Images of Teacher

My image of a good teacher is largely based on my experience as a mother, because one the biggest parts of a parent's role is to teach.  Another piece of my image is from my son.  His calculus teacher in high school had a very positive influence on him, so I asked him what made her such a good teacher.  His reply was that she knew the material very well and she really cared about all the students.

So, I believe a good teacher has to, first, know the material or they won't be respected.  They have to be able to communicate in different ways and, even more importantly, be able to really hear and understand what their students are saying.  In order to do that, they do have care about all their students.  They also have to be honest, fair, and firm to keep their students' respect.  And they must be willing to learn from others, including their students, in order to continue to improve themselves.  I also believe being creative and flexible and technology-savvy are very beneficial.  They have to be able to motivate their students and multi-task!

The images on p. 8 of the Phillips and Carr book were a bit difficult to read, but from what I could tell, many of the characteristics include "feel-good" and "happy" images.  There were some references to experience and knowledge, but most of the ideas seemed to be focused on nurturing.  I don't think that is bad, but more attributes need to be included, such as being a firm disciplinarian when necessary and having the knowledge of the subject you're teaching. 

I don't see anything referencing analysis or decision making, but to be fair, that is a bit hard to "draw."  I do believe you have to synthesize and reflect on what worked or didn't work in each of your classes and update your actions based on your observations.  I think that is a microcosm of classroom research that should be included daily.