I've posted many actions of an effective teacher on the side of the blog. Take a look at this list we created in class and think about the value of each characteristic. After you've reviewed the list carefully, please post your response to the following question...
Congratulations! You've just landed the teaching position of your dreams. You begin packing your things to fly to the new school district and realize, due to the increased costs of gasoline, you can bring with you only three suitcases. Each suitcase can hold only ONE action of an effective teacher...which three would you take with you and why? Please feel free to choose another action if you do not see the one you want on the list.
Don't forget to also post a response to at least one of your peers. Happy Writing!
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In my three suitcases I would take Enthusiastic, Confident, and knowledgeable. I would take enthusiastic because it is important to have a good attitude while teaching so that your students stay tuned in and interested in what you are teaching them. I would take confident because it is important that you are confident about yourself and about teaching so that your students see that and want to be just as confident in themselves there own work. For my last suit case I would take knowledgeable because it is good that you know what you are talking about and it is also important to have knowledge about children and how they work so that you can be an affective teacher.
ReplyDeleteIn my suitcases I would bring first "Energetic", first. I think this is important because it not only helps the students keep engaged, but also I believe good energy is infectious, and the students will feel the "energy", and want to participate.
ReplyDeleteAnother quality I would bring is a "sense of humor". Again, with "energy", I think it helps the students stay engaged, and also helps make subjects more interesting, and possibly more accessible. If you can tell, I have major attention problems, and so try my best to compensate for my lack of attention, and the students'.
FInally I would bring "Inspiring".I feel that if you inspire students- hopefully to do homework, study, be an all around good student, etc- they will have that intrinsic drive.
So that's what I would bring.
In my 3 suitcases I would bring ORGANIZATION, ENERGY, AND PASSION. All of these things are qualities that work together to make an effective teacher that leaves an impression on students. ORGANIZATION is a key to any sucess in life, having a plan and outlook is a great way to start quality work. But as we know nothing is going to go as planned everyday but if you have the mindset to be organized any situation can be worked through logically. ENERGY is another quality that I (as well as many of you) think that is vital to making students focus in on the material and learn something!! Having energy in the classroom makes children feel like your "job" is not just a "job" but something that makes you happy. PASSION goes hand in hand with ENERGY because to be an effective teacher you must have a passion for learning. Learning is the most important part of teaching. Passion for material, people, and in yourself builds the blocks of sucess straight to the top.
ReplyDeleteI would bring "enthusiastic," "inspiring," and "organized" in my three suitcases. Having enthusiasm is essential to being an effective teacher. This characteristic shows the teacher's pupils that the teacher loves his/her job and wants to help the students learn and have fun. Any teacher would love to think that he/she has inspired one of the students. This is one of the reasons I so badly want to be a teacher. I feel like I owe it to my future students to inspire them, just as so many of my past teachers have inspired me. Being organized helps the class run much more smoothly. One of my teachers in elementary school was not very organized. Her classroom was a mess, and this affected her teaching. Materials were harder to locate, and I feel like did not learn everything I could have because time was wasted by having to search for things and cleaning up cluttered areas during class. I want to be able to give the kids in my classroom everything they deserve as students, and one way I will be able to do this is if I have the qualities of being enthusiastic, inspiring, and organized.
ReplyDeleteI would have to bring in my three suitcases, my sense of humor, inspiring nature, and knowledge. Since I am going to be teaching children between the ages of five and seven, I am going to have to have a sense of humor in order to keep them interested in my lessons and in the subjects they are learning. I feel like if children are interested in their school subjects at a young age, then maybe they will like school and always have an interest. Children need inspiration in their lives. They need someone to lead and inspire their brains. I find that if children have someone to inspire them, they will be more enthusiastic about school and life. Being knowledgable is very important as a teacher no matter what the age of the student. Children crave knowledge, so it is very important for teachers to provide the knowledge for the children. Thank you for reading my blog!!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Ken Moore's choices. It is very important to keep children focused on what they are learning and the best way to do that is to keep the lesson exciting and maybe even humurous. I think Ken definitely got it right when he decided what to put in his suitcases.
ReplyDeleteIf I only could bring three suitcases I would choose to bring would be inspiring, helpful, and knowledgeable. The reason I chose inspiring is because being a teacher means to encourage students to want to learn and by setting an example. Bringing helpful would be useful also because you need to help the children to understand the concept of your teaching and to know the information you are trying to teach them. Knowledgable would be the last suitcase I would bring because to teach it is important to know and to be able to eleborate on your lesson plans.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that it is important to keep the children entertained and involved with what is going on and what you are trying to teach in the classroom. So bringing humor is also a great idea!
ReplyDeleteBrooke Rowden said..
ReplyDeleteI would pack organization, sense of humor, and knowledgable. I would choose organization because i remember a teacher lost one of my assignments in high school and i had to redo because she was disorganized. I disliked that teacher since then. I would choose sense of humor because i love to laugh and i think students would appreciate a class that wasn't always strict and serious. I would choose knowledgable because having a teacher that doesn't understand things is the most frustrating thing to deal with.
The video we started class with this week was very informative. I was unaware of many of these things. It somewhat scared me, but for the most part it encouraged me to take on the challenge to teach kids how to deal with the technology being thrown at them.
ReplyDeleteMy first suitcase would be knowledgable. This is the most important to me because then i will be certain that the facts i am passing on are correct and i would be able to answer any questions that may arrive. The second would be challenging. I believe the only way to truly learn something is through applying yourself and the only way to get students to learn about something is to challange them. Thirdly i would bring courage. It would be hard to teach a class without confidence and courage.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Lauren Larson
ReplyDeleteI believe that being inspiring is not an important aspect of a teacher because what is a teacher supposed to inspire? If anything inspiration is a quality best left for an expert in a field of study such as archeology or physics. Inspiring students as a teacher would be more like inspiring students to teach, not to learn.
My first suitcase would have to be sense of humor, I believe this characteristic is so important especially with me. I have noticed that students tend to feel a comfort level when the teacher shows a real normal side to them. My second would be knowledgeable, teachers need to know above and beyond the curriculum. The students can also tell that the teacher is very smart and knows what they are talking about because they are confident that know what to teach. My third suitcase is organized, a teacher needs that sense of organization to be calm and focused on the tasks at hand. Getting behind with a class on 30 is not a good idea and the students jump on that and start to act up.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Brooke Rowden,
ReplyDeleteI have chosen the exact same you did. I agree with everything you said as it also corresponds with mine. A sense of humor is very important!
In my suitcases I would pack approchable, challenging, and good speaking skills. I think these three qualities a very important in getting your point accrose to the students, and having them actually get it.
ReplyDeleteIf I had to pack three suitcases they would be energetic, relaxed, and oranized. The reason being that to be a PE teacher I think you need to be energetic to get everyone involved. I also believe that being relaxed will make the students feel comfortable If they see you comfortable. The lastly, organization I think is key to be a successful teacher just so everything flows smoothly throughout the day.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Blake...
ReplyDeleteI also feel it is important to ALL teachers to have a calm and relaxed attitude in the classroom to make the students comfortable. And also having a level head in times of stress or unexpected events helps the students feel protected and safe.
Anna, I totally agree. When unexpected situations occur you have to stay calm because for the most part your going to be the leader. If the students see you calm then they will probably act the same.
ReplyDeleteThe three suitcases I would have packed are to be relaxed, approachable, and organized. I feel like being relaxed is huge when your teaching because if your calm and relaxed your students will be comfortable. Also to be approachable by your students is a big factor in teaching because if your unapproachable your students could become unsure and afraid to ask questions. Finally being organized is probably the most important characteristic of a teacher because if your well prepared and organized everything will flow smoothly and go as planned
ReplyDeleteAnna and Blake
ReplyDeleteI agree with you guys about being organized and calm because if some kind of situation occurs the students will be looking at you for leadership and guidence, and if your not calm your students will more than likely not be calm either.
I agree that having a sense of humor is a good characteristic to have while teaching, but I also think that this is one where the teacher has to be careful. Students react differently to humor. I would make it a point to get to know my students first before I said anything that could be taken the wrong way or offend anyone.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Inspiration as a quality, I would like to respectfully disagree and stand by my decision. In my work life I manage about 40 teens to early twenty-somethings total, usually working with 10 or so per day. I have learned- perhaps more in high school education than earlier development- that inspiration is a must. As a manager I can yell and plead and beg and discipline, but I cannot truly make them do as I want unless they have that intrinsic drive. I feel, for most of the associates, that if I can find a way to inspire them to care about what they do, it drives them so much farther than monetary compensation. As a teacher, I would feel inspiring my high school aged students to truly enjoy what they learn- which would be English, as no one truly enjoys science or math, haha a joke- would be so much easier than to cram their heads full of things they need to memorize. I want them to WANT to understand Hamlet. I want them to smile when they realize that Phillip K Dick was on drugs, and Vonnegut hated everybody. If I can inspire them to want to learn, then, to me, teaching is just pointing them in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with Ken Moores comment. If the students dont want to learn they wont, but if they enjoy it and are interested in it they will learn
ReplyDeleteIn my first suitcase I would bring, "enthusiastic". A teacher needs to love their job, if a teacher loves their job it makes them better at it. In my second suitcase i would bring "organized". I believe a cluttered space is a cluttered mind. The teacher will be more effective if, organized. In my third and last suitcase I would bring "relatable". If a teacher is relatable then their students feel comfortable to come to them with help or questions on life or just on everyday learning, with will create a more successful classroom.
ReplyDeleteBlake, Anna and James,
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with a teacher needing to be relaxed and calm. So many unexpected events can happen in a school setting, a teacher needs to be prepared for anything and everything. They also need to know when and how to handle the event!
In my three suitcases I would pack Confidence, Organization, and Motivation. Confidence is important because if you are not confident in your ability to teach the kids will not benefit as well from the class. Organization is important because a teacher has to everything together, know where you keep worksheets and graded papers and such. Motivation is important because as a teacher you need to make kids want to do better.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Ken. A teacher has to inspire kids to do better and want to learn. If a student is completely uninterested in what you are teaching they will not learn anything.
ReplyDeleteIn my first suitcase I would bring enthusiasm; every teacher needs to love their job to make students want to learn and work hard. Teachers can help inspire their students to do something with their lives so enthusiasm is a very important aspect of being an effective teacher. The next suitcase i would bring would be dedication; to be a good teacher you must be dedicated to your job, just like any other. Teachers go the extra step in order for their children to succed therefore dedication is very important. The third and final suitcase would be approchable; and when I say this I dont be exactly what it says. I mean for a teacher to be respected but students should be able feel comfortable enough to talk to their teacher whenever needed.
ReplyDeletePaige,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you about the teaching being approchable. The is the exact same thing I wrote. I think a lot of students have had that certain teacher or coach who was not very approchable or you were too intimadated to talk to or ask to get help.
I think it would all be dependent on who I was teaching. If it were a higher-level group of students, maybe high school, I'd consider knowledgeable to be the most important characteristic. You have to be able to do more than simply recite passages out of the book, and I know this includes other characteristics as well but it all starts with knowing as much as you can about what you're trying to teach so you can use those other characteristics efficiently. Second, I would say I would take Inspiring, because I really do feel from experience, that you have to be truly motivated to learn anything and a good teacher has to inspire their students to waaaaant to learn. Third, I would choose approachable because I feel it is integral that a student feel like they can talk to you in order for them to ask the questions they really need to ask and get the help they need to get.
ReplyDeleteKen,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your post. I probably should have read it before I wrote mine. Oddly enough, we're both English geeks and have similar ideas on education. It's one thing to be force-fed material because you have to pass the class and it's another entirely to actually enjoy your subject and its connection with yourself and the rest of the world.
...and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Scanner Darkly, etc... were definitely not created in a sober environment. haha!
If I had to only take three suticases with me containing 3 of thoes values listed, I would chose Enthusiastic,helpful and inspiring. I would chose enthusiastic because I think for students to get involved in class they have to get excited about what they are learning. When teachers were excitied about what they were teaching it felt like they were really enjoying what they were teaching which made me want to learn the information more. I would like to take a helpful suitcase with me because I like teachers who can have an openly flow student relationship. Meaning that if my students have a question I want them to be able to ask me without being embarressed. I would also like to be a teacher that inspires because throughout my life I have had many teachers that have inspired me to reach my fullest potential. If out of all my students I only help one make a differnce in their life that will be worth it to me.
ReplyDeleteBailee,
ReplyDeleteI tottaly didn't even think about the topics you chose for you suitcases but I tottally agree. I realted aprochable to helpful because I think they go pretty much hand in hand. I also belive dedication is important. Thoes were really great choices. These were all really hard to pick from, but hopefully we will all have them when we become teachers!
In my 3 suitcases I would have organization, motivation, and sense of humor. I would have organization because if your organize it makes your job more likeable and manageable. I would also have motivation becacause i want my students to feel important. When a student feels like the teacher wants them to be succesfull, that will give them a huge reason for wanting to learn. Finally, I would want to have a sense of humor beacuse personally my favorite teachers were the ones that made me want to be in their class. A sense of humor will keep students attention and make them feel comfortable in the class.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mac Elwood, it does depend on what grade level your teaching because you don't want to be to playful with older students because some will try to take advantage of you. And you dont want to be challenging for younger kids because some may take alot more time to learn certain materials.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of important characteristics I want to have as a teacher, my top three would be approachable, relatable and a desire to see my students succeed. I believe these are characteristics that would help encourage and support students not only academically, but also outside of the classroom. I think being approachable and relatable go hand in hand, these characteristics help to create a comfortbale and safe environment for students. I want my students to always feel they can come to me for help whether it be with homework or with personal problems. However, above all, I think a desire to see your students succeed motivates and inspires children to do well. It's so very important that your students realize that others want to see them succeed; I believe it makes them feel as though they have someone on their side.
ReplyDeleteLauramarie,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your thoughts on a sense of humor being an important characteristic. A sense of humor is definitely relative, not everyone is going to relate to joking. It's much more important that your students feel like you're there to teach, not to entertain.
If I could choose any three characteristics, I would choose Inspirational, Respectful, and Organized. I am working towards teaching high school and I think these are the best beacause the students must Respect who their teacher is or else they won't believe a word out of their mouth; the feeling has to be mutual though. Organization will ensure that every lesson plan is covered and if too many snow days pile up, I know how to adjust my schedule so every student is learning excatly what I need them to. And being Inspirational is very important. As I teacher, I want to instill some of my passion into my students and push them to go above and beyond their limitations. Challenging them might do the same, but to me, Inspiration comes from the heart and thats a lot more important.
ReplyDeleteTo Chris Marhanka
ReplyDeleteAfter the three I picked, you choose the perfect two important things to add on. Knowledge and Courage. Without Knowledge, a teacher cannot identify situations, answer complex questions from students, or properly teach material. And I don't think it matters what age group, Courage is a necessity. Kids can smell fear and if you are calm, cool, and collected no one will challenge your authority. Nice picks.
I agree with lauren larson on the fact she said teachers must lead by example. kids most likely see ther teachers as much as there parents if not more and as a result will follow their lead.
ReplyDeleteRelatable, approachable, and inspiring would be the three things i take in my suitcase. A teacher can have all the knoledge in the world but if he/she cannot explain it so the student understands it no use. If a teacher is not approachable students will get behind or confused and not inform the teacher. therefore he/she cannot fix the problem. and lastly all teachers should inspire their students weather it as simple as passing the class or even life goals. with these three things i believe anyone could succeed as an educator.
ReplyDeleteI would bring passion, enegry and knowledge. You need passion, to enjoy what you are doing. Energy to make it fun and knowledge to do teach well.
ReplyDelete