Learn To Teach

[poojitha]

It's important to point out that your effectiveness as a teacher
depends on much more than your knowledge of one or more subjects. In
fact, your success will be driven by characteristics and dynamics that
are as much a part of who you are as they are of your classroom
behavior.

Conversations with hundreds of teachers around the country indicate
that good teachers are effective because they assume five interrelated
roles:

You as a person

Student orientation

Task orientation

Classroom management

Lifelong learning

I invite you to consider these roles in terms of your own personality
dynamics as well as in terms of your reasons for becoming a teacher.


You as a Person
The reasons you are a teacher are undoubtedly many. Who you are as a
person and how you would like to share your personality with students
are significant factors in why you choose to be a teacher. So, too,
will they be significant in terms of your success in the classroom. My
own experience with hundreds of teachers has taught me that the
personality of a teacher is a major and predominant factor in the
success of students within that teacher's influence.

Joy to the World
Good classroom teachers are joyful. They relish in the thrill of
discovery and the natural curiosity of students. They are excited
about learning and often transmit that excitement to their students.
They are stimulated by the unknown and are amazed at what can be
learned, not just at what is learned.

Students consistently rate teachers high when humor is part of the
classroom environment. This humor does not come from telling lots of
jokes, but rather from the good-natured conversations and discussions
carried on with students. Humor helps break down conversational
barriers, establishes good rapport, and builds strong classroom
communities.

Secondary Thoughts
Observations of successful secondary classrooms reveal that the
teacher's knowledge of the subject is of considerably less importance
(to students' learning) than her or his energy for teaching the
subject.
You should be passionate. Good teachers are good because they not only
have a love for children, but they also have a passion for the
subjects they teach. If you're passionate about teaching, your
students will know immediately. If you're less than excited about what
you're doing, students will be able to determine that very rapidly,
too. Your passion for teaching must be evident in everything you do.

I Wonder Why …
Effective teachers are inquisitive. They continuously ask questions,
looking for new explanations and myriad new answers. They serve as
positive role models for students, helping them ask their own
questions for exploration. They are content with not finding all the
answers but rather with developing a classroom environment in which
self-initiated questioning (by both teacher and students)
predominates.

Good teachers are also creative. They're willing to explore new
dimensions and seek new possibilities — never sure of what lies around
the corner or down the next path. They're willing to experiment and
try new approaches to learning — not because they've been done before
but simply because they've never been tried at all.

Outstanding teachers seek help from others. They talk about new
strategies with colleagues, seek input from administrators and
education experts, read lots of educational magazines and periodicals,
and access websites frequently. They don't try to go it alone.

Effective teachers are change-makers. They're not afraid of change and
realize that change can be a positive element in every classroom. If
something isn't working, these teachers are eager to strike out into
new territories for exploration. They're never content with status
quo; their classrooms are always evolving, always in a state of
transition.

Flexibility
I have interviewed scores of teachers all over the United States, from
Maine to California and from Oregon to Florida — and a lot of places
in between. I wanted to get their thoughts and impressions of good
teaching and the characteristics they felt are essential in a quality-
based classroom program.

To a person, they all told me the same thing: the number-one
characteristic of a good teacher is flexibility or the ability to roll
with the punches and not let the little things get you down.

It might come as no surprise to you, but there's no such thing as an
average or typical day in teaching. Students come and go, clocks and
other machines break, parents drop in unexpectedly, administrators
have reports to file, meetings are scheduled at the last minute, you
forget your lunch or your car gets a flat tire, the film you ordered
didn't arrive, and a hundred other things can — and often do — go
wrong.

However, it's the flexible teacher — the one who doesn't let these
inevitable “roadblocks” get in her or his way — who survives and
teaches best in the classroom. Yes, there will be “surprises,”
unanticipated and unplanned events, and glitches along the way. But if
you are willing to compromise, bend, and adjust, you will give
yourself an incredible opportunity to succeed.

reference
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/teaching-methods-and-management/new-teacher/48338.html?page=2&detoured=1