What makes a Good Teacher?
” The short answer is “no”. But this week saw a significant move towards an evidence-based view that might yet influence the politicians. At the invitation of the Cambridge Assessment agency, a group of experts gathered at Westminster to pool their research knowledge and grapple towards a definition of a “good teacher”. The timing was excellent since the House of Commons Schools and Families select committee is about to start an inquiry into teacher training. And it was encouraging that its chairman, Barry Sheerman, who chaired this seminar, said his committee preferred to be informed by evidence based on thorough research rather than on opinion.
Research detailing the direct effect of good teaching on pupils is difficult to assess, as relating good teaching directly to higher attainment in pupils is almost impossible to verify. However there are many attempts to analyse what constitutes a good teacher. The following points are generally agreed to have an impact on pupils: Subject Matter Knowledge Highly knowledgeable and up to date in their subject area, but do not pretend to know it all, willing to learn from pupils Teachers repertoires of best practices Provide learner with clear tasks, goals, and requirement and inform them of progress made. A key skill in teaching is the ability to explain and describe things clearly Encourage pupils to think, to make connections, to practise and reinforce, to learn from other learners and to feel that if they make mistakes they will not be ridiculed or treated negatively Promote pupil participation through problem solving, questioning, discussion and buzz group activities Treat all pupil
