Good Teaching: RequirementsGood Teaching: Requirements

Motivate Students: Rules for Motivate Students: Rules for teachersteachers

Difficult Behaviors: How to deal with Difficult Behaviors: How to deal with themthem

In order to convey your message to In order to convey your message to your students you must be your students you must be meaningful, relevant, and meaningful, relevant, and memorable.memorable.

To be a great teacher you must To be a great teacher you must listen, question and be responsive.listen, question and be responsive.

Do not have a fixed agenda. Be Do not have a fixed agenda. Be spontaneous. Have fun with your spontaneous. Have fun with your students. students.

Teaching is about caring, nurturing and Teaching is about caring, nurturing and developing minds and talents. developing minds and talents.

You must devote your time to your You must devote your time to your students. students.

Teaching is not about being mean or rigid, Teaching is not about being mean or rigid, but about using humor and entertaining but about using humor and entertaining your students while also having substance.your students while also having substance.

Teaching is not easy but Teaching is not easy but someone has to do it!someone has to do it!

After reading this article I have realized there are many important facts to remember in order to be not just a great teacher, but to be the best. I want to be the best teacher I can be for a student.

The author, Richard Leblanc (1998), York University, Ontario, summed up what I felt when he said, “At the end of the day, good teaching is about having fun, experiencing pleasure and intrinsic rewards….Good teachers practice their craft not for the money or because they have to, but because they truly enjoy it and because they want to. Good teachers couldn’t imagine doing anything else,” (p.2).

Use visual aides: diagram or flowchart. Use visual aides: diagram or flowchart. These will be more valuable then a These will be more valuable then a thousand words in a text or lecture. thousand words in a text or lecture.

Use in-class activities: permit students to Use in-class activities: permit students to work in small groups. Allow them to ask work in small groups. Allow them to ask questions while completing their questions while completing their assignmentsassignments.

Help students to use a “link” to understand Help students to use a “link” to understand what is being taught. Help them to “link” the what is being taught. Help them to “link” the new material with “real life experiences” or new material with “real life experiences” or prior material learned. prior material learned.

Treat students with respect. Students will give Treat students with respect. Students will give

you their best, it you give them their dignity.you their best, it you give them their dignity.

Hold students to a high standard. Maintaining Hold students to a high standard. Maintaining high standards will motivate student learning high standards will motivate student learning and be a source of student feelings of and be a source of student feelings of accomplishment when they meet the accomplishment when they meet the standards. standards.

After reading this article I realized there are many things that can motivate a student. The author Lana Becker and Kent N. Schneider, East Tennessee State University, developed eight simple rules that would help motivate a student to learn.

I believe rules seven and eight are the most crucial because they deal with how a student feels. Although teaching techniques are very important I believe it is also important to deal with the feelings of a student as well.

Becker and Schneider (2004) believed, “Give students their dignity, and they will give you their best efforts.” They went on to say, “Hold students to a high standard. If students are not required to maintain a specified level of learning and performance, only the most highly motivated students will devote the time and effort necessary to learn,” (p.2).

Shyness or Silence—lack of participation:Shyness or Silence—lack of participation: Give strong positive reinforcement for any Give strong positive reinforcement for any

contribution.contribution. Involve by directly asking him/her a question.Involve by directly asking him/her a question. Make eye contact.Make eye contact. Appoint student to be a small group leader.Appoint student to be a small group leader.

Talkativeness—knowing everything, Talkativeness—knowing everything, manipulation, chronic whining.manipulation, chronic whining. Acknowledge comments made.Acknowledge comments made. Make eye contact with another participant and Make eye contact with another participant and

move toward that person.move toward that person. Give the person individual attention during Give the person individual attention during

breaks.breaks.

Side Conversations:Side Conversations: Don’t embarrass talkers.Don’t embarrass talkers. Ask talkers if they would like to share Ask talkers if they would like to share

their ideas.their ideas. Casually move towards those talking.Casually move towards those talking. As last resort, stop and wait.As last resort, stop and wait.

Overt Hostility/Resistance—angry, Overt Hostility/Resistance—angry, belligerent, combative behavior.belligerent, combative behavior. Respond to fear, not hostility.Respond to fear, not hostility. Ignore behavior.Ignore behavior. Talk to them privately.Talk to them privately.

The ghost author of this author, brings out some very relevant points on how to deal with a child’s difficult behavior. I have learned from this article that it is okay to ignore behavior. You don’t have to bring to light every wrong thing a child does. It can actually make the situation worse. It can make the child feel as if they are getting attention for their bad behavior, which will encourage them to continue behaving in that manner.

The author writes, “Instead of holding your students with an iron grip, allow them to be themselves until (and unless) their behavior distracts you or the other in the class,” (“Difficult Behaviors,” 1988).

In the end we all just want to be the best teacher In the end we all just want to be the best teacher we can possibly be. It is important that we we can possibly be. It is important that we remember: “If teaching were easy, everyone would remember: “If teaching were easy, everyone would be doing it.” “Teaching in front of a classroom full be doing it.” “Teaching in front of a classroom full of students can be challenging, but on the other of students can be challenging, but on the other hand, very rewarding!” (Difficult Behaviors,1988, hand, very rewarding!” (Difficult Behaviors,1988, p.3).) p.3).)

To learn more about these articles visit:To learn more about these articles visit:http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/motiv8rules.htm