What is an effective teacher? What qualities must a teacher possess in order to be an effective teacher? Throughout this course, I have had to ask myself these questions. In doing so, I have read and learned about several different teachers. Some were effective in their practice and others were not. Evaluating these teachers has helped me to gain thoughtful insight about what I believe makes an effective teacher. This information has enabled me to develop my own philosophy of teaching.  

   I believe that effective teachers have many important qualities. As a future teacher, I feel that it is necessary for me to understand and appreciate these characteristics so that I will be able to be an effective teacher and help my future students to do their best.    

  I believe that in order to be an effective teacher, I must be a dynamic teacher. This means that I must be a reformer; a change maker. Dynamic teachers are constructivists. They use different methods of teaching. Dynamic teachers do not just go by the textbook. They stimulate learning through creative projects and assignments. John Edmondson, a sixth-grade language arts teacher said in Voices from the Middle, "Many teachers spend entire careers 'going by the book' because they think that's what good teachers do. I believe good teachers think about what's important for their students to learn, and then follow their instincts" (p.16). I agree with this statement. I feel it is important for teachers to follow the best teaching practices in the interest of their students. In Dynamic Teachers: Leaders of Change, I read about Maggie and Don and their best teaching practices. Maggie and Don's lessons are not arranged in a clear and prescribed order; instead experiences and information emerge from the children and teachers themselves. This is certainly a different approach and I believe that it is the most effective. "Teachers who stick to the prescribed curriculum and 'cover' a topic in a set number of days just to get test scores up are neglecting an important part of the learning process. The material which stays in the student's head only until the test will never make it into his outlook" (Sizer & Sizer, p.37). As the SUNY Oneonta Conceptual Framework (1999) states, it is important to "demonstrate disposition and skills for dealing with change as an ongoing educational phenomenon by articulating change theory in relationship to teaching and through specific documented activities in projects and classes that resulted in personal change.

 Also as a dynamic teacher, I must ask myself critical questions. "Dynamic teachers such as Maggie and Don know that self-evaluation is a primary step toward developing skills as a life long learner. Dynamic teachers use strategies for assessment to encourage inquiry and to promote learning" (Rallis, Rossman, Phlegar & Abeille, p.85). It is important for teachers to develop assessment strategies for intellectual and emotional skills. In the article "Portraits in Emotional Awareness," I learned how students assessed their emotional skills in the classroom to determine what kind of learners they were and how they could become more effective. The teachers in this article asked themselves critical questions about what was distracting the students in the classroom and keeping them from learning. They came up with a way of assessing the students' emotional skills in order to help them concentrate, and therefore learn at their best. This idea matches the Conceptual Framework perfectly. Educators must "understand and use formal and informal assessment strategies and understand how all students learn and develop." They must also "provide learning opportunities that support their developments." Asking critical questions is important for teaching as well as learning. "Challenge a student only a little and you will get small results. Challenge the same student appropriately but formally, and you will get much better results" (Sizer & Sizer, p.72).

 To be an effective teacher, I believe it is also important to ask questions that aide learning. The Conceptual Framework states, "use knowledge, communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction." Maggie and Don use authentic questioning to enhance the quality of the knowledge children are building. Their questions encourage thinking and experimentation: "Do you think it will work? Why don't you try it out?" According to Sizer & Sizer, "The deeper a person of whatever age gets into a topic or discipline, the more likely is she to want to dig deeper. When the questions become the student's own, so do the answers" (p.32). An article in Educational Leadership entitled "Problem Solved: How to Coach Cognition," discussed the importance of questions that aide learning. When faced with real problems about their world, students came up with accurate, logical, and creative solutions using skills that connect to different subject areas. The students were asked to construct an underground tunnel that ran 150 miles through Lake Michigan. Experts told them that it was impossible and could never be done. However, by asking questions, the students found a way to solve their problem. They were able to produce their project along with a logical explanation.

 I strongly believe that it is important for teachers to be knowledgeable of their subject matter. Maggie and Don's knowledge of the subject, of pedagogy, of their students, and of their own values concerning learning gives them a firm foundation or grounding on which to build their lessons. They have constructed their own meanings for the subjects they have chosen to teach. This idea coincides with the Conceptual Framework. Educators must "integrate general, content, and professional and pedagogical knowledge to create meaningful learning experiences for all students." Also, educators "plan and implement instruction based on knowledge of subject matter; community, state and national standards and goals; integration of technology; and knowledge of students." "The plans teachers make for lessons influence the opportunity students have to learn, because plans determine the content students will experience in a lesson and the focus of the teaching process" (Ryan & Cooper, p.34).

 Lastly, dynamic teachers are aware of their environment. They know the importance of bringing the community into the classroom. In Voices from the Middle, I read about Cathy Fleischer, Kathleen Hayes-Parvin, and Julie A. King. These three teachers realized the significance of educating parents about what went on in the classroom. "Parental support is essential to an effective practice, a teaching practice where students, parents, and teachers all feel connected to a community of learners, where all members of the team feel the same pride" (p.5). Maggie and Don created the "adopt-a-shop" strategy and invited people from the business community to see the frontier village. Don also approached Dr. Wang on the idea of creating a family room in the school, like the Family Life Services Centers he had heard about in Kentucky. "Dynamic teachers look outside the school as well, feeling a strong sense of reciprocal responsibility to five distinct groups: The local business community, agencies within the community, families representing all the students these teachers serve, families of individual children, and members of various advocacy groups" (Rallis, Rossman, Phlegar & Abeille, p.107). The Conceptual Framework reiterates this idea stating that it is critical for educators to "foster relationships with colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community."

 I believe effective teachers have five fundamental characteristics which make them dynamic in their practice. They are reformers, they ask critical questions, their questions aide learning, they have knowledge of their subject matter, and they bring their community into the classroom. As a future teacher, I will definitely implement these qualities. I believe that this will benefit me and help me and my students to continue learning.