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What Good Teachers have in Common
In most colleges, students get to complete an evaluation of their professor when they get to the end of a course. Researchers have examined these evaluations and have found that all the survey items are often a variation of two questions.
- Is the professor personable?
- Is the class organized?
Good teachers are both personable and organized. According to Daniel Willingham:
“The brilliantly well-organized teacher whom fourth graders see as mean will not be very effective. But the funny teacher, or the gentle storytelling teacher, whose lessons are poorly organized won’t be much good either. Effective teachers have both qualities. They are able to connect personally with [learners], and they organize the material in a way that makes it interesting and easy to understand.”
While I suppose the Professional Developments I lead don’t necessarily constitute a classroom, I still try and use the principles of being personable and organized. I would ask for feedback on some questions that help gauge my success.
Thank you.
