Reflective
There is nothing impractical about developing visions of what could be. Indeed, constructing such visions is a very practical enterprise, for all innovation begins with vision.
Good teaching is reflective. Good teachers must think about their work, both before and after they teach. Before they teach, they must ask: what do I wish to accomplish here? And: will this material, in fact, accomplish that end? Afterwards, they must ask: what has been accomplished? Was it what I set out to accomplish? And: was it good, whether or not I set out to do it?
Good teaching is reflective. Good teachers must think about their work, both before and after they teach. Before they teach, they must ask: what do I wish to accomplish here? And: will this material, in fact, accomplish that end? Afterwards, they must ask: what has been accomplished? Was it what I set out to accomplish? And: was it good, whether or not I set out to do it?
Above all else, however, good teaching requires that teachers reflect about the purpose of education itself. Professor and author Joel Kincheloe has pointed out that, in our present historical moment, teachers are often actively discouraged from reflecting on the material that they are told to teach. They are also not asked for their opinion on What Is Worth Knowing. And it is, perhaps, tempting for teachers to submit to this: it is easier not to reflect, not to push back. The only result of this, though, is a society where the people who do the teaching have no say in what is taught, a society where instruction is in the hands of politicians and policymakers who do not know the students.
Engaging
[E]ducation... is a process of living and not a preparation for future living.
Education is a social activity: it is, at its core, an interaction between people.* It works best when those people have a positive relationship. Positive relationships require people that care about each other; the teacher, as the adult, must be the person who initiates and constantly demonstrates this care through word and deed. Good teaching is engaging, and engaging teaching requires teachers to care about their students.
Engaging teachers also tap into students' interests and desires. Students come into the classroom with many interests already in place; good teachers know how to connect important subject material to these interests, which allows students to be drawn into the material automatically and frees the teachers' energies to be spent on actually helping students grasp the key ideas and skills, rather than keeping them attentive.
* I leave aside here the possibility of machine educators. I believe that, because education is a social endeavor, machines will always be incapable of producing The Educated Person--at least, not until they are themselves in some sense persons, which is a whole other kettle of fish.
Education is a social activity: it is, at its core, an interaction between people.* It works best when those people have a positive relationship. Positive relationships require people that care about each other; the teacher, as the adult, must be the person who initiates and constantly demonstrates this care through word and deed. Good teaching is engaging, and engaging teaching requires teachers to care about their students.
Engaging teachers also tap into students' interests and desires. Students come into the classroom with many interests already in place; good teachers know how to connect important subject material to these interests, which allows students to be drawn into the material automatically and frees the teachers' energies to be spent on actually helping students grasp the key ideas and skills, rather than keeping them attentive.
* I leave aside here the possibility of machine educators. I believe that, because education is a social endeavor, machines will always be incapable of producing The Educated Person--at least, not until they are themselves in some sense persons, which is a whole other kettle of fish.
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