IdentityIâ??ve been thinking of the universal truths in teaching. Students should be first. Donâ??t always start planning with a standard. Questions matter more than answers. Trust is a currency of a human classroom.
So I thought Iâ??d gather twelve of them to start with. The idea of â??good teachingâ?? is an idea we get at a variety of different ways, So then, here are some rules we might consider when making sense of this idea of what makes a teacher great. Thanks to Sylvia Duckworth for the great illustration, who went all out and added all 15.
1. Start small.
This is how great things are built. Curriculum. Relationships. Portfolios. Take your timeâ??this is a marathon, not a sprint.
2. Embrace that there is no one way.
Learning models, for example, are the new teaching strategy.
Traditionally, teachers focus on â??strategiesâ?? to â??teach.â?? Reciprocal teaching. Lit circles. Accountable talk. Of course, these have value.
But the modern approach should have as much to do with what students access, when, how, and why as it does with â??what students do in the lesson.â?? Self-directed learning. Scenario-based learning. Project-based learning. Inquiry-based learning. Game-based learning. These are the strategies that matter first.
3. Trust the people around you.
Your students, first and foremost. But this goes for parents, and colleagues as well. It may not always work out the way you want, but if youâ??re the only one in control, there will be a net loss of capacity for the ecology of learning
