What makes great teachers?

I think parents are as important to the education process as teachers, but effective teachers know how to overcome many obstacles in their students’ lives.

I would think that the qualities of ‘superstar’ teachers are self-evident-

Great teachers, he concluded, constantly reevaluate what they are doing.

Superstar teachers had four other tendencies in common: they avidly recruited students and their families into the process; they maintained focus, ensuring that everything they did contributed to student learning; they planned exhaustively and purposefully—for the next day or the year ahead—by working backward from the desired outcome; and they worked relentlessly, refusing to surrender to the combined menaces of poverty, bureaucracy, and budgetary shortfalls.

… For example, one way that great teachers ensure that kids are learning is to frequently check for understanding: Are the kids—all of the kids—following what you are saying? Asking “Does anyone have any questions?” does not work, and it’s a classic rookie mistake. Students are not always the best judges of their own learning…

The Abell Foundation did a study called [URL=http://www.abell.org/pubsitems/ed_cert_1101.pdf] Stumbling for Quality[/URL] , and found that two most important characteristics of teachers (in relation to student achievement) were communication skills and an affinity for children. Verbal ability is closely related to cognitive function. They also found that the certification process is often a deterrent for the most capable and experienced- retirees and veterans come to mind as a good example of this. It has been proven to my satisfaction that certification has no bearing whatsoever on teacher effectiveness.

I’ve been looking over Teach for America as an avenue I might venture down once my kids have graduated. I think homeschooling for 20+ years should count for something. :)