The Concept of Effective Teaching

It is universally recognized that the teacher is the key person in an education system and whole
system of education revolves around him/her. Educational practice and researches are
continuously working in the area of “improvement of learning”. The concept of effective
teaching has emerged out as one of the component that contributes a large in improving learning.
Interaction in classroom is often dominated by the teacher. According to Ilukena, A. (1998)
teachers are the persons who can bring a difference in educational practices. Quality of their
teaching is an important factor in promoting effective learning in schools.

Effective teaching involves talking to the learners about their learning and listening to them. St.
Augustine quoted in Fisher, (1992) says I learned not from those who taught me but from those
who talked with me. Being important persons of the teaching and learning process, the effective
teachers must be highly competent in planning and organizing instruction as well as in managing
in classroom environment, if they want their students to be academically successful (Dilworth,
1991).

Cruickshank, Jenkins & Metcalf (2003) define effective teaching: Most people would agree that
good teachers are caring, supportive, concerned about the welfare of students, knowledgeable
about their subject matter, able to get along with parents…and genuinely excited about the work
that they do. Effective teachers are able to help students learn.

The concept of “Effective Teaching” is considered as a range of factors that collectively work
together and result in effective learning. Most of the people agree that the basic purpose of
teaching is to enable learning. An elaboration to this concept is required to fulfill the needs of
today’s youth in a knowledge-driven society where information rapidly increases at great scale.
Therefore the concept of teaching should move beyond the lower order skills of acquisition and
reproduction of knowledge and facts.

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The students require equipping them with more recent and advanced body of knowledge, and
enabling them to apply, upgrade and create knowledge. There are various aspects of effective
teaching, such as;

 Effectively managing a classroom,

 Starting each class with a clear objective,
 Engaging students with questioning strategies,
 Consolidating the lesson at the end of a period, and
 Diagnosing common student errors and correcting them that can be systematically measured by
observing classrooms and by asking students.

Principles of Effective Teaching

According to Walls (1999) student learning is better, faster, and/or more long-lasting when
teachers play the following four principles:
1: Outcomes
The outcomes enable students to focus their attention on clear learning goals. These outcomes
inform students of where they are going and how they will get there. Outcomes also provide the
teacher a framework for designing and delivering the course content. Outcomes enable teachers
to assess student learning as a measure of their own instructional effectiveness.

2: Clarity
The effective teachers provide explanations and give details of the course concepts and content.
If students DO NOT LEARN, it means the methods of delivery may lack the required degree of
clarity.
So the teacher should make the message clear from alternate perspectives to alternate senses, the
effective instructional practice of the teacher should afford students the opportunity to make
connections between the new material and the concepts that they have already been learned.

3: Engagement
This principle suggests that students learn by doing. Teachers must create an educational
environment that offers students the opportunity to practice every concept that they are learning.

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The effective teachers use those instructional strategies that engage students throughout the
lesson.

4: Enthusiasm
The principle of high level of enthusiasm reflects teacher's professional competence and
confidence, teacher’s subject matter knowledge and instructional experience. Teachers establish
a positive learning environment and show their enthusiasm for the subject matter. They use
student’s names, reinforce student participation during class, and keep moving among the
students.

Personal Characteristics of an Effective Teacher

Knowledge and skills are taught and learned at school. School is a little community in itself
where teachers and students interact with each other. During this interaction teachers influence
their learner’s behavior and learners influence their teacher’s behavior. The nature of this
interaction is an important factor in determining the learner's perceptions of school and his/her
attitudes toward school-related persons and activities. This factor involves the relationship
between the personality of the teacher and that of the learner.
A teacher’s personality traits are important as Callahan, (1966) says that the teacher
whose personality helps create and maintain a classroom or learning environment in which
students feel comfortable and in which they are motivated to learn is said to have a desirable
teaching personality. Research says that teachers are cognitively oriented toward pupils while
pupils are affectively oriented toward teachers. Teacher’s personality is, therefore, directly and
indirectly related to learning and teaching in the affective domain as well as to that in cognitive
and psychomotor domains.
Teachers have rights and responsibilities to develop a climate in the classroom which
supports effective learning. Aristotle quoted in Stephen Covey, "The Seven Habits of Highly
Effective People", says we are what we repeatedly do. Climate in their classroom is based on the
teachers’ personality and style of teaching, the tone of their voice, and the little things they
continually say and do on a daily basis. In the classroom, the learners’ behavior could be
determined from the way their teachers behave with them.

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 Marchbanks, (2000) in a study, examined the personalities of sixty students at the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill through a 110-question questionnaire. The traits of
passion, patience, cooperation, authoritativeness, and creativity were studied in particular
because these are the essential personality traits of an effective elementary school teacher. He
says teachers in the twenty- first century are responsible for the overall well-being of their
students, as well as educating, disciplining, and stimulating their developing minds. Because
teachers have these additional duties, many more requirements are needed to be an effective
teacher.
One must be passionate, patient, cooperative, authoritative, and creative in order to be an
effective teacher beside the basic and extended knowledge of the subject he/she is teaching. A
true passion for both the profession and the children is essential; a teacher must look forward to
his/her job every single day, having the desire to instill in the students all the knowledge and
skills needed to lead a happy, healthy life in today’s world. Patience is needed to maintain that
passion and desire for teaching. In order to interact with the children and other teachers most
effectively, an overall cooperative personality is needed. A degree of authoritativeness is
necessary to preserve order and discipline in the classroom. Finally, teachers have to be creative
in their approaches to instruction to earn the most successful results in educating their students
(Marchbanks, 2000).
Thompson, Greer, and Greer (n.d) says that “every teacher should possess twelve
characteristics such as displaying fairness, having a positive outlook, being prepared, using a
personal touch, possessing a sense of humor, possessing creativity, admitting mistakes, being
forgiving, respecting students, maintaining high expectations, showing compassion, and
developing a sense of belonging for students”. These characteristics are given as bellow:

1) Fairness
Fairness is one of the characteristics of the students’ favorite teachers. All humans possess an
inbuilt sense of fair play. Whenever a person violates, the other person in this situation is prone
to react negatively.
Any impression of favoritism, or lack of fairness, leaves scars on the life of persons that lasts
forever. The students report in great detail, the unfair actions of their teachers when they had
negative experience of competition between classmates, even after many years have passed.

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2) Positive Attitude
Another characteristic that students’ like most is the positive attitude and approach of their
teachers they use into the classroom. Scholars suggest that effective teachers are those who use
meaningful verbal praise to get and keep students actively participating in the learning process.
The effective teachers are generally positive minded individuals who believe in the success of
their students as well as their own ability to help students achievements.
If the teachers have positive attitude they “catch students doing things right” rather than
“catching them doing something wrong.” The students often recall praise and recognition that
was given by their teachers at schools, and they point to the confidence and direction that often
resulted in their lives.

3) Preparedness
Competence and knowledge of the content area being taught is something that our college
students have always mentioned about their favorite teachers. In a research the students pointed
out that in classrooms where teachers were well prepared, behavior problems were less
prevalent. The well-prepared teacher is more likely to be able to take time during lessons to
notice and attend to behavioral matters, and is less likely to miss the beginnings of potentially
disruptive activity. If, on the other hand, teachers have not spent sufficient time in planning and
preparation, they tend to be so focused on what they are doing that they miss the early signs of
misbehavior. This ultimately results in frequent disruption, waste of valuable instructional time,
and student’s frustration.

4) Personal Touch
Teachers who are connected personally with their students; call them by name, smile often, ask
about students’ feelings and opinions, and accept students for who they are. As well as the
teachers who tell stories of their own lives events which relate to subject matter currently being
taught, motivate student’s interest and endorse bonding with the students. Teachers who show
interest in their students have interested students.

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5) Sense of Humor
If a teacher has the ability to break the ice in difficult situations with the use of humor,
this is an extremely valuable asset for teaching. According to McDermott & Rothenberg (2000)
students enjoy teachers with a sense of humor and remember those teachers who made learning a
fun. Good teachers enjoy a laugh with the class occasionally.

6) Creativity
Students always like the unusual things that their teachers do in creative ways. Construction of
models or things from wastage like plastic bottles provides a field into which students could go
and work themselves quietly on academic activities such as puzzles and word-finds. Fun
activities arranged by teachers into the classroom encourage the students towards learning.
Teachers can use unique ways of motivating their class. Teacher can set a reward for the class on
reaching a particular academic goal. For example a teacher can give extra marks of work done by
the students in a creative way.

7) Willingness to Admit Mistakes

Like everybody, teachers may make mistakes. Sometimes students may know when their
teachers make mistakes. Unfortunately, some teachers try to let the mistakes go unnoticed or
cover over them quickly. Teachers who recognize their mistakes in a very humble and pleasant
way and apologize them. This act of teacher provides an excellent model for the students, and
they may be remembered as a good teacher.

8) Forgivingness
The effective teachers reflect a willingness to forgive students for misbehavior. For example if a
student repeatedly asks irrelevant questions and detracts others from the lesson. The teacher can
simply say the question is irrelevant and direct the student for further study.

9) Respect
The teachers desire be respected by their students. The teachers who give respect to their
students are always respected by them. Effective teachers can train their students be respectful by

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many ways such as, he can keep individual grades on papers confidentially, or can speak to
students privately after misbehavior not in front of others. Good teachers show sensitivity for
feelings and consistently avoid situations that unnecessarily make students uncomfortable.

10) High expectations

Teachers with positive attitudes also possess high expectations for success. Teachers’
expectation levels affect the ways in which teachers teach and interact with students. Generally,
students either rise to their teachers’ expectations or do not perform well when expectations are
low or non-existent. The best teachers have the highest standards. They consistently challenge
their students to do their best.

11) Compassion
Hopefully, school is a place where children can learn and be nurtured in an emotionally safe
environment. Sometimes in youngsters classrooms there may happens a significant amount of
cruelty and hurt feelings. In these situations a caring teacher tries to reduce the impact of hurt
feelings on learning.

12) Sense of Belongingness

Teachers develop a sense of family in their classrooms. A variety of strategies, such as random
act of kindness awards, class picture albums, and cooperative class goals build a sense of unity
and belongings and maintain an emotionally safe classroom. Good teachers also took strong
measures to prevent mean and hurtful behavior like teasing and bullying. Effective teachers
know well that when children feel emotionally and physically safe, they learn far better.

Professional Qualities of an Effective Teacher

The professional characteristics of an effective teacher are as following:
1. Collaboration
The teacher works with others to achieve a common goal.
i) Interacts constructively with peers/colleagues, administrators, supervisors, staff, mentor
teachers, and parents

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• Shows consideration and respect for thoughts and feelings of others
• Demonstrates effective verbal and non-verbal communication skills
• Demonstrates flexibility with others
• • Maintains communication with colleagues, supervisors, and mentor teachers when questions
or concerns arise
• Solicits suggestions and feedback from others and recognizes a range of valid viewpoints
ii) Functions as a contributing member of an instructional team to achieve long-term curriculum
goals, state content standards, and district standards
• Shares ideas and materials
• offers ideas and observations at Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings
2. Honesty and Integrity
The teacher demonstrates truthfulness, professional behavior, and trustworthiness.
i) Displays honesty and integrity
• Maintains confidentiality
• Elicits trust and respect from both peers and supervisors
ii) In completing course and field experience assignments, produces original work and credits
sources when appropriate
3. Respect
The teacher honors, values, and demonstrates consideration and regard for oneself and others.
• Is respectful of cultural patterns and expectations within a community context
• Presents self in a professional manner (e.g., dress, communication)
• Speaks and behaves in a manner that is sensitive to linguistic and cultural differences and
respects the dignity and worth of others
• Establishes good rapport with students and colleagues
• Seeks to address the varied learning needs of students in his/her classroom, including lower-
performing children and those with disabilities
• Recognizes and respects identities informed by a group’s historical context
4. Commitment to Learning
The teacher values learning for self and students.
i) Exhibits energy, drive, and determination to make one’s school and classroom the
best possible environment for teaching and learning

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• Plans and delivers instruction that engages all students in his/her classroom and addresses their
learning needs

• Values ongoing assessment as essential to the instructional process

ii) Demonstrates a commitment to students’ learning
• Implements research-based strategies
• Proposes ideas and solutions that address curriculum, instruction, and classroom management
• Locates and/or creates materials that bring about student learning
• Assumes responsibilities, locates materials and resources, and improves teaching
• Reflects upon and evaluates effectiveness as a teacher, and seeks to improve skills
• Reflects on and offers ideas to address curricular, instructional and classroom management
matters
• Engages students in discovering how knowledge is constructed
• Actively and consciously looks for stories, wisdom, action, and creations of knowledge from
diverse perspectives
iii) Reflects on performance and attitudes as a teacher
• Reflects upon and evaluates effectiveness as a teacher, and seeks to improve skills
• Receives feedback in a positive manner and makes necessary adjustments
• Regularly re-assesses his/her commitment to the profession
• Evaluates instruction and student interactions and modifies as needed

5. Emotional Maturity
The teacher demonstrates situation appropriate behavior.
i) Is self-confident and enthusiastic
• Displays enthusiasm for teaching and the subject matter
• Demonstrates self-confidence through body language, voice tone, eye contact, preparedness
• Exhibits energy, drive, and determination to become a professional educator
ii) Is dependable, conscientious, and punctual
• Arrives early or on-time
• Completes assigned tasks in a timely manner
• Follows through with assignments and expectations

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iii) Models social skills, character traits and dispositions desired in students.
Establishes caring and mutually respectful relationships with students
• Explicitly teaches and models desired behaviors and attitudes

6. Leadership and Responsibility

The teacher acts independently and demonstrates accountability, reliability, and sound judgment.

i) Is aware of acts according to school policies and practices

ii) Advises students in formal and informal settings

• Shows concern for all aspects of a student’s well-being, is alert to signs of academic and
behavioral difficulty, and responds appropriately
• Actively listens to and advises students, making referrals as appropriate
iii) Meets work schedule demands
• Is prepared for lessons and other responsibilities
• Meets and consults with mentor teacher each week to plan lessons
iv) Is aware of the importance of professional appearance and demeanor
• Dresses professionally
• Displays a positive attitude
• Communicates in a professional manner
v) Demonstrates initiative, in an acceptable manner, for introducing programs or practices in a
school or classroom
• Make suggestions at faculty meetings
• Offers ideas to mentor teacher and other instructional team members around instructional,
curricular, and behavioral needs of students
• Has obtained and read school policy manual
•Adheres to class and school rules and policies

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