Good Teacher and the Learner’s-Centered Classroom

Teaching is considered as the act of transferring learning instructions to the learners in the

classroom situation. It is evident that the main function of teaching is to make learning effective

and efficient.

Anybody can teach, but the real question is, is it everyone that can teach well? Being a good

teacher is extremely important, and a good teacher is someone who a student will remember and

cherish for the rest of their lives. He/she is always ready and willing to leave that indelible mark

in the minds of their learners. Being a good teacher involves patience, empathy, and respect for

one’s students. But what really makes a good teacher? In order to become a good teacher, you

need to showcase strong communication skills, teamwork, time management, problem-solving

and organization.

Research from the Economic Policy Institute as cited in Gagnon (2019) shows that good teachers

are the single most important factor that contributes to student achievement in the classroom,

more important than facilities, school resources and even school leadership. It is also indicated

by research that a good teacher is the one who give their students roots and wings, Roots to know

were home is, wings to fly away and exercise what is being taught to them (Kidzrio, 2015). I am

of the convection that one of the main responsibilities of every teacher to shapes the future of the

child in and out of the walls classroom.

There are a lot of things to consider when attempting a question of this nature. This write up

makes an attempt to examine some of the components of a “good teacher” which in my opinion

are considered to surpass the many.

Good and Strong Communication Skills:

When it comes to effective teaching, good and strong communication skills is a must. Effective

communication is a critical asset to acquire in professional teaching and learning. In teaching,

having strong communication skills as a teacher is an essential component for building teacher-

student rapport and creating a trusting and enabling environment for the learners. Being a

classroom teacher for more than a decade, having the ability to constructively express your-self

in terms of verbal, writing, visual, and body language together with the ability to transform ideas

into student understandable forms will deliver knowledge with a responding result. In order to

becoming a good teacher, you must be able to communicate the classroom’s curriculum in an

effective and organized manner that the students will be able to understand.

Good and Effective Listening Skills:

Being a good teacher means having your students listen to you and making sure that you listen

and give your students the attention they need by answering all of their questions. It is of greater

value when you listening attentively to your learners because it allows you to better understand

your learners. Effective listening skills also help a teacher better understand their learners and

tailor lessons to reach them how they learn best. What we should bear in mind as educators is,

truly listening to our learners will open the door for them to receive and learn the lesson that is

being taught. We as facilitators should know that effective listening will enhanced better

understanding which in turn will yield positive learning outcomes.

Active Collaboration:

Working in the field of education means you are not working in isolation, you are not working

alone. From those at helm of educational affairs to decision makers, to school administrators to

the classroom teacher, working as a teacher means you will never work alone. Working in a

group means you are working as a family.

As indicated by research, the key to success in the educational context is the ability to

collaborate effectively (Gagnon, 2019). Collaborating effectively with each other when working

as a team, it's also important to keep an open mind and learn from other educators.

A Role Model:

Teachers who model the same behaviors they ask from their students are more likely to help

students cultivate desirable habits and behaviors. In a recent study, it is outline that students learn

from continuous observation of the ways their teachers handle difficult and stressful situations,

how they relate to their patients, and how they deal with ethical and moral issues (Azer, 2005).

We should bear in mind that teachers should have the desire to become a role model for students

to look up to, to learn from, and to remember for the rest of their lives. This is one effect that in

my opinion has impacted and felt the power and lasting presence of an effective teacher, who

also had a bigger impact on his or her learners.

In order for a teacher to justify the fact that he or she is a good teacher, he/she should create a

learning experience that will have a lifelong effect on the learner. For such to be achievable, one

will tend to ask the following; what is the role of the teacher in the classroom? What will the

teacher say? What level or standard will the teacher be responsible for? All the above questions

only target the teacher. What about the learners? What will the learners interested in? What can
be done in order for the interest of the learners to be properly guided? How can standards be

incorporated into students’ interests?

Teachers encourage student-centered learning by allowing students to share in decisions,

believing in their capacity to lead, and remembering how it feels to learn (MacCarthy, 2015).

It has been recorded from research that Student-centered classrooms include students in

planning, implementation, and assessments. Involving the learners in these decisions will place

more work on them, which can be a good thing. Teachers must become comfortable with

changing their leadership style from directive to consultative -- from "Do as I say" to "Based on

your needs, let's co-develop and implement a plan of action” (MacCarthy, 2015). As educators, it

is our responsibility to empower our learners. The learners should have the sense of authority

over their own learning activities, this in turn will harmer home a holistic learning experience.

One of the best ways to do this is by giving students choices and fueling their sense of autonomy.

Below are some of the tips which if properly applied in the classroom will in my opinion

gravitate learners towards the classroom.

Allow Students to Share in Decision Making

Letting learners to take the center stage in their learning process will not only help the learner to

better understand the learning activities, it greatly help the teacher who acts as a facilitator.

According to Armstrong (2018), students are being empowered to sit in on school board

meetings, take a role in the hiring of teachers, serve as consultants in the development of

curricula, and advise school officials on discipline matters. Emphasizing student voice in these

ways, builds civic values, improves student engagement, lowers drop-out rates, and helps to

boost academic achievement.

Believe in Students' Capacity to Lead

Give students the chance to take charge of activities, even when they may not quite have all the

content skills. Teachers need to always bear in mind that the most important resource in their

classroom is the students themselves. To make your classroom more engaging, be sure to give

students ample opportunities to share their thoughts, ideas, and opinions on whatever topic

you’re learning about and to also allow them to take absolute control over their learning process.

Ask for student learning plans rather than lesson plans.

Lesson plans show what the teacher intends to do in class. If a plan essentially says that students

will be sitting and listening for the duration of the class, it might be an indication that the teacher

needs some fresh ideas for engaging students. Of course, teachers should still plan and document

their own actions for class. After all, they are the ones facilitating the learning. However, as an

administrator, in order to center student learning, you should also be aware of what students, not

just teachers, are doing in the classroom.

In conclusion, in order to increase student engagement, you must know your students and find

out what makes them tick. And remember that there’s no substitute for experience. A truly

personalized approach to learning involves a direct human connection between teacher and

student, with an eye to discovering that student’s personal interests, aspirations, perception of

challenges, goals, talents, and cultural background, among many other variables. These factors

are then connected to learning experiences — courses, clubs, projects, small groups, independent

study, modules, mentorships, and other academic events that are tailored to the unique needs of

the student.
References

Armstrong, T. (2018). 8 Ways to Boost Student Engagement by Giving Students Choices.

Retrieved from https://www.institute4learning.com/2018/05/04/8-ways-to-boost-student-

engagement-by-giving-students-choices/

Azer S. A. (2005). The qualities of a good teacher: how can they be acquired and sustained?.

Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 98(2), 67–69. https://doi.org/10.1258/jrsm.98.2.67

Gagnon, D. (2019). 10 Qualities of a Good Teacher. Retrieved from

https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/education/qualities-of-a-good-teacher

Kidzrio (2015). What Is Teaching Profession? Retrieved from

https://www.slideshare.net/EducationRainbow/what-is-teaching-profession

MacCarthy, J. (2015). Student-Centered Learning: It Starts With the Teacher. Retrieved from

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/student-centered-learning-starts-with-teacher-john-mccarthy