The End is in Sight!

Well folks, this is it: the final required post for my Educational Psychology blog. The semester has just flown by, and it literally feels like just last week we were first contemplating the question: What is good teaching? This is the question that I, as well as my fellow Ed. Psych-classmates, have been thinking about for the past several months. As we draw near to the conclusion of the semester, and as other “endings” assail us, including final exams, final assessment projects, last papers, last compositions, (and last blog posts!), it seems an appropriate time to reflect again upon this question and upon what has led us to all these conclusions and endings. Still, time for reflection is not always easy to come by. Finals - be it presentations, exams, or whatever - are time consuming and stressful, exacerbated by the pressure to meet the looming deadlines. As a teacher, I will continue to face these demanding time limits as the holidays approach and semesters come to a close, and so will my students. I think it will be most important during these times, therefore, to bear in mind what constitutes good teaching and to work the hardest to remain a “good teacher.”

So what precisely is good teaching? I think this question is one that is not meant to ever be completely answered. Good teaching can depend on the context of the classroom, the grade level, the time and day, and numerous other variables. Good teaching one day might entail establishing class rules and procedures, while another, it will involve being a shoulder to cry on. There are consistent traits, however, that I have observed in all good teachers, in all great teachers, in fact. To begin, knowledge in one’s subject area needs to be a given, as well as knowledge as to what are effective teaching strategies. All teachers unquestionably need to have knowledge and a level of mastery in their subject field, yet I have found that even this is not the most important characteristic of a good teacher. The best teachers display a balanced combination of confidence and humility inside their classrooms and outside of them in the school and larger community. Without confidence, a teacher cannot gain the respect and trust of his or her students, and without humility, a teacher is not able to admit that he or she was wrong and therefore unable to learn anything new. Students respond well to teachers who both command their classrooms with self-assurance and poise AND who are willing to make and acknowledge mistakes, laughing just a bit at themselves along the way. I believe great, confident, and humble teachers know how to show their students they truly care, which is vital in motivating them to succeed. So will I be able to become one of these “good teachers”? Well, let’s just say I’ll keep you posted.