What Kind of Teacher Do I Hope to Be?

I hope to be a teacher that has the three characteristics of an effective teacher. The first

characteristic of an effective teacher is to have positive expectations for student success (Wong

&Wong p.10). To have positive expectations is not the same as having high expectations. To

have positive expectations means to believe that the learner can learn (Wong & Wong p.11). The

meaning to have positive expectations is that the learner will always strive to reach your

expectations. According to The First Days of School, “If you believe a student is a low-level,

below-average, slow learner, the student will perform accordingly because these are the beliefs

you transmit to the students” (Wong &Wong p.11).

The next characteristic of an effective teacher is to be an extremely good classroom

manager (Wong & Wong p.10). “Classroom management consists of the practices and

procedures that a teacher uses to maintain an environment in which instruction and learning can

occur (Wong &Wong p.11). In order for learning to occur in the classroom, the teacher must

establish order in the classroom right away. “The effective teacher knows how to bring the class

to order quickly, explain rules and procedures, find out important information about the students,

and let them know what to expect in the coming days” (Wong & Wong p.8).

The third characteristic of an effective teacher is knowing how to design lessons for

student mastery (Wong & Wong p.10). “Mastery refers to how well a student can demonstrate

that a concept has been comprehended, or perform a skill at a level of proficiency, as determined

by the teacher” (Wong & Wong p.12). To teach mastery, an effective teacher has to do three

things:

“1. Know how to design lessons in which a student will be able to learn a concept

or a skill to a goal or standard. 2. Know how to deliver the instruction to teach the
 goal or standard. 3. Know how to assess and provide corrective action for learning

so the student can master the concept or the skill” (Wong & Wong p.13).

According to the Wong’s, “successful teachers are innovative planners, exceptional classroom

managers, adept critical thinkers, and competent problem solvers” (Wong & Wong p.22). The

difference between effective and ineffective teachers, is that the ineffective teachers aren’t doing

what the effective teachers are doing. “Effective teachers steal from the best and learn from the

rest” (Wong & Wong p.22).

Another aspect of effective teaching is to have a script ready for the first couple of weeks

of school. Establishing a consistent routine for daily use is one of the most important aspects of

effective teaching. Students don’t want a guessing game when they come into the classroom.

They like to know exactly what to expect. It also keeps you from hearing the “what are we doing

today?” question from arising multiple times a day. “Effective teachers spend the first two weeks

teaching students to be in control of their own actions in a consistent classroom environment”

(Wong & Wong p.3). An effective teacher is always ready with a script or management plan to

establish consistency within the first couple of days (Wong & Wong p.4). Like we talked about

in the last reflection, establishing consistency establishes trust within the classroom. If a child

trusts his/her teacher, they are more willing to open up and learn.

Wong, H. K., & Wong, R. T. (1991). The first days of school. Sunnyvale, CA: Harry K. Wong

Publications.