Teacher must be a leader who can inspire and influence students through expert and referent power but never coercive power. This teacher knows his subject well and is kind and respectful toward his students. He also has high standards and expectations coexisting with encouragement, support, and flexibility. This teacher empowers students and gets them to do things of which they did not think they were capable. This teacher has students who surpass him.
The effective teacher is a provocateur who probes, prods, asks incessant why questions, poses problems, throws curves, plays “devil’s advocate”, and stimulates frustration and conflict all in an attempt to “bust bubbles and plant seeds” so that tidy and stereotypical explanations are unmasked and discarded.
The effective teacher is a teacher as stranger . By keeping students at a healthy emotional distance, this teacher can, through continuous reflection, employ greater objectivity in her ability to balance the needs of individuals with the needs of the class as a whole. This allows the teacher to not only determine what those needs are but also how they can be accommodated to by innovative approaches.
The effective teacher models enthusiasm not only for his subject but also for teaching and learning in general. By showing exuberance, a positive attitude, excitement, and passion, the effective teacher makes it clear to his students that he would prefer to be nowhere else. Effective teachers value their craft and project this value to all in their presence.
By: Estrellita A. Rodriguez | Teacher III | Mabatang Elementary School | Abucay, Bataan