Crowdsourcing Good Teaching (2)

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.

                                                                                                                                     
One of the first things I notice in this crowdsourcing pursuit is that students emphasize both the extent of the teacher's content knowledge and the feeling or tone of the class. Also - no surprise here - students want to be involved and interested.

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