Connections

I have always been interested in the interaction between teacher and student.  The professional healthy connection that drives a student to perform for fear that they may just ‘let the teacher down’. That connection is the most powerful and the hardest to achieve.  Sometimes, great teaching is less about curriculum and more about our attitude toward students, our subject, and school.  According to several studies, there are nine essential characteristics that all great teachers display such as: 1) Respect of students, 2) Creating a sense of community and belonging in the classroom, 3) Be warm, accessible, enthusiastic, and caring, 4) Set high expectations, 5) Have a personal love of learning, 6) be a skilled leader, 7) Be able to ‘shift gears’, 8) Collaborate with colleagues, 9) Be professional in all areas.  Teaching is like playing a musical instrument.  It’s difficult to learn, fun when it’s going well, collaborative, and when you become really good, it becomes a natural part of you.  Just as learning the instrument, the rewards are great because you get to change a life. Have an awe-inspiring weekend…Go Pups! (cue: Hall of Fame – The Script)