What makes an excellent teacher?

In an article in The Guardian Teacher Network called What makes a brilliant teacher, British teacher Adam Lopez gives his take on what makes a teacher excellent by first asking what is a true teacher:

Do we, as an educational community actually realize what makes a true teacher? Is it purely down to perfect pedagogy, rigorous planning and assessing, diligent resource making and clever behavior management; or is there something more?

He says there is something different to add to the mix which he calls the T Factor.

In my experience, teachers with the T Factor, run a happy, high achieving environment in which the pupils feel content, valued and achieve high respective standards academically and behaviorally. These teachers create a sense of awe and wonder to develop inquiring minds with an insatiable thirst for learning that endures.

The T Factor has to do with building a rapport with students.

 Emotional intelligence and empathy are two huge features of a T factor teacher's practice. Knowing how, when, and what to say in order to bring about conditions in which educational attachment flourishes, is an incredibly subtle yet powerful tool.

and

  The T Factor approach to education via empathetic and emotionally intelligent interactions helps us recognize and appeal to the humanity in people; educating them from the inside out, and not the outside in.

 Here are the author's tips for building the T Factor into your teaching.

Simply stated: build rapport, be empathetic, be positive, watch your body language, have a sense of humor, never be mean, chill out, and be reflective.

One comment in the notes sums up a similar attitude towards effective teaching:

I want children that I've taught to feel positive, to go home and tell their parents what they've done that day - not feel down, grumble. I want them to look forward to tomorrow.

It all sound highly effective to me and certainly sounds like the teachers that I admire. I hope and aspire to be such a teacher. Adam's tips are a good resource that might be worth printing out and posting near your desk where you can see it throughout the day.

Helping our kids thrive

This is a great TED talk by Peter Benson that will capture your attention from the first sentence. It is about a one question that the says  we rarely talk about, "What is our vision for America's kids?"

Peter L. Benson, president and CEO of Minneapolis-based Search Institute, is one of the world's leading authorities on positive human development. Dr. Benson is the author or editor of more than a dozen books on child and adolescent development and social change, including, most recently, Sparks: How Parents Can Help Ignite the Hidden Strengths of Teenagers Dr. Benson's international reputation in human development emerged in the 1990s through his innovative, research-based framework of Developmental Assets, the most widely recognized approach to positive youth development in the United States and, increasingly, around the world. Before joining Search Institute in 1978, Dr. Benson was chair of the psychology department and chair of the program in human development and social relations at Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana.

Here is Jon Foreman of Switchfoot singing "Thrive" a song on their new album "Vice Verses" and fits perfectly with this talk.



"I want to thrive, not just survive."

I saw this cartoon posted today and it is also appropriate.

Teaching in Kenya

I spent the first two weeks of July in Kenya. The major part of my trip was to work in the Mathare Valley Slum in Nairobi with schools and teachers. It was an amazing and wonderful experience, where I probably learned more than I actually helped. I have started writing about the trip in a more detailed fashion on my Kenya in 2011 blog. There are lots of memories, photos, and videos that I am still updating.

Playing in the dirt

At the end of school today, I took my fifth graders out to the playground for a few minutes of play. When done, we lined up to go inside as parents were congregating near the playground to pick up their children. A group of parents were hovering nearby and I looked down to see a preschool aged boy squatting down with both hands digging into a muddy puddle. He kept pulling out his hands to inspect the attatched mud before diving in for more. My fifth graders were trying to get him to high-five them, but he was too engrossed in his play. What I thought was cool was that the mom was not bothererd by his playing in the mud. It is good for a little kid to get his hands dirty and not be scolded to keep his hands clean.

How often in school do you get to play in the dirt? Here is an article about a fourth grade class that sifted through a box of dirt and found an eight inch long 11,500 year old piece of hair from a Mastadon. What a memorable experience for the children in that class. They were participating in something called The Mastadon Matrix Project. It costs only $10 to get involved and get your own box of dirt. I think I will apply and have my class do this next year. As Ms. Frizzle of the Magic School Bus always says, "Take chances! Make Mistakes! Get Messy!"

Reading books helps you get a better job in later life

Reading books is the only out-of-school activity for 16-year-olds that is linked to getting a managerial or professional job in later life, says an Oxford study.


Researcher Mark Taylor, from the Department of Sociology, analysed 17,200 questionnaire responses from people born in 1970, which gave details of extra-curricular activities at the age of 16 and their careers at the age of 33. The findings, presented at the British Sociological Association on May 4, show that girls who had read books at 16 had a 39 per cent probability of a professional or managerial post at 33, but only a 25 per cent chance if they had not. For boys who read regularly, the figure went up from 48 per cent to 58 per cent.

None of the other activities, such as taking part in sports or activities, socialising, going to museums or galleries or to the cinema or concerts, or practical activities like cooking or sewing, were found to have a significant effect on their careers. Mr Taylor also found that playing computer games frequently did not make it less likely that 16-year-olds would be in a professional or managerial career at 33, but this was linked to a lower chance of going to university.

So get your kids reading!

The World Peace Game

 Here is an inspiring Ted Talk by John Hunter on the World Peace Game. It all came about because his first superintendent asked him upon handing him his first job, "What do you want to do?"


John Hunter puts all the problems of the world on a 4'x5' plywood board -- and lets his 4th-graders solve them. At TED2011, he explains how his World Peace Game engages schoolkids, and why the complex lessons it teaches -- spontaneous, and always surprising -- go further than classroom lectures can.

The Hunger Games

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Hunger Gamestrilogy of books. Thank goodness for recent snow days as I was able to complete the entire edge-of-your-seat series in about a weeks time. Author Suzanne Collins takes her readers on a thrill-ride adventure full of twists, emotions, and thought-provoking themes: war, politics, reality television, fashion, celebrity-ism, family, sacrifice, love, violence, and survival. Although, it is a dystopian story that takes place in the future, after the United States had destroyed itself, it is also a story that is relevant to the present and continues the ideas of the Fall and the breaking world in which we live. It lets you see how much control  a corrupt government can wield over a complacent citizenry. The country that replaces the United States in this series is called Panem, referring to "Panem et Circenses" which translates into "bread and games"...

...the writer was saying that in return for full bellies and entertainment, his people have given up their political responsibilities, and therefore their power."  from Mockingjay

The author plays around with the notion of what it takes to survive in such a place that is both distant and futuristic, as well as familiar and historical, think of ancient Rome and the United States today. It is a trilogy that makes you think and reflect as well as a series that keeps you turning the pages (or clicking the Kindle buttons like I did) in anticipation of what happens next.



The first book The Hunger Games introduces the chief protagonist Katniss Everdeen who volunteers to replace her younger sister Prim in the Hunger Games of the title. The Hunger Games are an annual televised "Survivor" type  game run by the government where 24 children are selected through a lottery to fight to the death. There can only be one winner. We also meet two boys who become romantically linked throughout the series to Katniss: Gale, Katniss's best friend and hunting companion, and kind Peeta, who is also "chosen" to compete in the hunger games. An unusual ending concludes the book.



The second book Catching Fire returns Katniss to the Hunger Games (but a special anniversary games-where former game champions must meet and kill each other). Again it is a fight to the death with another unusual ending (no secrets given out here).




The third book, Mockingjay places the characters in a new type of "game" this time not set up by the government, but rather against the government. The violence is upped and beloved characters are lost (due to death or other circumstances). In the end, it is hard to imagine if Katniss will actually achieve her one wish: to kill the governmental leader, President Snow. Again, the ending is a surprise and we also find out with whom a "damaged" Katniss falls in love.

As a fifth grade teacher, I wouldn't really recommend the  story to my students. There may be a few fifth graders up to the challenging ideas presented in the trilogy of books, but I do think these are books that they should definitely choose to read as they get older and are able to handle and understand the themes and challenges presented with more clarity. I would recommend the books to any adult who loves to read a good story. At no time did I think the story was silly, juvenile, or contrived, but instead they thoroughly captured my imagination. Due to the severe conditions placed on children throughout the books, there is little "hope" offered to readers beyond the "kill or be killed" nature of the series. However, the books are a reminder to not damage our children with our "Panem et Circenes" world of entertainment and governmental policies. There is a epilogue at the end of the book and all that I will say is that the author makes it clear that "children" are our hope. And I can't wait for the movie!