What makes a successful teacher?

by

by David Safier
If anyone knew exactly what qualities it takes to make a successful teacher, we'd have half our education problems solved. Having said that, Wendy Kopp, the founder of Teach for America, is interviewed in the NY Times, and she has some thoughts on how to predict who will be successful, which, I think, hit the mark.

According to Kopp, the two most important traits are past demonstrated achievement and perseverence.

We’ve done a lot of research on the characteristics of our teachers who are the most successful. The most predictive trait is still past demonstrated achievement, and all selection research basically points to that. But then there is a set of personal characteristics. And the No. 1 most predictive trait is perseverance, or what we would call internal locus of control. People who in the context of a challenge — you can’t see it unless you’re in the context of a challenge — have the instinct to figure out what they can control, and to own it, rather than to blame everyone else in the system.

In this case, there are so many people who could be blamed — kids, kids’ families, the system. And yet you’ll go into schools and you’ll see people teaching in the same hallway, and some have that mentality of, “It’s not possible to succeed here,” and others who are just prevailing against it all. And it’s so much about that mind-set and the instinct to remain optimistic in the face of a challenge.

"Past demonstrated achievement" is probably a combination of intelligence and the desire to use it. You're most likely to find that in the top half of any graduating college class. And perseverance is the drive to stick with something and find a solution, even when there doesn't seem to be a solution.

As for her last paragraph. Amen. If you take the teachers at any school and divide them into those who complain about their students and those who think of their students' academic and personal weaknesses as challenges, places the teacher has to discover ways to help the students succeed, you've pretty much divided them into the unsuccessful teachers and the successful teachers.

Discover more from Blog for Arizona

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.