Good Teaching

Question: What are the characteristics of good teaching?

Answer/Quote: “If it is true that learning is best facilitated through active involvement and by thinking about and discussing what is being learned, then this constructivist approach should apply to teachers as much as to any other group of learners….” P. 14.

Comment: Okay, we already know this. But how does one make learning active? Begin literary discussions with students’ questions about the literary work. Begin lessons with intriguing questions. Even the most mundane topics can activate students with real questions to which students want real answers: Why is the comma important in clear written expression? What are the most frequent uses of commas? Which uses of the comma can be relegated to a list of models?

And then, when the lesson is completed, spend fifteen minutes in writing, reflecting on what happened and possibilities for changes in the lesson. The “basics” in good teaching. RayS.

Title: “Fulfilling the Promise of Literacy Coaches in Urban Schools: What Does It Take to Make an Impact?” Barbara Steckel. The Reading Teacher (September 2009), 14-23.