What Makes a Great Teacher?

"I'm a student and i have a teacher that i like verry much. unfortunately my teacher has no controll of her loud,rude,and disturbeing class . what can i do to help her???"

"A great teacher is a person, who is crazy about his work, who loves and understands those, who he(she) works with, as his own children. It is the one who is strict and cool at the same time, who can support a student, when necessary.It is He, who sees his students through, he knows, if a boy or a girl is ok today or if he or she isn't well and should better go home. Such a Teacher notices each small success of a student and praises him for his efforts. He is the ONE, who sometimes forgets about his own family. A Great Love for those, whom He teachers! He 'feels' them and knows everything about them."

"i am a grandma age 62, and during my childrens school days im contantly communicating withmy chldrens teachers, just for so many reasons and issues. i am leanred and known that to be a teacher is not easy job. if teaching alone with out the real motive of true teaching to impart knowledge(goodone)to chldren and young ones who would be or c ould be a leader(in any aspect of leaderships), and only the intentions of just having a job to earn, you will never be a good teacher and of course never be a great one. as teachers really have to (wether they like it or not)encounter kids children young ppl in a classroom from different race, upbringing, different beliefs,different system or kind of upbringing and mostly different kind of homes, is a real hard task of even communicating to impart what you need to teach and they need to learn. so teaching, if you wanted to be good at it and become one of the greats, is not a matter of just teaching. as the BIBLE SAYS, that what ever you do, dot it good and with LOVE. if you just do it, with out LOVE, it is nothing. so teaching is not just a matter of profession or a degree that you have to paractice. it is a a profession a degree and a vocation mostly. if you have and vocation, you do it as a work of love. and teaching is actualyy is a work of love. if you love you CARE. many students needs care. but hard to do if you are catering to numbers of students. that i swhere the word SACRIFCE comes in. teachers have a great influence to thier students who could be a would be. the influence of the teacher could not end until the student handled became what ever they would bcome in their adult life. if you are the teacher of the famous, the greats, and influentials, as they are you are too. if you are the teacher of the robbers, murderer, the prosties or those a prob. to mankind and society, ask yourself what have you done to the future of these once upon a time your student. you mold, you shape the characters and image of every child, though the parents are somewhat a partakers to this too. but being the looked up 2nd.parents in school, the more hours being together with this kids and young pppls. the teachers paricipation is great in the making of the future of this students. so if you are just studying to be a teacher, just for having a dregree or just haveing a job. pls. dont teach at a school.just keep the diploma at home. cause to be a great and real teacher, is a WORK OF LOVE , A VOCATION AND A SACRIFICE"

"I am a student, and students definetly know what makes a good teacher. All this stuff is right, but almost every job u need to be like this to be a good worker. They need to be fun and less harsh- there are so many serious people, but people in school are not adults, but they turn us into adults faster because some teachers just want they're paycheck. The teachers have to bond and listen to there students so there is less uncomfortability with teachers. "

"The person who said teachers train as much as doctors does not know what they are talking about and making unfounded assumptions."

"This is a great website and all the comments are enlightening. The education problem debate is raging in Jamaica and of course the problem (especially according to the 'campaign' one of a our news media editors) rests squarely with teachers and the schools. The response of May 4, 2009 below, is one I'd like to borrow lock, stock and barrel for sharing with that news media, because it seems like a time and content wheel that requires no re-invention. I am getting from the article that a teacher who is aspiring to greatness will do all the things mentioned in the articles. These may not all be done all the time but all will be done at some time. One very popular train of thought out here is that the schools should be run like any regular business place. I don't know if, under such a circumstance, the students would be returnable input when there is a readiness problem at specific levels. What do great teachers need to be great? Is there a nature component to teacher characteri! stics that is not considered in the article?"

"A teacher should care about every student that enter her door. A teacher should be allowed to look at each student and check where the student is when he or she enter the class. A teacher should not label students but should encourage all students. Students learn at different levels. Teachers should not be stress nor students with testing. But all students should be taught to read. All classes should not be stack, but have different learning levels. A teacher need to have principals that are trained just like the teachers are. A great deal of principals are not train in the field that they are given leadership. Just because a teacher has taught 5 years and from the business world were there are no jobs does not mean they are better that the 15-25 year teacher that was trained in the field of teaching. Some may be great teachers to some but the Greatest teacher in the world is one that will listen, motivate and encourage all students. You have to care about student! s to teach. Parents should take an interest in their children and work with the teacher. My door is always open to my parents. I want my parents to be active in their child's learning. I want and do treat students like they are my children."

"You are describing an 'institutionalized' ideal of the great teacher and not at all what students declare. My greatest teacher was far from structured or began with 'facts!' Also, what is the use of the pronoun 'he' so predominate. What, males tend to be poor teachers? Furthermore, what you are talking about is the perfect little glowing white toothed, perfect hair, never be real blandness that dominates your 'ideal' contrived institutional world. My greatest teacher was a hard rock miner whose rough hands, weathered looking teeth, cheerful disposition, and work ethics made the perfect teacher. Let's get real!"

"Life is full of continuous learning! There are no 'GREAT' teachers, only teachers who are constantly improving! So, yes I take issue with 'GREAT'! As an educator, I am always learning and my knowledge evolves daily, realizing that even the experienced make many mistakes! I pray that I never view myself as a 'GREAT' teacher but rather just as a teacher who did the best that she could!!!"

"I take issue with 'Great teachers communicate frequently with parents.' Great teachers are working hard to prepare their lesson plans and are already overworked. Parents need to take responsibility to contact the teacher on a regular basis and quickly ask how the child is doing. Of course teachers and principals will contact a parent is the students has done something that was very wrong or the child is having a specific learning problem BUT be proactive instead of passive. It always serves us better. And remember, the parent is the child's best advocate, so take that responsibility seriously."

"It says that 'Under the law, elementary school teachers must have a bachelor's degree and pass a rigorous test in core curriculum areas and pass a test or by completing an academic major'. I've known so many new teachers who have completed all the requirement to be called 'highly qualified teachers', and one is my daughte's teacher, but let me tell you this, go to her class, she can't even manage the class, children are all around, disorganize and obviously is not exhibiting expertise in the subjects she's teaching. While my baby's kinder teachers until 1st grade who were so good, love our kids, have dedication were removed just for the reason that'they are not highly qualified' according to the school because they haven't compleated yet the requirements to get a clear credential???? For me as a parent'HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHER' does not always follow with how many units in education teachers got! But rather they should have those qualities that makes a Great Teacher like it was mention: 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 techniques; and a desire to make a difference in the lives of young people. Why can't they also consider the years of experience the teacher had in the qualification of a 'HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHER' and not only concentrating on the number of units they got or the number of tests they pass! Experience is a BIG BIG plus to be a good, confident, knowlegeable teacher not only in our children's learning but also the effectiveness on how they manage the class. "

"Parents need to remember that any given teacher is only a moment in their child’s life. You, the parent, are the strong hold that is steady for your child and their lifelong teacher."

"how can......for the teacher if there are not complete equipments in the school"

"wow...I don't see how party affiliation has anything to do with the subject. Pres. Obama blasted teachers in his speach even more than the so-called hatemongers on the right. The fact is that teachers and their students are being blamed for our woes as a nation. Most Americans are intellectually lazy. Why should our kids be any different? I go through hell trying to teach my son anything. Obstinate wretch. How about 30 in a classroom?"

"Great teachers are all around us. The problem is that great teachers have the potential to be great in what ever field they choose to work in. Therefore, most don't stay in education very long. Education is extremly low paying considering the amount of education we expect them to have, the amount of continuing education we expect them to keep up with on their own time and with the little bit of money they have. Throw in all of the testing, large number of children in each classroom, higher number of students with behavior/attitude/learning difference issues than every before, and parents who expect 'their' child to be the main center of attention for the teacher at any given moment. Teaching isn't worth the stress, low pay, and forced (expensive and time consuming) continuing education. Great teachers will be great in whatever field they chose to work in, they will leave education and go be 'great' someplace with less stress and more money. If we want great teachers, then we! need to compensate them and treat them like they are great, not the reason for all of our social woes. If you compare teachers to other highly educated professionals such as lawyer's, MBA's, and doctors within our society, you can see what our society values. We value money. People who make money for us, protect our money for us, or provide medical care for us are valued significantly more than those who are shaping the future and taking care of our children each and every day. Yes, Doctors and Lawyer's may need more education to start out in their fields, but by the time a teacher is 6 to 8 years into the field, she has most likey taken as many college classes as a lawyer or even a Doctor. Teachers are expected to continue taking college classes up until they retire. By the time a teacher retires I would expect that they have more time and money invested into their education than a lawyer or doctor ever would. Our society needs to start compensating teachers commensurate! with their level of education and the service they are provid! ing for society at large. We expect teachers to prepare the children of our society to come out of school and change the world into a better place. Our hopes and dreams for the futures of our children are placed in the hands of educators. Our society can't afford crappy second rate teachers that can't find work anywhere else. We need to pay great teachers great salaries, salaries that will encourage great people from other fields that teaching is a field worth working in, when we have a large enough pool of great teachers, we won't have to put up with all the bad teachers. Getting great teachers into classrooms is as simple as creating an environment that encourages more people to want to be teachers, with a larger selection of people wanting to be teachers, it will be easier to get rid of the ones who can't make the grade."

"Great information. Particulary for a new teacher such as myself. I will definitely use as I strive to become a better teacher."

"We in the US do a great job with instilling critical thinking. Unfortunately, especially with integrated classrooms, the best we can teach is lowest common denominator material. Whether you like him or not, is there another Bill Gates in our future? There probably is but I don't think we will see as many as we have in our heralded past. What challenge does a young man or woman have if they can't compete with the best in the schools until they start taking college prep courses? I'm not a teacher, but I talk from experience. I ran a group home for children for some time. My kids went into integrate classrooms and raised hell. They were an extreme distraction, no matter how many aids were there just for them, and took valuable class time from everyone else. Now there is no more special ed and no more honors classes."

"I'm not a teacher, but do you really think a teacher can send frequent feedback to parents, as well as maintain constant, individual contact with everyone? That's too time consuming for what we pay them. We should be real, folks. If they're doing a good job, we shouldn't burn them out with obsessive over-checking. We need to step back and let teachers teach, not micro-manage the parents as well as the kids. That's ridiculous."

"In order to be a good teacher we as teachers also need help from the parents. As a teacher I can only do so much, thats where the parents come in."

"As an aspiring teacher, I see and am told alot about what makes a good teacher. I think the one that has stood out to me is that a good teacher knows her students and their learning styles, and models her lessons based on different learning styles, not just the one she is most comfortable with. Also, I think that a good teacher engages her students, she involves them in class activities, uses hands on activities as a means of learning, and incorporates current technologies into the learning experience for her children. As an education major, I am currently being exposed to alot of technology that wasn't used even in the past 10-15 years while I was in school. The changes are amazing, and to watch the students I observe interact with and engage in the use of technology, it amazes me that we didn't come up with this before now. Also, I think communication between the parent and teacher alone isn't enough. I feel any communication to the parent from a teacher should also involve the child. The teacher and parent may only see it one way, where as the child may have a different view or reasoning of an action or behavior. "

"I have been a teacher for over 29 years. I have seen a lot of changes in the profession. Some of these changes have been good and some have been bad. There are a lot of new teachers that really want to do a great job. They get into the classroom and depending on where they teach they have a great year or they are thinking of leaving the profession. Why? Discipline, lack of interest on the part of the students, and parents who think their child can do no wrong. These three things just about kills classroom learning. Now add the high stakes test at the end of the year. What has happened is that there are so many standards that must be taught each year that the teacher has to move the curriculum at a pace that loses the child. What I mean is this, the teacher will teach and the students will do the practice page and some homework on that skill. Let's say adding fractions. Then it is subtracting fractions, adding unlike fractions, reducing, changing mixed numbers to improper fra! ctions.... the list goes on. My point is that after teaching this for for so many years I know that it takes at least three weeks for the students to begin to grasp the concepts. Now that is just grasp. There needs to be much practice and reteaching going on. That's more time but you can go on to decimals or something else and still hit the fractions ten or fifteen minutes each day giving small quizzes to know who has it and who doesn't. That's the way I teach or I should say use to teach. Teachers are forced to go on with new material and keep pushing and what is happening is that the students are not given a good foundation and they are forgetting. Then at the end to the school year a month is taken to reteach the school year for the test. It is not working. "

"I am an aspiring teacher and I have made a momentous observation: Education is a lot like our government. Parents (and non-parents) are pointing the finger at the educators and the educators are pointing the finger back at the parents. Education is a symbiotic (cooperative--for those of you don't like fancy words) relationship between the teacher and the parent. A teacher is only as good as the parent of the student being taught. At the same time, though, it is the teacher's responsibility to make sure they are doing all they can to provide all the tools neccessary for the student to learn. So it's a team effort of the teacher and the parent to ensure each student learns to the best of their ability. If non-parents want to point at the teachers and berate them, then I say go have a child and lets go back to the days of corporal punishment in schools and see how fast they change their tune. For the record, I haven't given up on teaching, I've found I'm in love with it! and will do everything I can to be the best teacher I can be."

"When I came from California to Tennessee I see why my mom left the South & loved the North. The people in the South with power have not progressed enough to let other people of color be in the process of change, but want to dictate how we should live our lives like theirs or we will not be accepted into their churches, schools or social functions. This sounds as though there is a power struggle within the South, but their will come a day that the Old South has got to change their ways for people of color or will perish by their own greed for the need of power. I came into the schools as a Substitute Teacher in Sumner County, TN. where there are teachers that are still playing movies in the High School arena like the children are in Elementary or Middle School. I feel that some parents & teachers do not want their kids to grow up & that's a sad commentary on parenting. I must admit the schools need a major overhauling by business people because that's where these students will be working. Their are so many different avenue's that we as a Nation need to address that how our schools should be ran. One is Racism, Classism, Gender and Religion. When you look at your fellow Student, parent or teacher remember that what blood we all shed is Red. Let's focus as a Nation on the same & learn from the difference's of each culture, but lets stop tearing people apart because they do not look like you or may not believe like you. The philosophy should be what One person can contribute to a piece of the Worlds Puzzle & make it a better place for all. As teacher's, parents, community leaders, entrepreneur's let's embrace the knowledge of all & not just a few who only think of how it can befit the few & not the whole nation of people. In closing if I can be of help to my fellow human being or children of today who will be come leaders of tommorrow be a better person then I have done my service to the World at large & that's what I call good teaching in any person's book. "

"I love teaching kids, because it's nice to know that you are the one who had the privilage to mold these young minds for the future ."

"Yes,teachers do play an important role in education.In fact,most teachers hope that their students are all excellent under the help of them.And they are enthusiastic when they teach at first ,gradually some of them may lose confidence because of students' attitude to study ,finally they put the hope in hardworking students and excellent students.As a result ,some students especially those who are ignored by teachers begin to rebel against study .Whose fault ?I don't think that it is teacher's mistaken.And how do we deal with this problem?Should we call for teachers to pay attention to all the students ?But that is not easy for them."

"Let me begin by saying the public school system works if the parents are involved in their childs educaton. My 2 daughters graduated from Maryland public schools and earned full scolarships to UMD and UMBC respectively, but it didn't happen without our active involvement and concern about our daughters education. We asked questions of them and their teachers. Why aren't they getting homework? Why are they getting C's or D's in algebra? We also made it a point of not having the TV on when they were doing their homework and rewarding good grades or providing encouragement if they didn't quite achieve the grade they wanted. I submit to you that if a parent does not value the benefits of an education why should their children? It starts at HOME! Get involved with your childrens lives. Instill godly values, dreams, discipline, and love. Parents must realize that our society is shaping and influencing our children in many negative ways. Rap music that disregards all forms of autho! rity and discipline leads the way in pulling our kids into the materialistic, narcissistic, and selfish ways of thinking and living. The results are evident..schools are graduating 50% or less of their students in any given year. I am making a career change into teaching because this is a crisis situation for my community and ultimately our nation. If I can help one child speak English correctly or read proficiently, I will have made a small contribution to someone's success. "

"'WHINNERS'. Hmm. In response to 10/26/2007. I think you, buddy, need to go back to school and learn to spell. Let's start a new program called No Republican Hatemonger Left Behind."

"Great teachers are caring, trustworthy, and have a wide variety of skills. They are able to engage all students into activities with many different visual and hands on aspects. A great teacher cares about his/her students and cares about where they go in life."

"I am so glad I found your website. I am having a tremendous amount of troubles with my children's school. This website is going to help me make suggestions that they have to excpet. I think teachers and administration get so wrapped up in the troubles that they have they forget that it might be easy to deal with kids troubles. The school district that I am in seem to be permantly suspending children because 'they don't have to deal with behavior'. I think in most cases the schools create the problems because they don't take perventative measures. I guess it seems like to much work. I am happy to be able to use this information to try to work with the school better for my children. Thank you. "

"Hello! I have a question for all you teachers. I know teachers spend a lot of time grading papers. Would teachers be willing to pay a work-at-home mom to grade papers for them, or would they rather (or maybe they HAVE TO?) do it themselves? I love and respect teachers - teachers rock!!"