In part one, I said that great teachers tend to be relentless in their pursuit of excellence and, as such, their language is infused with a sense of urgency and drive (Master teaching, SecEd 409, March 19, 2015).
Great teachers also have the ability to explain complex concepts in ways that make sense. Great teachers ask good questions and give really good feedback. And great teachers, however it is done, make their students believe that they’re learning and progressing.
Professor Graham Nuthall in The Hidden Lives of Learners says that “teaching is about sensitivity and adaptation”.
He continued: “It is about adjusting to the here-and-now circumstances of particular students. It is about making moment-by moment decisions as a lesson or activity progresses. Things that interest some students do not interest others. Things that work one day may not work the next day. What can be done quickly with one group has to be taken very slowly with another group. What one student finds easy to understand may confuse another student.
Register now, read forever
Thank you for visiting SecEd and reading some of our content for professionals in secondary education. Register now for free to get unlimited access to all content.
What's included:
-
Unlimited access to news, best practice articles and podcast
-
New content and e-bulletins delivered straight to your inbox every Monday and Thursday
Already have an account? Sign in here