Great Teachers

Oh Hi! 
I want you to stop and think for a second. 
Answer these questions...
Are there any teachers that you remember loving for one reason or another? Why?

Do you want to be just like them? 

Why not be the teacher that every student loves and remembers, not because you are the "fun" teacher, but because you are the teacher who cares! 

Straight from the book "Fulfilling the Promise,"

"Charlie," he said, ""do you know why I gave you all that extra work?"
I shook my head no. That look on his face. It made me quiet.
"Charlie, do you know how smart you are?"
I just shook my head no again...

"Charlie, you're one of the most gifted people I've ever know. And I don't mean in terms of my other students. I mean in terms of anyone I've ever met. That's why I gave you the extra work...I'm not trying to make you feel uncomfortable. I just want you to know you're very special...and the only reason I'm telling you this is that I don't know if anyone else ever has...So when the school year ends, and I'm not your teacher any more, I want you to know that if you ever need anything, or want to know more about books, or want to show me anything you write, you can always come to me as a friend. I do consider you a friend, Charlie."

I didn't say anything for a while because I didn't know what to say. So finally I just said, "You're the best teacher I've ever had" (Chbosky, 1999, pp. 181-182).

This got my brain spinning remembering all my teachers that I had throughout my school days that I loved! I had lots of great teachers who really did make a difference in my life and made me feel special. 

-My Kindergarten teacher, I loved her. She would randomly send me letters...even into my high school days just to see how I was doing. She EVEN came to my wedding reception! Truly the sweetest teacher ever. 

-5th grade. He was AWESOME...period. Everyone who had him, loved him. I just remember loving 5th grade because of him and what we did in the class...oh and because that is when boys started to be "cute!"

-My 9th, 10th, and 11th grade English teachers! -- ALL of them are the reason I went to college majoring in English. I wanted to become an English teacher and be just like them. Each of them taught me how to write and how to put voice in my writing and how writing can be enjoyable, They joked with me, believed in me and loved me! 

one last teacher that really impacted my life was,

-My 10th grade Government student teacher---He always made me feel important. Like he cared about what I was doing and If I understood. He was always willing to help me. He truly cared and I knew he did. 

He actually works at the High School now as a teacher and I go there often because my mom works there and he'll pass me in the hall and he still....to this day....knows my name! and that right there is saying something. I mean, I have college professors right now that still don't know my name.....just saying. :)

This guy is important also because he was my student teacher....As I think about heading into my student teaching, I hope to be able to change someone's live and help someone know that they are important and let them know that I truly do care about them.

Great Teachers

• Great teachers let students know that they are unique and valued as an individual. 

• Great teachers let students know that they are here to help them find and develop abilities as a individual and class. 

• Great teachers have a goal of helping students in the class become as capable as possible. 

• Great teachers have routines.

• Great teachers teach students how to work together to solve problems. 

• Great teachers determine guidelines so goals can be reached. 

• Great teachers invest time in their students and are persistent.