Best Practice

The traits of effective teaching (and teachers)

What does the research say about the traits and talents that make for an effective teacher and effective teaching? John Dabell takes a look

Everyone seems to know a “good” teacher. They normally stand out a mile because they go the extra mile. They seem to have that magic touch, charismatic DNA and bucket-loads of “je ne sais quoi”. They seem to build pupil relationships and rapport easily – the “T factor” according to Adam Lopez (2011). These teachers are dramatically more multi-dimensional and effective than their colleagues.

Children, parents and staff all know what a good one looks like and anecdotally they can produce their own A to Z of traits, quirks and qualities that make the difference. I have previously written that there must be at least 365 things that good teachers do well (Dabell, 2018)!

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