How can i be an outstanding teacher

Effective teachers put their heart and soul into developing curriculum expertise and continuous improvement.

They constantly strive to improve what they know and commit to regular and consistent CPD as life-long learners. They are always studious, creative, striving to stay ahead of the times and have a think-tank mentality. They also enjoy their work and the thrill of finding out more. Teachers who take risks and do things differently stand out in a sea of sameness.

They make learning memorable and go out of their way to find the stickability factor. They demand magnificence and get it by enabling students to see the world from new perspectives.

They use a variety of hooks to capture attention. They take risks so students can learn how to take risks themselves. There is a lot of lively energy in a classroom which for the most part is advantageous to learning. But sometimes we have to put a lid on things and effective teachers do it without raising their voices — their trick is to never talk louder than they do. Sometimes they let their silence do all the talking and restore order without saying a word.

Ninety-eight per cent of us moan — a lot. Effective teachers manifest happiness and concentrate on being professionally positive even if they have plenty to sigh about.

They choose happiness, embrace change, like the unknown and act in spite of fear. According to Andy Cope in his book The Art Of Being Brilliant, two percenters have Tigger-like energy, they thrive rather than survive, they have a spring in their step, they are life-givers — all this rubs off on whoever they come into contact with. Having something to aim for is all-important and for workload-weary teachers, just getting to the end of the day is enough of a goal.

But effective teachers have inspirational and aspirational goals that are whoppers — big goals that they keep in sight even when the going gets tough, which is most days.

They have focus, drive and a sense of purpose. Sometimes we just need to keep it simple and focus on what we do without looking to gold plate everything or go faster. Not everything needs to have bells, whistles and fireworks.

The best teachers put themselves first and focus on their wellbeing. Although they might need mental first aid plasters, they find ways to stay in control and avoid TSB — Teacher Stress and Burnout. Punctures are inevitable but gritty teachers make sure that they are fit to teach so look after number one and practise self-care. Effective teachers are good at time-management and know how to prioritise.

They can plan their time with insight and know how to decide, delegate or delete. The secret ingredient of classroom management is a positive relationship between student and teacher — without this basic, there is no growth. The more we invest in relationships, the more trust and respect we earn and the more interest we get back.

Controlling everything can lead to things going out of control and students rebelling. Effective teachers push themselves to the perimeter of the classroom and so give students the room to learn so they can push themselves and each other. They say what they mean and mean what they say — no negotiations thank you.

They realise that structured schemes and whole-school programmes that promise the earth can also suck the lifeblood out of a lesson and crush creativity.

Off-piste means you relax the boundaries, push the boundaries and take students on adventures not scripts. They welcome change and like to keep students and themselves on their toes. This is what happened when VAK learning styles barnstormed schools only years later to be derided as poppycock.

When a bandwagon hits town, step back and let it go — effective teachers do this. They wait for the dust to settle and if they feel like they have missed out they can always catch up. The secret weapon of an effective teacher is sleep — it is our key skill. Without sleep or with only a few hours under our belts we just cannot function and fire on all cylinders. A strong sense of professionalism Outstanding teachers are passionate about helping children learn, and passionate about education. Using evidence to inform teaching The most immediate evidence to inform practice comes from direct interaction with children.

Understanding and Using Educational Theories. Classroom Behaviour. Transforming Behaviour in the Classroom. Researching Primary Education. Creativity in Primary Education. School-based Research. Creativity in the Primary Classroom. Cross-Curricular Learning Child Development. Developing School Readiness. The Multiple Identities of the Reception Teacher. Primary Professional Studies.

Teachers who push boundaries in thinking may be seen as taking risks, but it is necessary if we want students who can be creative and innovative. The above results represent a portion of the research project conducted in If you would like further information, please contact Sharon Lierse at sharon sharonlierse. Apple Podcasts.

RSS feed. Keyword s. What are the qualities of an outstanding teacher? Short articles Oct 02, 0. Authors: Sharon Lierse. Share Tweet Email Print. If you think back to your school days, who did you consider to be the best teachers? Did these teachers display a particular set of characteristics? Which characteristic did you find was most vital to the learning process, and why?