“What do great teachers do differently?” ask Jodi Newton (Stamford University/ Birmingham, AL) and Betty Winches (Homewood, AL Schools) in this article in Reading Improvement. Their study of elementary- and middle-school teachers who produced significant gains in student learning for three consecutive years yielded the following insights:
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Highly effective teachers have clear
learning targets and their students understand what it takes to get better and own
their learning. These teachers focus on ultimate learning outcomes more
than compliance with required assignments.
•
They create a culture of redemption.
They assess frequently and see students’ mistakes as a road map to improvement.
•
They constantly and frequently tweak
their lessons in response to how students are doing. Students’ learning
needs are more important than lesson plans.
•
They ask questions that go to the heart
of the subject and teach students to pose their own questions. “They are
able to track misunderstandings and then clarify them for their students,” say
Newton and Winches. “As students learn to ask the right questions – those
related to their learning targets – they begin to own the goals and maximize
their learning.”
•
They create a culture of high
expectations coupled with good relationships. These are not friendships but
partnerships (You and me, in this
together) focused on academic achievement. “This tenacity, concern, and
love for each student are obvious, yet are linked directly to unyielding
aspirations for each student,” say Newton and Winches.
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