, problems and personal issues are more likely to be able to "push the right button" and motivate students to learn.Every cohort wave of students has its own characteristics and unique incentive system.Good teachers, like good parents, know their students' problems, insecurities and potential.Sixth, successful teachers give their students confidence.Moses Professor of English at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. " lists 10 qualities Beidler believes are vital to success in the teaching profession.Most important, says Beidler, is the desire to be a good teacher -- one who succeeds in every aspect of teaching, just as teachers recognize students who really try to be good students, Students also recognize teachers who really want to be good teachers. One of the former professors at our institution was known to the students as "Dr.A third quality of successful teachers is their positive attitude.Beidler believes that the teacher who falls into the trap of cynicism or victimization will never be positive about teaching.