What Makes an Effective Teacher?

    Everyone has his or her own opinion about what makes an effective teacher based on one's own individual experiences. It may be based on an individual's own teachers in the past, or from observing other classrooms. Personally, I have always had my own idea of what an effective teacher should be, and after observing other classrooms in different districts, it has allowed me to gain an insight on what an effective teacher should truly be like.

    As an educator, there should always be high expectations for your students. It's important to never give up on a student, and to always encourage him or her to do his or her best. An effective educator should always have clear, concrete classroom rules with consequences when they're broken as well as written out objectives for each lesson. This allows for better time management in the classroom and shows the students what is to be expected for the day's lesson. An effective teacher should always be prepared, organized, engaging, and enthusiastic. The students can only benefit from an organized classroom with a positive and engaging teacher that is willing to teach them to the best of his or her ability.

    I believe an effective teacher should also be able to form a strong bond with the students. Being able to have a student open up to a teacher with anything from the topic of classwork, or to something personal in his or her own life, is extremely important. Students should be able to trust their teacher, and want to see that their teacher is dedicated to the school and to the class. Effective teachers should also be willing to communicate with their students' parents as much as possible as well. It's always important to keep both the children and their families involved for a more well-rounded, wholesome classroom experience.

Serve and Return

   I just recently participated in a Professional Development Day training. I learned so many different techniques that will keep students engaged, and learning but something that really stuck with me was the idea of "serve and return." This is the simple interaction between a young child and a caring, responsive adult. By interacting with children back and forth, almost like tennis, it helps with their brain circuitry. Children learn from experience and meaningful exchanges. This helps develop neural passageways in their brain, which in turn leads to a stronger foundation for learning and for education.
   After learning about "serve and return", I began to grow really fond of the idea. It shows just how much of an effect we as adults have on young children in the first few years of their life, truly impacting their education as they grow older. In the classroom, this serve and return can be demonstrated through a simple, "But why?" By an educator acknowledging the question, as well as answering to the best of his or her ability, fosters curiosity in the child, and the want to learn more.
   Coinciding with this idea, it is important that when engaging in serve and return, teachers should be asking students open ended questions, rather than questions that could be answered with "yes" or "no." This pushes the student to actively think of an appropriate response. It also helps students develop language and verbal skills as well as social skills.
   Serve and return, as well as asking open ended questions, allows children and students to develop their cognitive skills, truly leading to a strong foundation for learning as the years and their education continues. I feel that as future educators, we should actively use this idea of serve and return in the classrooms, and encourage other educators to do the same.