Testing students’ knowledge is a usual thing. Young people receive marks for exams and assignments, can determine weaknesses and boost their academic performance. It is worth remembering that teaching is even more challenging practice than learning, therefore, it also should be controlled. No one is born as a great educator. It is necessary to work hard and meet certain standards to become a good mentor.
Since some teachers believe that they are always right, do not want to improve their qualifications or simply do not have worthy guidelines, regular tests and inspections conducted by special boards may help then to reach a new proficiency level. Experts that make me do my homework have analyzed the most important teaching standards which should be taken into account when assessing educators’ work.
Responsibility for learners’ results
Some teachers come to a class, read a lecture and leave when a bell rings without asking whether students understood everything and providing consultations to clarify tricky nuances. When young people cannot perform some assignment or fail an exam, such educators claim that students are lazy or not clever enough. Of course, this approach is ineffective. It lowers learning enthusiasm and provokes dislike for education.
A good teacher understands that all learners in a class perceive information differently, need individualized approach depending on their physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and linguistic levels. Professional educators avoid bias, respect young people’s personalities, do not try to subdue them to an image of some ideal student, help everyone to develop one’s talents, reach full potential, emphasize strengths and work on weaknesses. These specialists collaborate with parents and other teachers, undertake responsibility for learners’ results, are not afraid to confess teaching mistakes and strive to correct them and provide them with online college homework help.
Proficiency in a discipline
It goes without saying that a teacher should be an excellent specialist in one’s area, know basic concepts of a discipline taught, track the latest research to submit up-to-date knowledge to students, choose accessible and understandable formats for presenting information.
Some educators do not change their teaching strategies for years, use outdated textbooks and force young people to learn theories which are not applied in the modern world. As a result, learners do not form skills necessary for career building and living in a modern society.
If students point teacher’s attention to innovative discoveries and question relevance of some approaches, one should not scold or oppress them but appreciate and encourage the ability to think critically, distinguish between significant and useless facts. But, in general, it is teacher’s responsibility to provide adequate learning resources, data which is relevant in both local and global aspects, regularly revise a curriculum to move with the times.
Creating a correct context
A good educator not only provides theoretical information but also shows how it can be applied in practice, connects different concepts with the future professional activity of students, explains how education may benefit them, provides illustrative real-life examples, supports dry facts by social and cultural context. If young people understand why they come to a class daily, learning becomes more engaging, shows the true value of knowledge, awakens a genuine interest in science, desire to explore, think outside the box and seek innovations.
Planning
Teachers have a limited number of hours for considering a set of topics. They should dispose time wisely, compile a plan for each lesson and adhere to it.
Fair assessment
Some teachers inflate marks not to disappoint kids and avoid conflicts with parents. Others lower grades believing that it is a good stimulus for hard work. Both these approaches are ineffective because they are unfair and not objective. An educator should reflect the actual picture of students’ knowledge. After all, marks will be less important than real skills after graduation.
It is sometimes not enough to indicate a letter or a number of points. Students need textual or verbal explanations to understand what they made wrong and what should be done to avoid mistakes in the future.
Since there are no ideal grading systems, it is worth using different approaches, taking into account cultural, health and gender differences. For example, foreign students may write English essays worse than native speakers. Persons with disabilities need special learning resources. Girls should have other sports standards than boys. Taking into account all these nuances and creating some unified scale is an uneasy work. Not all educators cope with this task. That is why supervision and support of a controlling board is so important.
Self-development
Teacher’s competencies should not be static. One should improve, replenished them by new skills and knowledge which can be done by taking up continuing education for teachers. It is very important for such specialists to associate themselves not only with educators but also constant learners. This helps to branch out, try on students’ shoes and understand their needs, rethink personal and teaching goals, develop improved teaching methods. Feedback from learners, parents, colleagues and controlling board representatives simplifies self-analysis, sheds light on nuances which a person may overlook.
Leadership and collaboration
A teacher is not only a live encyclopedia but also a leader who should point learners the way to success, protect them from challenges which may be met on this trip. One should maintain discipline in a class, be respected by students but, at the same time, not intimidate them, use mild and polite control methods. Also, an educator’s task is encouraging collaboration between young people, instilling teamwork skills which will definitely come in handy in adult life.
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