9 Principles of an Effective Teacher

It is crucial that all teachers become effective in teaching literacy across all content areas. If you can not read, you will not be educated. It’s simple – being able to read is an essential skill to have throughout a student’s K-12 schooling. “Effective teachers are the key to ensuring that students learn to read and write successfully. Most researchers agree that teacher quality is the most important factor in determining how well students learn (Vandevoort, Amrein-Beardsley, & Berliner, 2004). Teachers need to be knowledgeable about how students learn to read and write, how to teach literacy, and how to respond to the needs of struggling students and those learning English as a new language” (Tompkins, 2018, p.4). In order to teach literacy to students, you must know how to teach and, of course, be able to teach – effectively. Teaching is a profession of growth for the betterment of student learning, and there are nine principles that effective teachers practice.

The thought of “family” is an existential necessity for the development of a classroom community. “Together, students and their teacher create their classroom community, and the type of community they create strongly influences the learning that takes place (Angelillo, 2008)” (Tompkins, 2018, p.14). If you have an unwelcoming and unsafe classroom environment, learning will not happen. It is important that a safe classroom culture be established from the very first day of school. The expectation of respect is the stepping stone to enact a welcoming and safe classroom environment. It is important to create a community of learning (Tompkins, 2018). The emphasis is on community. Community is also related to the family “outside of the family.” You can create this community by giving students the opportunity to get to know one another and the teacher. You want students to feel that they are a part of the classroom community, and only an effective teacher can create this classroom community.

The goal of an effective teacher is to improve student learning from where they began. “Effective teachers adjust their instruction because students vary in their levels of development, academic achievement, and ability. Tomlinson (2004, 2014) explains that the one-size-fits-all instructional model is obsolete, and teachers respect students by honoring both their similarities and their differences” (Tompkins, 2018, p.28). If a teacher wants to respect the students, the teacher will provide instruction that is meant to provide support to their academic needs as well as challenge the students to move forward in their learning. Because differentiation of instruction is individualized, the teacher must plan accordingly. Sitting students in a heterogeneous setting gives students a chance to improve through the zone of proximal development. Through social interaction, students can learn from one another – differentiation using other students in the classroom.

Effective teachers must reflect on their practice, it happens daily, and even during the transition from period to period, in the secondary setting. How do teachers reflect on their practice? They analyze their practice through observations made in student work. “Teachers judge the effectiveness of their instruction by analyzing students’ reading and writing projects and test results and consider how they might adapt instruction to improve student learning” (Tompkins, 2018, p.31). Not every lesson is going to run smoothly, and teachers need to understand why. What can the teacher do differently to impact student learning? Teachers analyze student work in different settings through informal and formal assessments. It is necessary to reflect on student’s work because it will only impact student learning.

In essence, effective teachers are holistic practitioners of pedagogy, in a sense, as comparable to those who practice medicine. Teachers must take the time to improve their learning to become an effective teacher. You do not become effective in any profession by doing the bare minimum.

References:

Tompkins, G. E. (2018). Literacy for the 21st century: A balanced approach 7th Ed. New York: Pearson.

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