22016 ‘The 10habits of tlontadtoachars and how you can be ene eo| Berson Fercat | Linke i BE ~ Search fr peopl, jobs, companies, and mor, B_] aavareet eB my Heme Profle MyNelwork Jobe ——_iorste Businses Servions Ty Pram for fice Learning Space Event 2016 -Loam about tho tstost trends In loorning facilities -join tho Surmmit 2018, = Pulse [Bubish post] ‘The 10 habits of talented teachers and how you can be one too Bonen Fort America Is Evasion bling Tax Knowing When to Walk Away tie Bach ‘The Antidote to Stress is sructure 7 Fagot ose Follow Telecom Act At 20: Forgotten Origin Story For Facebook, Google, Natt? The 10 habits of talented teachers and how you can be one too Sell-Driving Cars Just Got the Fob §,2016 | 362 viows & 34 Likes ©} SComments | IE HA ‘What exactly are talented teachers? ‘The focus of the phrase tends to be on the classtoom and on teaching, rather on the multitude of jobs that teachers are in reality responsible for. Obviously, they provide compelling lessons which % command the attention of even the most distracted students, securing results which are tinexpectedly outstanding, Beyond that though, the definition of a talented teacher should be synonymous with a well rounded and capable professional, not just an excellent classroom practitioner. Lam not one of those people who believes that teachers are purely born, not made’. A virtuoso violinist on the other hand is definitely born, beeause no amount of practising is going to get you to the very top, ifyou're not lucky enough, to possess the neurological and cognitive gifts required. However, there is still some validity in the statement, since there are some teachers who because of their personality and character naturally make great teachers. As well as being reasonably successfil with all the key teacher competencies (a product of training, and experience), these folk radiate a kind of confidence, benevolence and enthusiasm that makes them fairly easy to spot. Everyone else then has a choice tomake-- you're cither going to try and assimilate what you see in the best, into ‘your own eareer or doggedly stick to your internal instinets. I've met alot who've ipo eked cernpulst0-hali-tlentad teachers-how-yeurcer-cre-too bancor rar ‘weeere oT ee sropoie ‘The 10 habits of elena teachers and how you cen be one foo | Berson Fert! [Unk tried to do the latter and either never held satisfying jobs or left the profession entirely, Ofcourse, all teachers are individuals and our own unique strengths and ‘weaknesses play a part in determining how effective we are, supported by training, experience and professional development, We don’t all do the same things and neither should we need or want to, 1 do believe however that there are some commonalities between talented teachers and many of the most important characteristies ean be emulated, Jearned or adopted - to a point. I've always held the view that, unless you're already a stage performer, there's a nced to develop some acting skills. Whether a year spent in the Royal Shakespeare Company is a better preparation for teaching than a PGCE is, I shall leave for debate another day! As an education sector though, we have to face the fact that society and particularly young people have grown to expect experienees (and therefore learning) that are inspiring, stimulating, activating and elevating, ‘Who can compete with a tablet computer that ean simultaneously fill your ears ‘with musie whilst you swipe away at a game, chat with a friend and purchase cut price sale items online. Although a digital lifestyle can get unhealthy, the bar has already been raised for teaches o responding to this in the elassroom is absolutely essential. Moreover, teachers are frequently having to problem-solve wider issues brought about by increasingly fragmented communities. Therefore a specialist skill set is ealled for, coupled with a willingness to adapt, all supported by educational leaders who have the knowledge and understanding to nurture talent in teachers. So yes, talented teachers can be made, providing the conditions are right. Let's go back to thinking about which habits mark out the ‘very best teachers and how these attributes can be encouraged. observe hundreds of lessons each year, here follows a distillation of some of my thoughts. ‘Talented teachers are those who: 3) Never stop thinking of ways to be better teachers. Be flexible and open to new ideas. Keep an eye out for new innovations and have ‘Take existing activities and the confidence to risk trying them in your teachi ‘modes of learning and reinvent them, turn them upside down and reverse engineer where appropriate. Seck feedback from the pupils on how they might change your activities to stimulate new thinking, 2) Set high expectations for behaviour and learning, always. ‘When it comes to expectations, who do you remember from your own ijpeulwonsirkedin.com pulse hatis-bented-teechers-how-yau-can-one-ton-banso ferare ‘Tho 10 ate of talented eachers end how youcan be one loo | Berson Fea [Linkedin schooldays? ‘The teachers who ignored low level disruption or those who set high expectations and were determined to get them? ‘The chances are you remember with the greatest fondness, those who vahued you being there and were caring, but also kept you and others in cheek. ‘They cared so much for your learning and future that they expended considerable personal energy to create the best possible environment. As adults, you probably now loathe the teachers who didn’t call for excellent behaviour end feel shortchanged to this day by those with a laissez-faire approach, Children will naturally behave within the scope that you ‘set. AND uphold’ expectations and wonder why their patience is then tested. - there are still to many teachers who don't clearly establish the right ‘A number one mistake is when a problem behaviour becomes recurrent, because only warnings are ever given and no effective higher deterrent is in place. Endless warnings are just an open invitation to carry on breaking the rules. Ido go ona Jot about expectations, because they are key. Look at the schools which set and communicate high expectations and you will see why they are one of the most important features of a school's broad characteristics, ‘Teachers with high expectations also set challenging lear ing objectives which are specific and innovatively differentiated, taking account ofthe variety of needs within their classes. 3) Make all learning purposeful and meaningful. Following on from the above, the first question I ask myself in any observation is "Is the point/value/ purpose of this lesson explicitly clear?" Sometimes I can't answer that question at all, sometinies it comes late on in a lesson, sometimes it's lear from the outset. If you're expecting pupils’ attention and want to command their interest, then it needs to be clear from the outset. ‘There are of course times when discovering the point is part of the process of the lesson, butit should be obvious enough to promote engagement. By meaningfil, lessons taught by talented teachers tap into the reference points of young people, that make sense to them in their current experience. After all, ‘we all continue constructing meaning ahout the world around us and if the starting point is completely alien to where we've come from, it's hard to ensure relevance. 4) Teach lessons that they themselves would have enjoyed at school. Some lessons I observe, I almost forget why Lam there and get absorbed in the lesson it is so good. Ihaveto remember not to start participating! ‘Then you know you're experiencing winning teaching. Put yourself in your pupils shoes, ask yourself, how long would this activity sustain my attention and engagement? hitptiwwn likes com/pulect0-heits-tloiod toachers-ot-yeu-cen-one to: bonsen-erad we‘The 10 habits ofteleted teachers end how you cn be cna too| Benson Feeari | Linkedin Don't lose sight of your childhood-self when planning lessons. 5) Empathise, but remain professional. Pupils want to work hard for teachers who are understanding and demonstrate ‘genuine concem for their lives. Sometimes personal anecdotes can be helpful and establish credibility with young people, on the basis that they are facing similar challenges. At the same time, it's important to be resolutely clear about where to draw the line, Brief and relevant vignettes about mistakes recognised, overcome and further avoided can be helpful - but keep these on a professional level Everyone carries a little big of baggage too, this needs to stay with you. Ill never forget the teachers from my own school days who tised to complain about their salaries in the classroom, You will be working long hours and need to balance ‘your finances carefully, but hopefully you'll convinee your pupils that the reason you're there is to help them learn and be the best that they can be. Some humans naturally have a greater personal need to be liked more than others. Fora smal] number, it makes up a high proportion of their individual self-valids 8 a person and as a teacher, leading to a conflict between the needs of the individual and the aims of the organisation. Tis nice to be appreciated, but talented teachers always put their professional obligations first and meet their primary emotional needs outside of the workplace. ‘They don't set out to be liked, they do their best and instead are respected. ‘That's not to say that we shouldn't draw immense strength from our network of colleagues too, but that shouldn't be our only source of encouragement, Otherwise politics can proliferate and personal priorities get misaligned with a school's corporate aims, which are the trite reasons why we are there after all, 6) Are great administrators too. ‘There's too much paperwork and administration in teaching not to be an excellent administrator, It is an essential part of doing the job well. ‘This means knowing what is expected of you in terms of record keeping and being prepared to seek out new ways to streamline administrative processes. If your school has a system for tracking and monitoring pupil progress, does it give you enough detail at the departmental level? Perhaps you can set up an adjunet system which will provide richer and more insightful perspectives into the progress of pupils within your subject area, ‘The most talented teachers ave really committed to meeting all deadlines. The complicated machines that are our nation’s schools cannot survive poor timekeeping. Effective teachers are ahead of the deadlines in anticipation of the ‘unexpected, recognising that anything could occur which demands their greater attention. Inspection is an example. Inspection is an artificial process which npstwivsinkedn co pulse habis-alnto-oschors-how-you- can one-too-bensor frresramote ‘The 10s oftalereedtashers and how you canbe ene too | Banson Ferrari Lnkecin looks at an organic whole - looking through a transient and badly focused lens. It is therefore essential that you can mobilise the best examples of your school's Practice when you need to, much of which will be evidenced through paperwork, pupil work and policies. 7) Plan for choice. ‘Talented teachers build choice into their lessons and activities, by recognising, that children respond to choices by selecting things of greatest interest to themselves or those things which match their learning preferences most closely. Imagine going to a restaurant where the only meal was salmon en crofite... some diners would be pretty upset at the lack of choice, even offended! Consider this: offering, greater choice not only engages pupils more effectively, it encourages ‘informed decision making and is likely to lead to much better behaviour, 8) Make learning memorable. Aim to break the mould’ on a weekly basis and provide something different. Familiarity can indeed breed contempt, so try to mix the inevitable familiarities up with startlingly different approaches. Use resources which create absorbing experiences, so that clock watching stops and time fies for pupils. Ok, let's say you're trying to get pupils to explain and remember Brownian motion in science. There's nothing like the drama of making up some black coffee ina glass mug (or even better, a tall but thin and wide glass trough), then introducing some whole ‘millcand being completely mesmerised by the movement of the particles. Film it and then watch it back in slow-mo, Can they predict what patterns will emerge? Nobody does this, so nobody is going to forget it either! ‘Think on that further. 9) Are enthusiastic, confident and charismatic. ‘These characteristics tremendously encourage memorable learning, as described ined lesson can be killed by lacklustre throughout the teaching day is above. An effective and meticulously pl Aclivery. Showing continuous enthusias: exhausting but essential. Ifyour subject is your world, then it's alot easier as your natural passion should shine through. If your subject is no longer inspiring your intrinsic curiosity about the phenomena around us, then that's hard to hide and maybe it's time to consider other eareer options. ‘There are few who ave confident from the outset. For most of us, confidence in teaching grew as a result of taking caleulated risks in our practice and seeing what the outcome was. Those who lack confidence, often just need a little support to tuy new things and can then kick-start their own learning process. T've seen trainee teachers who are glued to one spot in a rom, but the moment someone inspires the confidence in them to move around and take ownership over the hhipuhwonJinkesin.com/outse0-habits- ene teachers-haw-ycu-can-one-loo benson ftvspace, they then develop the confidence to do that by themselves, Confidence is built by taking bold steps forward, reflecting on what went well and what could be improved. Talented teachers have the confidence that secures excellent classroom management, meaning that distracting behaviour is dealt with and clirninated without delay. Confident teaching also supports memorable learning, 10) Contribute to the whole. ‘Talented teachers establish great practice within their own departmental area, but they also actively seck out ways to raise the profile of their department within the wider school and boost it's contribution to the whole, This includes the vatiety on offer within the co-curricular programme too. Again, this makes for memorable learning because pupils appreciate that a teacher is committed to ‘more than just their teaching area. Not just habits but ways of 'being and doing’ as teachers, these are just some of the ways teachers develop talent for their roles. Talent comes about through personal and organisational investment in individuals with the capacity to be exceptional. ‘The best schools identify and grow these individuals, but also seek to retain their talents. The latter may all too frequently overlooked. If you're seeking to develop and retain talented teachers, I would be happy to consult with you farther on how to make this strategic aim a reality. @ secondary Eda, Feocng, Teacher Mentoring Reports Barat cena | CS] Like Comment ES) KB EA 24 tos 6 comments ‘Ad your ommant Populerv Tracy Shand ‘Author of Boarcingology, avaliable for opportuniios ‘Another belian artic Benson. Some excelent points, Lite} Reply) 6 days ego & Os0ng Thanh and Benson Fores Benson Ferrari ausisoe at Deputy Head, Bredon Scnoo! (ISAVSofH) ‘Trans for your feedback Tracy, much appreciated. Like 6 days e90 liipsvtow.inkedin.com/pxsel10-habits talented teachers-how-yeurcerrone-oo-bensor-erer wea.