How To Make A Great Teacher

There is a very good article in Time, by a Claudia Wallis, on How to Make Great Teachers, which I think you will find informative and thought provoking:

We never forget our best teachers - those who imbued us with a deeper understanding or an enduring passion, the ones we come back to visit years after graduating, the educators who opened doors and altered the course of our lives. I was lucky enough to encounter two such teachers my senior year in a public high school in Connecticut. Dr. Cappel told us from the outset that his goal was not to prepare us for the AP biology exam; it was to teach us how to think like scientists, which he proceeded to do with a quiet passion, mainly in the laboratory. Mrs. Hastings, my stern, Radcliffe-trained English teacher, was as devoted to her subject as the gentle Doc Cappel was to his: a tough taskmaster on the art of writing essays and an avid guide to the pleasures of James Joyce. Looking back, I'd have to credit this inspirational pair for carving the path that led me to a career writing about science.

It would be wonderful if we knew more about teachers such as these and how to multiply their number. How do they come by their craft? What qualities and capacities do they possess? Can these abilities be measured? Can they be taught? Perhaps above all: How should excellent teaching be rewarded so that the best teachers - the most competent, caring and compelling - remain in a profession known for low pay, low status and soul-crushing bureaucracy?

There is so much more to being a great teacher. Do you have a certain teacher that was your favorite, and what made that teacher so special?! Have a Great Read, and may we find the answer to making great teacher's. Our children, and our future depends on it!!



GREAT