Monday, August 25, 2008

Great Teachers

I am currently reading, What Great Teachers do Differently, by Todd Whitaker. Here are some of the ideas that I have taken away so far. While some of them may be no-brainers...I felt that they were worthy of being noted.

Great teachers focus on expectations.
There is never an appropriate time or place to yell at students (unless it's because an oncoming car, etc.)
Respect parents and students - do it for my sake.
I am the variable.
My behavior is the only one that I can control in my classroom.
I can control my own performance.
The real challenge is to treat everyone with respect at all times.
The power of praise - it should be authentic, specific, immediate, clean, and private.
The teacher is the filter.

Some of these ideas may not make sense...so go ahead and ask me questions, I'll gladly expand. It talked about who are the top three most effective teachers in your school and then who praised people? Do they overlap? I had to say, they did when I was creating my list.

Great food for thought as I keep reading. It also is a great book to read, especially at the beginning of the year. I can choose my attitude every day and love my students!

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