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school-appleI revisited my roots a bit this week by putting myself in a new teacher’s shoes and looking at the “Pennsylvania Standard Teaching Application.”  On the very last page of the application, there are 3 essay choices. I was immediately drawn to one that asked, “What are the qualities of an effective educator?” I challenged myself to create a list of qualities that don’t go beyond the one page maximum (as my colleagues here at The Educator’s Room might tell you, have I have a tendency to be more verbose than succinct).

In no particular order, effective educators are those who:

  • Have a student-centered mindset that keeps students at the focus
  • Work on becoming content specialists, and continually seek to improve the breadth and depth of their knowledge
  • Never pretend to know everything, but work at anticipating questions
  • Continue to improve their classroom skills with both solicited and unsolicited professional development
  • Foster and sustain a strong rapport with parents through regular phone calls, email updates, and meetings
  • Seek and develop relationships with people who’d be considered pillars of the community
  • Make good use of his/her resources
  • Share and learn from colleagues
  • Create assessments first and allow that to drive the instruction
  • Vary instructional techniques for the multiple intelligences
  • Differentiate instruction to challenge each student on a personal level
  • Treat others with respect
  • View the profession as a calling or a career, not as a job
  • Are professional
  • Are positive
  • Inspire students to continually improve
  • Encourage students to use their minds and their hearts to move their feet
  • Uphold a core set of values such as integrity, honesty, transparency
  • Earn and share respect
  • Are available for and unafraid of questions, comments, concerns, and commendations
  • Reward and award major accomplishments and minor improvements equally
  • Share personal accomplishments with his/her students and staff
  • Handle classroom discipline on his/her own
  • Are fair and firm to every student
  • Treat every child as he/she would expect his/her own child to be treated
  • Find time for professional reflection
  • Find time for leisure and a personal life
  • Build and sustain a cooperative, comfortable learning environment
  • Set both short- and long-term goals
  • Work with the current, not against it
  • Yet still stick to ideals, dreams, and dedications that are worth fighting for because they represent the best interests of students
  • Put a smile on your face every day and watch it become contagious
  • Be the teacher that others remember for making a difference in each and every student’s life

What did I forget to include on this list? I encourage you to add to it!

Mr. Jake Miller is the 2016 National History Day Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year, a 2017 NEA Global...

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