Becoming an Outstanding Teacher

How to Become an Outstanding Teacher

Alderson, 2013
The intent of these principles is to help you move toward becoming an unforgettable teacher, similar to what was portrayed in the movies Stand and Deliver and Dead Poets Society. The most important overarching principle of all: ducational psychology is about process, not content. !t is about the process of engagement with other human beings who happen to be your students. !n other conte"ts, they may be your peers, family members, or clients. #ith engagement and the additional principles noted below comes the development of the positive traits of the best teachers you ever had. !n turn, you become the role model for your students. $nly then can you rightfully call yourself their teacher. 1. stablish rapport with each student and build a strong wor%ing alliance &i.e., a strong connection'. (o this by demonstrating the core conditions of )arl *ogers &i.e., unconditional positive regard, accurate empathy, and congruence +genuineness , be yourself-' and by ta%ing interest in each student. .et your pro/ection be your inner love for all others. 0ou can call that type of love whatever you want to call it. ! call it agape love, or universal love, while *ogers referred to it as unconditional positive regard. !t needs to unconditional. 0our love must be both %ind and firm.

2. *emember to wor% hard at becoming the person you most want to befriend. That will transform you increasingly into the person that becomes that teacher you most admired throughout your own school years. 1pend time loo%ing in the mirror, and ensure that you li%e the reflection you see throughout your life time. 3. Treat students as though they are already the person you most want to befriend. !n doing so, you enact the self2fulfilling prophecy effects. 3. 4tili5e suggestibility &i.e., the 10 natural forms of hypnosis' in the classroom to help your students become better people with higher levels of self2love, self2acceptance, and self2 confidence. 6. 7ecome happy by &a' understanding and accepting yourself &your strengths and your shadow', and &b' by wor%ing through your inner conflicts as they become apparent8obvious to you. !n this way, you pro/ect happiness and /oy into the classroom, which in turn releases your own wit and humour. 9. :ocus on the here and now and address any ;white elephants< in the room. =. (on>t /ust stay inside the bo" , brea% out of it when you can. 7e original, creative, and uni?ue in your approach to students.

Becoming an Outstanding Teacher @. Things are not always as they seem. (on>t assume , chec% things out. A. )reate a deep sense of belonging for all students in your class. 10. Bractice for yourself the success formula

1uccess C 72 B2

11. Teach the success formula through the way you encourage your students. 12. +!f ! were to revise the success formula, ! would need to add compassion into it, li%ely as a separate bo" comprised of 72 B2. !f you are to become truly successful, you need to e"tend beyond your own aspirations and dreams so that you appreciate and help foster the importance of the other person>s hopes and dreams too-. 13. Teaching ought to be fun. 13. 7ecome a leader, not a follower. 16. Dust do itE &a Fi%e slogan'. 19. Geep giving and demonstrate to your class what passion in the here and now loo%s li%e. 1=. !f you stop living fully you begin dying slowly. 1@. Hive them the best of your gifts. 1A. .et your class learn to love you first before you try to teach them anything important. They will love you because of your uni?ueness, the part of you that is a bit ?uir%y because not everyone in life shares that particular gift. 20. ;0ou must be the change you wish to see in the world.< Iahatma Handhi 21. ! believe some of the famous ?uotes from the (alai .ama apply to becoming an outstanding teacher. These can be read at http:88www.brainy?uote.com8?uotes8authors8d8dalaiJlama.html

Becoming an Outstanding Teacher 22. Fever go too far outside the system or it will bite you in the ass but goodE

23. *emember the slight edge principle. To be noticed, you don>t have to have a lot more than the ne"t person &ne"t teacher in this instance' , you /ust have to have the slight edge. !t entirely wor%s that way in terms of getting a /ob or getting into grad school as wellE 23. 1et class rules, one of which is to respect yourself and others in this classroom. 26. Het inspired, and do something magical. Iy e"ample in class was writing a chapter about the homeless in )anada after spending an evening with a group of homeless and destitute individuals. 29. Teach as though it was your last opportunity to do so &and it most li%ely is with this particular group of students'. #hat impact would you want to leave behind for your students to rememberK 2=. 4se all of your gifts in the classroom. 2@. Avoid ;nic%el2and2diming< your students> grades. !n other words, don>t have too many assignments worth a minimal percentage toward their final grade. 0ou will end up either ma%ing them cra5y with trying hard to e"cel on each assignment &and remember: your class is only one of the classes they are ta%ing', or they will lose motivation altogether. :urthermore, you as the teacher will not be motivated to provide e"tensive, helpful feedbac% if you are mar%ing all the time for ;table scraps< &i.e., for how little the assignment determines his or her final grade'. 2A. (on>t try to teach to others what you have been unable to apply to yourself. 1imilar to the counselling profession, you can only bring others to a point no greater than you have gotten to yourself. *emember that everything is a pro/ection from within &i.e., within your psyche'. #hat you see and believe inside is what others will see soon see emerge in the classroom. 30. *emember there are 19 personality types, according to the I7T!. #ithin this, there are 3 temperaments &according to Giersey': FT, F:, 1D, and 1:. ach responds best to particular forms of learning, and each has different interests. 31. Beople respond well to praise and recognition, yet so many do not receive much of it in their lives. 7ring more of it into the classroom.

Becoming an Outstanding Teacher

32. )reate sanctuary for your students , a place where each child feels safe and secure. 7e open to their e"perience, regardless of how different it may be from your own. 33. 1pend time every day on self2reflection. *eflect on your pedagogy, your practice of it, and its impact on students. *eflect on how you are doing as a person. 33. Apply the scientist2practitioner &1)' model. 4sed in educational psychology to denote that our practice should be based, to as great an e"tent as possible, be based on what has been learned from research and science, and from others with demonstrated results. 7esides that, however, is that in being scientists, we also e"periment and try new things. Geep what wor%s, and discard what doesn>t. !f it wor%s for you and for others, consider sharing your findings in a /ournal in your discipline. 36. Het feedbac% early on what students want. 1hare with them the possible ways you could teach them, and get them to provide feedbac% through ran% ordering your list. (r. Alderson did this before his class on Fovember 29, 2013, which in hindsight is too late. *emember your e"perience in his class, and get this feedbac% early when you can easily create your lessons accordingly.