Qualifications of a Good Teacher (Final Project)

Create Independence

Teachers need to be able to monitor students problems and progress. They need to learn to look for the answers on their own rather than being given the answers. They need to be able to understand concepts rather than just the curriculum suggested. Mr. Feeny created independence because he was always willing to help the children with their problems, yet he would never tell them what to do. He would say what he thought and give advice to help them figure out what to do, but would never give them the answer. He only guided them in the right direction.

Humor

 

They need to be able to make and accept jokes. Students don't enjoy listening to a boring teacher so this will also help keep the students interested. The students in Dead Poets Society loved their teacher because he made them laugh. The students never wanted to miss his jokes, which is why they would listen to everything he had to say.

Diverse

 

They should have different methods of teaching. This could mean they focus of the child's interests. The teacher needs to communicate the information both verbally and physically. The teacher in Freedom Writer's demonstrated this well. She would related the topics to something that the students were interested in (or could relate to) and connect it to her curriculum. This got their attention and helped them to better understand.

Communication

They need to be able to get their ideas across to their students so that they clearly understand what is expected. Mr. Feeny always had a way of helping his students out with their problems. They always felt like he was helpful and knew what he meant.

Insightful

Students need to understand what they did right and what needs improvement in their work. The teacher needs to be looking for the students reasoning rather than just looking for the right answer. This is why it is good to give students partial credit. The teacher in Dead Poets Society seemed very passionate about his job. The fact that he was eager to learn made the children want to learn.

High Expectations

Having high standards brings out the best in students. They need to feel as though they can always do better so that they will never stop trying to achieve. This doesn't mean they are impossible goals, it just means that the teachers encourage risk taking and accept errors. The teacher in freedom writers always believed that her students could achieve even when they thought it was impossible.

Trustworthy

Teachers need to be strict and make sure that their students work hard, but at the same time they need to show them that they care. This means making them feel like they can come to you about anything and trust that you are not going to judge them. The teacher in freedom writers demonstrated this by being her students biggest cheerleader. She was always their to motivate them and they felt comfortable talking to her about anything.

While looking for movies and television shows that portray teachers, I realized how amazing they make the teachers look. Gillard states in "Good Teachers," that they make it seem like the teacher is this amazing person who has come in to save the urban students from failing the exams and doesn't give any credit to the students who actually put in all the hard work. Hollywood makes teacher seem like the heroes in the movies. Gillard also states that in reality the best teachers are the ones who sit back and think about what is best for the students and focuses less on how to make themselves look good. After hearing that, I wanted to find out what makes a good teacher. I found an article where Haskvitz wrote about traits that make up a good teacher. I liked his ideas because they were all positive qualities that a teacher needs to have in order to be a good teacher. Not having one of those traits can be the difference between a good and an okay teacher.

For my final project I chose to tie my first and last mini project together. I used the images from my first mini project and used Haskvitz's traits to go along with them. I even added my own words that I felt were qualities that a teachers should have. I then expanded on those traits and added a brief explanation below each photo. In addition, I found two sources and made conversation by stating my opinions on their thoughts. The fact that Gillard's article was from Harvard Graduate School made it more reliable to me. This is because I could trust the information that she wrote about.

I care about what it takes to be a good teacher and how they are portrayed to others because I want to be a teacher when I graduate. I want to make sure that I am making a lasting impression on my students and helping them grow. I feel like the best way to do that is to learn how the the "good teachers" act. This is important for anyone who is thinking about becoming a teacher some day or any teacher that wants to improve their teaching. The world is discovering new and improved ways of learning and therefor their is always room for improvement.

Works Cited

Communication. Digital image. College Connection. 5 April 2011. Web. 10 April 2013. <massivelive.com>.


Create Independence. Digital image. College Connection. 5 April 2011. Web. 10 April 2013. <massivelive.com>.

Diverse. Digital image. Amazon. Web. 10 April 2013. <amazon.com>.

Gillard, Colleen. "Good Teachers." Harvard Graduate School of Education. October 2011. Web. http://hepg.org/hel/article/510. March 2013.

Haskvitz, Alan. Top 11 Traits of a Good Teacher. 2002. Horace Mann Educators. Web. http://www.reacheverychild.com/feature/traits.html.

High Expectations. Digital image. Amazon. Web. 10 April 2013. <amazon.com>.

Humor. Digital image. Fanpop. Web. 10 April 2013. <fanpop.com>.

Insightful. Digital image. Josh's Movie Reviews. 12 March 2013. Web. 10 April 2013. <jweimoviereviews.com>.

Trustworthy. Digital image. Blogspot. 27 March 2012. Web. 10 April 2013. <slapplied.blogspot.com>. 

My Values

When the Forestview High School kids came to visit, we were asked to write about what we value about UNC Charlotte in our day books. I decided to write about how I value the teachers in the education program. I told them how helpful all the teachers are in my college and how they are there to help you succeed. I also told them how my education classes mainly the only classes where the teachers know my name and that is always beneficial to a students learning. I felt like sharing this with the girls at my table was helpful for them because one girl told me that she wanted to be in the College of Education at UNCC next year as well. 

I thought it was interesting to hear what high school students are looking forward to in college next year. They were the same things that I was excited for when I was in high school. Everyone wants to have that freedom to be able to do whenever they want, when they want without having their parents telling them what they can and cannot do. We talked to them about how much of a culture shock it is going to be and what to expect. I feel as though this was helpful for them to hear because it will help them be able to make a smooth transition into college and be successful.

The Power of Music

As I was going through my day book, I read something about Juno being considered a scary movie. It is interesting to me how a comedy movie can be turned into a horror movie trailer. They can show scenes of the movie that are considered to be hilarious and can make it appear scary simply by adding dark and mellow music in the background and adding a creepy voice that explains an entirely different story. I have seen Juno before and know what it is about, however, I was convinced that it was a scary movie. This is crazy to me how much music can influence someones mood. I listen to all types of different music from country to rock to christian songs and depending on which genre I want to listen to tells me what type of mood I am in. This makes me wonder if someone is in a bad mood and listens to happy music if they will be in a better mood.

 

The Power of Music:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bipE0LsYmv0 

This video talks about how we can be more relaxed when we listen to music that we are interested in. I also thought it was interesting that it is good to play different genres of music when you are pregnant so that the baby is wired to the sounds of different cultures.