There are many characteristics that made an effective and efficient teacher. Through a series of experiments, we focused on a few that are very important for teacher and student success in the classroom.
The first characteristic an effective teacher should demonstrate is business-like behavior. They exude professionalism in their demeanor, mannerisms, dress, and interactions with others. These teachers set high standards for how their classrooms are run and establish consistent routines for their students that promote learning.
Effective teachers also demonstrate enthusiasm. Excitement is contagious, and teachers with a true passion for what they are teaching have the ability to inspire their students to learn. They make their classrooms a place where learning is fun and enjoyable.
Another characteristic for a teacher to have is clarity. Are your instructions clear? Are you making expectations and desired outcomes easy identifiable? Do your students know what they need to do to be successful?
Creating opportunities to learn is also a critical attribute for an effective teacher. Students do best when they know what is expected of them and how they will be assessed. Allowing students to show what they know and demonstrate competency will help to keep them to stay engaged and invested in their learning.
Variability is also an important skill for an effective teacher to possess. Their classroom is combination of different types of instruction and activities. No two days are ever the same, and they use their creativity to keep their students on their toes and engaged in their learning.
After learning about these characteristics, our class developed an acronym to help remember them. BECOV stands for business-like behavior, enthusiasm, clarity, opportunity to learn, variability. By developing these characteristics, one can become an effective and efficient teacher.
We also looked at the five major principles of teaching and learning: organization and structure of subject matter, motivation, reward and reinforcement, techniques of teaching, and transfer of learning. While we did not do any labs to practice these important skills, we did use what we have learned so far to connect these things to classroom experiences. We also found ways that each was relevant to agricultural education.
An efficient teacher makes sure that what their students are learning has meaning, is structured, and is organized. They also make sure that they gauge how they teach based on where ther students are in terms of learning ability. These teachers used appropriate learning experiences and subjec matter to make their classrooms interesting, exciting, and comfortable places for their students.
Efficient teachers are also great motivators. Not only do they make their students want to learn by taking into account what is important in the students' lives, they also encourage them to set goals for themselves and become active in planning learning activities in the classroom. They help their students feel successful and challenge them in ways that makes learning new things to be fun.
The efficient teacher keeps their students in the loop about their learning progress and rewards them when they demonstrate correct behavior and skills in the classroom. They ensure that students always know when they are exhibiting the correct behavior, and reinforce positivity with rewards such as praise or a high five. This helps students to learn to do the right thing, stay on track,and become more focused on their learning.
Utilizing best practices of teaching is another characteristic of an efficient teacher. Their teaching promotes directed, organized learning and incorporates inquiry and critical thinking skills. They allow their students to practice what they learn to make it more relevant and engaging. Through supervised practice, their students are able to apply what they learn to hands-on classroom experiences that put it into practice.
Allowing students to connect what they learn to real life experiences is how efficient teachers encourage the transfer of learning. These real life learning experiences help students to master what they are learning, and retain it for future use. It also allowed them to see the relevancy of what they have learned, and how they can utilize it in their everyday lives.
An effective and efficient teacher affects lives. Not only so they make learning fun, but they make a process that students want to engage in. Their classrooms are places where what they students need to be successful is at the forefront of how they teach, and they help to provide learning experiences and classroom routines that encourage positivity and real world connections.
The journey to become efficient and effective teacher for the students in AEE 412 has just begun, and they are going to affect many lives in a positive ways as they navigate on it this year!
