What Makes the Most Effective Teacher?

Many attributes can be recognized in a highly effective teacher. Besides having the knowledge of their specialty, effective teachers must be able to motivate and nurture children. Having the ability to do this while still adhering to a state curriculum is quite a feat. Teachers must remember to address social/emotional issues along with the cognitive. By 1980 Mrs. Cobbs, a second grade teacher at Carver Elementary School in Mount Olive, North Carolina was a seasoned teacher. She was excellent at balancing state-mandated outcomes and nurturing self-esteem.

When children, especially shy children, experience a change in location, whether it be a school or home or both, it is normal for them to have trouble. They may become emotional or withdrawn. Mrs. Cobbs was an expert at these situations and would hold children on her lap until they felt comfortable enough to join the class. She also knew how to support parents who were feeling guilty about uprooting their child and many times would change their decision about moving that child back to their more familiar surroundings. She understood what many parents who were not educators of young children did not understand: all children adjust to change at different rates, and certainly differently from adults. Mrs. Cobbs would share her knowledge and experiences with parents, which educated them on subjects that many times they had no clue about. Mrs. Cobbs had no problem expressing herself to parents or students, and everyone respected her for that.

Another reason Mrs. Cobbs was a highly effective teacher is because she taught to many different learning styles. It is extremely unusual to find a class where all the children are on the exact same level or have the same learning style. Mrs. Cobbs taught on every child's level, giving extra work to those who grasped concepts easier and quicker than others do. She was flexible and creative, keeping the attention of her students on most lessons she taught. Because of the constant smile on her face, she seemed very approachable, and many students continued to visit her class as they progressed through their education.

Mrs. Cobbs demanded respect for everyone in the classroom. She ran the class with a firm hand, but with a loving heart. She loved hugs and was constantly giving and receiving them. She wanted everyone in the class to understand how special and unique everyone in the world was. Mrs. Cobbs would tell each student their strength, and would also let them share that strength with others in the room. By allowing a child who excelled in reading to help another in the classroom, it bridged the gap between learners, and it also boosted self-esteem. "A critical point to note is that research suggests that motivation is a strong variable in the learning process, perhaps an even more important variable than ability"(Jacobsen, Eggen, and Kauchek, p.18).

Another reason Mrs. Cobbs was an effective teacher was because of her ability to interact with her students on their level. She was not afraid to dance around the room, even in her later years of teaching, when she was having trouble with circulation in her legs. She never asked her students to do something she wouldn't first try to do herself. When students see a teacher having fun, it becomes contagious. The whole class wants to know what all the laughing is about, so they try it. She could get even her shy students to perform in front of an audience, by making it so much fun that they would forget about being in front of a crowd.

When a teacher is just beginning her career, effective teachers in his or her past are sure to come to mind. Effective teachers may not have always been the most popular, but majority probably are because of their creativity, which gives them this effectiveness. New educators draw on the strengths and weaknesses of their predecessors to formulate their own identity, or a small portion of it. Teachers like Mrs. Cobbs have impacted children in ways that the world will never know. Even if it was just her constant smile that changed a child's life, it made a difference. It made them feel special and important, if only to one person. Educators must never underestimate the power of love and nurturing. Without effective teachers, would we have new teachers joining the team?

Reference

Jacobsen, Eggen and Kauchak. Methods for Teaching: Promoting Student Learning,

Sixth edition. Pearson Custom Publishing: 2003.