What Great Teachers Do Differently - The Rest & Summary

What Great Teachers Do Differently
Since the first of the year we have been taking a look at one strategy from Todd Whitaker's book What Great Teachers Do Differently.  This week we will quickly highlight the last 5 strategies and then provide a summary.

Base Every Decision on the Best People - "Before making any decision or attempting to bring about any change, great teachers ask themselves one central question: What will the best people think?" (Whitaker, 88)

In Every Situation Ask Who Is Most Comfortable and Who Is Least Comfortable - "Great teachers continually ask themselves who is most comfortable and who is least comfortable with each decision they make.  They treat everyone as if they were good" (Whitaker, 95)

Put Yourself in Their Position - "Great teachers have empathy for students and clarity about how others see them" (Whitaker, 101)

What About These Darn Standardized Tests - "Great teachers keep standardized testing in perspective.  They focus on the real issue of student learning." (Whitaker, 109)

Make It Cool to Care - "Great teachers care about their students.  They understand that behaviors and beliefs are tied to emotion, and they understand the power of emotion to jump-start change." (Whitaker 118)


Summary
Whitaker's book What Great Teachers Do Differently is a quick read outlining some of the characteristics that set the best teachers a part from the others.  As I finished the book, I tried to summarize a great teacher into one (long) sentence:  A great teacher is someone who cares for kids, keeps kids first in all decisions, treats everyone as if they were good every day, and is empathetic.  Whitaker mentioned when he spoke to the MRVED districts (this is a paraphrase)..."none of these things require money, the newest curriculum, or the fanciest device...all of these things can be accomplished through EFFORT."  It may take a lot of effort some days to treat that one kid as if he was good, but in the end it's worth it.

When I think back to my schooling (and I need to be careful here as some of my teachers are still teaching :-) and remember the great teachers.  I don't remember some of the neat projects we did, or the newest computer games (it was the color version of Oregon Trail), I remember the teachers that treated me with respect and genuinely cared for me.  Some of it was "tough love", but love nonetheless.  Think back to your schooling.  What were some of the characteristics of the best teachers you had?  Do you carry some of those characteristics yourself?  Would you want to be a student in your own classroom?

If you haven't read it already, find a copy of Whitaker's book What Great Teachers Do Differently and read it over the summer.