Several years ago as part of my dissertation
work, I began the development of a list of skills and behaviors exhibited by a
master teacher. The initial work was
based on research that was published by experts in the field. Since that time I have updated and revised
this list based on personal experiences, changing requirements, and
observations of master teachers including many of you. I also looked for negative characteristics
that create problems for teachers. Some of those are included in this model as
well.
For all of its sound and fury, the educational
reform movement in this state will amount to very little and much money will be
wasted on this or that program. Of all of the factors
that influence the success of students in our schools, there are only four
basic things that must be present if students are going to learn. They are as
follows:
1.
The teacher must be competent in both the
art and science of teaching and be able to deliver instruction in a confident
manner using a wide variety of tools to promote student learning.
2.
The curriculum that the teacher teaches
must be accurate, current, and aligned to standards. It must go beyond the basic textbook
information.
3.
The teacher must have the time to deliver
the instruction.
4.
The student must be ready and motivated
to learn.
This model attempts to address the science and
the art of teaching used by successful teachers (number 1 above). You will note that the terminology comes from
the Program for Effective Teaching or PET.
Regardless of what you think about that program, it does give us a
common terminology to use when describing the teaching act. This was originally designed as an evaluation
and observation instrument and that is why everything is a question. Negative
characteristics are in bold and underlined.
I am providing this to you as a guide and, in
most cases, a validation of skills already used every day.
Gerald Moore, Principal
Personal
and Interpersonal
Characteristics
1. Does the teacher assume a personal, total responsibility for everything happening in the classroom?
A. Does the teacher express feelings of efficacy and demonstrate an internal locus of control?
B. Are activities planned with a "can do" attitude to overcoming problems?
C. Does the teacher make extra efforts and show persistence in helping under achieving students?
D.
Does the teacher
accept the fact that he/she, despite the best of efforts and intentions, will
not reach every student realizing that some will need more than he/she can
give?
2. Does the teacher emphasize academic instruction as a major part of his/her role?
3. Does the teacher have a command of the subject matter? Does the teacher attempt to keep abreast of new developments in the subject matter? Are explanations provided with confidence?
4. Does the teacher demonstrate a large repertoire of teaching behaviors? Does he/she have the ability to select and orchestrate those that are appropriate to the content and the teaching goals rather than mastering and consistently applying a few generic‑teaching skills?
5. Does the teacher always model professional and responsible behavior? Does the teacher fulfill school obligations on time? Is he/she willing to accept extra responsibilities beyond required obligations?
6. Does the teacher use humor?
7. Does the teacher move around the classroom with an assertive gait and have gestures that communicate confidence, control, and positive feelings of self‑esteem?
8. Is there congruence between the teacher's real self and his/her teaching self? Is the teacher saying one thing verbally and communicating a different message non‑verbally?" Does the teacher do what he/she says with actions matching the words?
9. Does the teacher avoid the use of a heavy affective approach (more concerned with personal relationships at the expense of or in place of any cognitive objectives)?
10. Does the teacher exude a positive, exciting energy in the classroom?
11. Does the teacher attempt to grow and develop professionally? Does the teacher participate in relevant professional growth activities? Is the teacher active on professional committees, in workshops, and organizations? Does the teacher expend personal time and funds to develop and grow in the profession?
12. Does the teacher use effective oral communications? Is the language used free from errors in grammar, pronunciation, and sentence structure, except for intentional emphasis? Does the teacher vary the syntax used to accommodate the students' level of understanding?”
13. Does the teacher use written materials which are legible, well‑organized, and contain no errors in grammar or spelling?
14. Does the teacher conduct extra-curricular activities as covered under “Teaching and Assigned Duties” portion of his/her contract?
1. Does the teacher believe that all students can learn regardless of ability, subject, or grade level?
2. Does the teacher make demands on the students?
A. Does he/she encourage the students to work hard and take personal responsibility for their academic progress?
B. Does he/she monitor the progress carefully and follow through on directions and demands of students?
C. Does the teacher accept NO excuses for a lack of performance?
3. Is the teacher pleasant and polite, but also businesslike and task oriented in his/her interactions with the students?
4. Does the teacher use a variety of non‑verbal ways to communicate warmth, caring, and concern to students?
5. Does the teacher always treat students with dignity? In interactions with students, positive and negative, does the teacher avoid attacking the student's dignity? Does the teacher attempt to maintain or enhance the student's dignity?
6. Does the teacher engage in active listening to student problems and suggestions?
7. Is the teacher courteous and pleasant to the educational staff and parents?
8. Does the teacher communicate effectively with parents? Is there evidence of the teacher initiating communication with parents to handle problems before they arise? Does the teacher make positive contacts for praise and support?
1 Is the teacher bored with the subject;
going through the motions of presenting subject matter; usually speaking in a
monotone voice; using few non‑verbal hand and body gestures; and smiling
infrequently?
2.
Is the
teacher generating disinterested learners, boring the students as well?
3.
Does the
teacher view the fringe benefits of teaching as the main reason for continuing
in the classroom and feel little interest in pursuing professional growth
experiences?
4.
Is the
classroom and the teacher preoccupied with order, categorization, and
classifying?
5.
Does the
teacher overvalue authority, support, evidence, and the "scientific
method?" (All good answers come from some other person, not students)
6.
Does the
teacher use cookbook, textbook approaches, merely filling in the blanks?
7.
Is there an
overemphasis on solitary learning with discouragement of communication?
8.
Has the
teacher eliminated “self”
from the classroom considering only what the book says is important, not what
the student thinks?
9.
Is there
an emphasis upon threat, force, and coercion in the classroom? Is the teacher a
"muscle‑flexor" that has the attitude, "I don't care if
they like me, but they better do what I want or else?" Does this teacher
resort to power‑based methods, and is he/she quick to write referrals
inevitably complaining that the administration is too soft or not backing them?
10. Are mistakes considered sinful?
11. Are the students treated as if they are
not trusted?
12. Is there a “lock‑step”
organization to the classroom?
13. Does the teacher have
a "please like me" attitude and has to have student approval for
actions?
14. Is the teacher a "guilt
giver?" Does the teacher resort to whining and complaining in hopes that
students will come to their senses and do what the he/she
wants? Is this teacher personally hurt and does he/she become
angry when students misbehave or fail to learn? Is he/she unable to express or
take action on that anger?
15. Is the teacher a "Marine
Sergeant" in his/her approach to students, discipline, and classroom
management? Does the teacher have a rigid approach that allows pride to get in
the way of dealing with tough‑to‑reach students that use rigidity
as an excuse for a lack of cooperation?
16. Does the teacher appear disillusioned or
bitter and dislike students concentrating more on the maintenance of authority
and discipline?
17. Does the teacher seek to blame others
(including the students) for poor student achievement?
18. Is there evidence of conflict in the
classroom?
Planning Skills
1. Has the teacher developed a long‑tern instructional plan for each subject area? Does the plan contain an outline of major topics with learning units sequenced for each area of instruction?
2. Does the plan contain overall objectives for the course?
3. Are state standards integrated and used in the plan?
4. Has the teacher, in planning for the year in both discipline and in instruction, attempted to gauge, measure, or determine the ability of the students in the class? Has the teacher looked at their records? Can the teacher show that instructional changes have been made to accommodate those differences?
5. Is the plan in the proper format?
1. Does the teacher have specifically stated, measurable instructional objectives for the learning unit or lesson? Does the plan contain more than one level of assessment, guided activities (group or individual), independent activities, and provisions for remediation and/or enrichment that address learning styles?
2. Does each objective(s) contain the following?
A. Learning‑‑ Knowledge or skill to be mastered.
B. Behavior‑‑ How the student demonstrates learning achieved.
C. Level of Performance‑‑ Criteria by which student's performance is to be judged.
3. Can it be achieved in the time allotted for the lesson?
4. Does the teacher attempt to diagnose (ability to predict the difficulty that students will have with a particular item) the material?
5. Did the teacher prepare the test on the material first to ensure major learning objectives were accomplished?
The
Teaching Act
1. Does the teacher use a sponge activity either at the start or the end of the period while he/she was doing required administrative functions? What are the students doing during this time?
2. Does the teacher use a sponge activity based on the school wide emphasis?
3. Does the sponge activity contribute to the lesson? Was it relevant and appropriate?
1. Are reviews of previously learned material conducted on a regular, systematic basis?
A. Does the teacher start each class with a daily review of previously learned material providing corrections and reteaching where necessary?
B. Does the teacher conduct weekly and monthly review sessions for students and provide reteaching in areas in which the students are weak?
C. Do the students obtain a success rate of 95% during the questioning phase on review material? If not, does the teacher stop and reteach the material?
D. Does review practice continue until student responses are firm and rapid?
1. Is there a relationship between the lesson and the
past, present, or future experiences of the student? (Prior learning that is
related can be used here as appropriate.)
2. Is there an effort made to actively involve the learners through either an overt or covert device at the start of the lesson?
3. Is a statement of teaming provided to indicate what was to be learned? Was it understandable to the learners?
4. Is the set effective and relevant, supporting, not detracting, from the lesson objective(s)?
5. If the lesson is interrupted, does the teacher attempt to reset or refocus the learners on the objective?
1. Are the
students actively engaged, all period long, in a high quality learning tasks
(including interactive teaching) that relate to the instructional objectives?
A. Were the identified enroute leanings taught so that the learners were able to attain the objective?
B. Was instructional time lost due to disorganization
of class operations or learning materials?
C. Was instructional time wasted in
activities with other objectives (personal adjustment, group dynamics)?
D. Was instructional time wasted on
activities with no clear objectives at all (free time, student choice of games,
or pastimes)?
E. Were there abrupt switches between
instruction and behavior management with time wasted due to dealing with
inattention and resistance?
F. Were there high rates of teacher talk
about procedural or managerial matters, extended lecturing, and/or allowing
students to work on their own without much supervision or help?
G. Were transitions brief and orderly?
2. Does the teacher plan and implement techniques in the lesson to maintain the focus of the learner on the learning (keeping the students' attention on the subject matter being taught)?
3. While covert behavior (inward behavior) cannot be measured, does the teacher attempt to stimulate covert behavior through the use of directions like pretend, think, listen, imagine, or picture in your mind?
4. Are the learning tasks beneficial and not meaningless, boring, tedious, unchallenging, too difficult, or irrelevant to the students' real life and learning experiences?
1. Was the instruction given effective? (Teachers should give appropriate and meaningful information in order to insure that all students have an opportunity to understand the leaning.)
2. Was the instruction given efficient? (Information was given in the shortest amount of time for the learners to acquire the learning.)
3. Does the learning progress at a brisk pace, but in small steps so that student can experience continuous progress and a high success rate?
4. Does the teacher present clear, concise, complete, correct. and continuous explanations with verbal fluency and confidence?
A. Are there vagueness indicators in the
teacher's presentations? These include the following:
(1)
Ambiguous
designations (all of this, somewhere)
(2)
Negated
intensifiers (not many, not very)
(3)
Approximations
(not many, not very)
(4)
Bluffing
and recovery (anyway, of course)
(5)
Error
admission (excuse me, not sure)
(6)
Indeterminate
qualification (some, a few)
(7)
Multiplicity
(sorts, factors),
(8)
Possibility
(may, could be)
(9)
Probability
(sometimes, often).
B.
Were there mazes (false starts or halts in
explanations), redundantly spoken words, or tangles of words in the
explanations?
C.
Was there a discontinuity in which the teacher
interrupts the flow of the lesson by interjecting irrelevant content or
mentioning relevant content at inappropriate times?
D.
Does the teacher use "uh" in giving
explanations?
E.
Does the teacher appear to call attention to him/herself for no apparent reason?
F.
Is the teacher relying on basic textbook knowledge and
shows very little understanding of the subject beyond the book?
5. Does the teacher use “rule‑example‑rule” patterns of discourse? (The teacher presents a general rule; gives a series of examples to which the students can relate and understand; and restates the general rule.) Does the teacher give more explanations of linkages? Are enough examples used and are the examples precise and clear?
6. Does the teacher give definitions, in the language of the learner, to words, terms, symbols, or signs used within the lesson? Were they relevant to the lesson?
7. Does the content (information that can not be classified as definition, modeling, process, or example) given add meaning and purpose to the explanation?
8. Does the teacher, in the new learning, give the learner enough facts to assimilate the bite‑sized pieces of information and not overdose the student or clutter the lesson?
9. Does the teacher model (voice over a demonstration articulating the teacher's thinking or how to think out a precise bit of learning) a concept? If the teacher does not model, was there a point in the lesson where modeling would have increased the effectiveness of the presentation?
10. If the teacher modeled, was it done correctly and was it effective and relevant?
11. Does the teacher use process (Step‑by‑step procedure on how something is done. A series of steps carried out in a particular order, or a series of actions that leads to a particular result.) to teach a concept?
12. If process was used, was it done correctly, and was it effective and relevant?
13. Were examples (verbal illustrations or visual models that represent what is being taught) used in the lesson? Should examples have been used to enhance presentation?
14. Were the examples used simple, easy‑to‑understand, and relevant to the lesson?
15. Does the teacher clutter the lesson with
unnecessary or extraneous examples that detracted from the lesson?
16. Does the teacher vary the style of presentation shifting from one method of presentation to another effectively to maintain student interest? (This should be no more than ten minutes in one mode for elementary students or fifteen minutes for high school students)? Does the teacher use interactive teaching methods more than lecture or supervisory teaching modes?
A. Lecture‑‑ This is a monograph or discourse by the teacher on the subject, with infrequent or no checks for understanding. The teacher is the focal point of the class and dispenses all information.
B. Interactive Teaching‑‑ This type of teaching includes plenty of examples, modeling, demonstrations, one‑on‑one situations, discussion, questioning, and guided practice. At least 50% of a class period should be spent in interactive teaching.
(1) Large‑group discussion‑‑ Teacher and all students participate in discussion related to a topic. The topic may be defined by the teacher, but all students are invited to share their thoughts and ideas, become immersed in the subject, and comment on its personal relevance..
(2) Small‑group discussions‑‑ Groups of two to six students are formed and are given a task to do or a topic to discuss. One student may summarize the group's discussion..
(3) Cooperative Learning Structures‑‑‑ Students are assigned to groups of four to six students and are heterogeneously grouped so that each team contains all three learners. The teacher may then assign group work or individual seatwork. Work produced in cooperative groups is used for extra credit. Group grades are avoided.
C. Supervisory Teaching‑‑ This type of teaching is the lecture mode with seatwork included for independent practice. Very little student discussion and questions happen in this mode.
1. Does the teacher spend at least 50% of the class period in substantive interactive teaching (teacher giving information about content, demonstration, lecture, and discussion, guided practice, asking questions, monitoring the work, giving feedback, etc.)?
2. Does the teacher provide practice on skills that will be used in subsequent learning to the point that the skills become over-learned (information automatically recalled by the student requiring little or no conscious effort as demonstrated by consistent, smooth, and correct responses)?
3. In teaching new content, does the teacher hold errors to a minimum by choosing tasks that students can handle and explaining those tasks clearly before releasing the students to work on them?
4. Does the teacher make every effort to detect errors early in the presentation of new material or in the teaching sequence?
5. Was the practice relevant to the objectives(s) of the lesson or was it simply an exercise of little value?
1.