Effective Teachers

Today Mr. Steve Chambless, who has been working in the schools for 41 years, came to visit. He has had countless jobs within the school including everything from teaching to being a superintendent. From his experiences within the school he came up with some different views on what makes a good teacher. The two main components he found to be important were a liberal arts education and getting away from what you are use to. 

I found that these both had to do with getting as much exposure to different experiences and courses as possible. By looking at all the different learning styles and John Dewey's belief about making connections with the outside world it becomes apparent as to why he finds these so important. By getting as many different experiences as possible it makes you more able to teach to all different types of learners. Along with that, the more you know about the outside world, the easier it will be for you as a teacher to make connections to whatever your students are interested in. Knowing that your students come from all different types of backgrounds and are learning things differently then you are is important as a teacher to know and to be able to identify with. The easiest way to understand where the students are coming from and what they are dealing with is by experiencing it first hand. 

Overall, I would have to say I strongly agree that it is important for teachers to step outside their comfort zones and try something new. It might not be easy but it will help you become a better teacher sooner. 

John Dewey- connections with the outside world. Doing different things makes you as a teacher more prepared to make connections to the outside world for a wider variety of students.