Genius Freak

Another installment from my trove of student reflections on good (or in this case, "grand") teacher.  As the collection builds, patterns will emerge.  I have no doubt that these collected responses will reflect what scholars of teaching have identified as things good teachers do. The key traits, from my experience, for a grand teacher are as follows: (Reflections of Chris M.) 1. Down-to-earth-ness: By this I mean that the teacher creates a humorous and open environment.  I tend to learn better when discussing instead of just taking notes. 2. Well-read intelligence: It's important to have a teacher who honesty knows what he/she is teaching, and who can really talk with you about the subject. 3. Passion: A good teacher is generally someone who loves his/her subject. 4. Creative:  A good teacher creates a class where you are involved and do interesting activities.                          ...

I’d confidently wager that just about every book on how to be a teacher says that the first day is the most important day of the year.  That’s when you set the tone for the 179 to come.  Cliche, yes, but what pressure! What is the tone you want to set?  And how are you going to get there?  Seems to me, if there aren’t a few butterflies fluttering around those questions, you aren’t thinking about them enough. (Generic you, of course.) Compound that with the power of first impressions, and oh man.   In his bestselling “celebration of the power of the glance”(14)   Blink , author Malcolm Gladwell gives an inkling of how important those first 40 minutes can be, and how lasting are the judgments made in those minutes.  Gladwell describes the power of the unconscious and spontaneous decisions we make regularly about the new people and ideas we encounter daily. He poses this question:  “How long, for example, did it take you, when you were in college,...

I spend a lot of time thinking and reading and writing about what traits and practices make for good teaching.  One of the best sources for my own professional learning on the subject has always been the students I've shared my classroom with.  Feedback from students has helped me develop and hone my pedagogy.   Over the years I have collected a trove of student reflections and insights into what their best teachers do. I'm going to share some of them here.  Many of the reflections were written anonymously, but I know the students whose insights I post will be happy to contribute to this conversation. To Be a Good Teacher (according to a student) It's really important that you know your subject matter.   You have to set high expectations for your students and help them reach those goals. You have to have a sense of humor. You have to be approachable. Be respectful and people will return that respect. Let the students know that you are available to help ...