My teaching philosophy is to be passionate, enthusiastic, and engaging every time that I give a lecture so students are excited to learn more about the topic and become active learners. I don’t try to be the favorite teacher. Instead, I want to help the students to become self-sufficient, as scientists and physicians at the forefront of the field for the next half-century. I am most proud when I can make a positive difference in someone’s academic career and see the amazing accomplishments of those whom I have mentored. I truly believe that the future is in the hands of the students we lead toward careers as scientists and physicians. While in research we are only as good as our last experiment, the students we mentor and their future students are a legacy that will endure. Finally, Henry Ford once said, “anyone who stops learning is old, whether at age 20 or 80”. I truly believe learning is a lifelong process and my role as an educator is to instill lifelong learning in all my students

The main qualities of an effective teacher are, for me:1. to be permanently and critically reflective on the teacher's own teaching ; 2. ability to plan and deliver teaching informed by educational research; 3. creativity: teach to know her/his students, taking in consideration all limitations enforced by administrative, institutional or other reasons.

The main threats to become a valuable teacher are: 1. being unreflective, blindly believing and applying educational methods/tips; 2. believing and applying the academic traditions in teaching; 3. not exploring approaches to teaching further to one's previous experience.

The teacher should have content knowledge, well plan and good strategy teaching and learning

I thing motivation helps a lot. It helps to increase the inner strength of a student, moreover it increase the inner confidence. A very tough subject also seems to be easy if there is a full of confidence & full inner strength on students inside. They can do a big thing in future. At that time when they are successful on their own field, they can't forget those prof. who had motivated once a time.

Hello Suman. I have been teaching at the university level for several years and I concur with other posters that knowledge of the subject(s) you are teaching is primary. But, there is much more. (1) We all know that people learn using different learning skills and styles (i.e hearing it, reading it, writing it, applying it, hands-on doing it). Therefore, presenting materials in more than one format (i.e. being creative as mentioned above) and testing using a variety of techniques such as essays, multiple choice, and scenarios cover many learning and testing styles. I try to use an equal amount of each style so as to ensure that each student's strength is addressed. (2) Be genuinely enthusiastic and passionate about what you teach. Express it in your voice and your class lectures, projects etc. (3) Most important, and something that is often overlooked is this....have a sense of humor about yourself and your subject matter. Don't be afraid to laugh. When students find out you are a "real" person, and not a "plastic" stereotypical professor, it creates an incredible rapport. Students start to see you as a human being. They respond better in class, are more likely to ask questions and let down their guard when they know you are "real". One of the classes I teach is Death and Dying, and we do find humor in that subject, too. (4) Don't worry if you do not know the answer to every question that is asked. I look at teaching as a reciprocol relationship. No matter how much you know about your subject area, there will always be things you don't know. When I get one of those questions I just tell the class "I really don't know, but I will research it and tell you what I've found when we meet the next time." Students wlll not think you are a bad teacher as long as you are honest and follow up. Researching answers to students' questions has enriched my knowledge and is something I can add the next time I teach that class. (5) Keep up on the latest peer reviewed research and current events in your subject areas. There is nothing like real world events that brings subject matter to life and helps students relate to the material. (6) Finally, always have plan B and C ready if plan A does not work on any given day. Sometimes technology breaks down or some other unforseen event takes place. Have a back-up ready. There have been a couple of times that bulbs have burned out in the projector at the beginning of class when i was ready to show a video with a corresponding worksheet assignment. Instead, I did an impromptu (but available plan) to have students break into groups and do a small class project. Or times when I had laryngitis and showed a video that day instead of lecture. Always have an alternative for the "just in case" moments and you will never have to panic when things do not go as planned. Each semester I prepare two or three alternatives to have on hand if those situations arise.

I hope this will help you along with what other posters have suggested. The more you teach, the more spontaneous and relaxed you will become. It is always a work in progress, but also a fulfilling one, too. Good luck, Suman, and I am sure you will do well.

To know the best, one need to be informed by the worse. The worse lecture is a dictating lecture memorized by the lecturer but still this method is used by many university lecturer. Students will never get any benefit from such lectures. Some lecturers might blame the huge sized curriculum as a reason for such type of lectures.

Best lecture as I think, is not a lecture which include all detailed needed information, oppositely it should include the main frame. Successful lecturer should insist on humor and emotions and include jokes or interesting related stories in his lecture which will never be forgotten by the students and will help them to remember the information given. Additionally, the students will stay ''alert'' all through such lecture and reflective and this is what the lecturer need to receive during his lecture and build on.

Such types of lectures are not easy task as it need complete coverage of the lecture subject and a lot of search about related disciplines.

There is no need to to give multiple examples and demonstration which may take long time, however, this may differ according to the subject being taught.

The students need to come out with short main frame structure and not he full lecture details which could be found in any reference.

The art of teaching is teaching difficult subjects in simple way

One prof. said to his student, " I cannot teach you anything. I give the information and you teach it to yourselves" .

Teaching is where your knowledge is really tested and you are forced to look for answers to all types of questions asked by the army of your students and you do make the best efforts to find there reasonable answers in order to save your honor and on the way you learn a lot.

Is teacher(University level or High school or primary level..) born or created? Who is the BEST TEACHER? Best INSTRUCTOR?

Effective Lectures for effective teaching: no more then 10 minutes including the content, academic language with key words, critical questions and activities students have to perform such as; discussions, writing notes, sharing info using technology presentations, designing frame works to show understanding, cooperative learning techniques. the teacher can not work harder than the students

Dear Suman,

Teachers are born, and not made.

I still remember my English teacher who taught me English Grammar way back in 1965 when I was a student in the eighth standard. Whatever he taught in that one year or so was enough; I did not have to learn any more of English Grammar thereafter. In 1971, in the second year of my B. Sc. program, I found another teacher who taught me Real Mathematical Analysis. His way of teaching was so nice that it was impossible to forget the mathematics concerned. Finally, in 1973, I came across a teacher who taught me Sampling Distribution Theory in my M. Sc. program. He explained everything so lucidly that it looked as though what he taught was poetry itself!

All of these three revered teachers of mine had one quality in common. They were in the habit of entering into the classroom totally empty handed. Everything they taught were completely extempore.

For graduate students, teaching is largely an apprenticeship. One mostly teaches grad students by involving them in doing things rather than studying about them. I believe this approach of learning by doing has advantages in involvement and in progress assessment that compensates for the efforts required. In guiding students while doing things and in assessing their progress, much can be learned by asking nested questions and considering student responses and how many guided questions it takes to move them toward useful solutions. Deep learning is shown when students approach problems based upon a problem’s particular aspects versus simply grouping things into certain types of problems and following a rote procedure to solve them. So a teacher needs to be able to ask good questions and to work along with students as they learn to answer them.

Qualities

1. Understand target audience , its for them that we need to perform. Understand their

intellectual, comprehension, grasping power. Unless this research is done efforts are going to be futile.

2.Quote real-life examples that can relate to the concept, use anecdotes if required, have a lighter vein whenever necessary to break the monotony, make sessions interactive and thought provoking instead of one way communication

The best way to understand whether there is always a constant interaction between the teacher and the students in all the classes.

Responses will of course differ according to the average intellectual levels of the student. The teacher has to vary his teaching methods depending upon the audience i.e, the students.

As for as the teacher is concerned he should always feel in himself that he is still a student and strive to learn more and more and share the exciting things that are bound to follow.

Actually, those who join the teaching profession because they could not get any other jobs, end up being bad teachers. Teaching is an art. Every good teacher must necessarily have some bit of understanding of wit and humour in addition to vast knowledge in the subject concerned. They must be ready to answer every question that their students might ask.

For example, I used to teach mathematics when I had been a teacher. According to me, mathematics is the best kind of poetry if you can find the rhythm in it! I used to teach following that philosophy.

@ Hemanta Baruah:

If one could teach mathematics like a poetry, he must be a very good teacher indeed. I am still dreaming to be one such.

Firstly, you have make a preparation regarding the topics that you will teach. Secondly, you have to provide teaching aids. Thirdly, you have to give some activities, then after that you can make an evaluation at the end. Those things is the basic you can use during to implementation of teaching and learning.

@ John Tainer - I like your conception of teaching as apprenticeship [of related discipline and as internship of interdisciplinary fields.] Teaching is indeed a continuous conduct and reflection of best practices of interacting as co-teacher and co-learner.

Dear Professor Muthuswamy,

One of your fields of expertise is Design of Experiments as I have found from your profile. While teaching experimental designs, you will have to show your students how to fix the degrees of freedom for every source of variation. Once you allot the degrees of freedom to the different sources of variation, the degrees of freedom for errors are found by subtraction from the total degrees of freedom. You can do that because the degrees of freedom are additive.

Now please allow me to ask you a question. If a student asks you why the degrees of freedom are additive, what are you going to answer? Have you ever found a proof of this statement in any text book of Statistics in particular?

I shall wait for your reply. We shall thereafter talk about why I consider mathematics as the best kind of poetry.

@ Hemanta Baruah.:-

Thank you sir.

Because all occurrences that are visible to the eye are only additive.

Dear Professor Muthuswamy,

Now let me explain why I have said that mathematics is the best kind of poetry!

Actually, when one studies mathematics in particular, one must understand every basic detail that are involved in the process. In the applied sciences in particular, when a mathematical result is used, usually the root where from the result came out is not given enough importance; a mathematical result is just stated and used. This is what is done in Statistics, and thereafter the users of Statistics, say in Aerospace Engineering, just state the statistical statements where ever necessary.

In fact, in the theory of linear spaces, known also as affine spaces and vector spaces, it has been proved that if A and B are two linear sub-spaces with only the zero element common between them, the dimension of the 'sum' of the two sub-spaces (not union, because union of two linear sub-spaces is not necessarily a linear space) is equal to the sum of the dimensions of the sub-spaces. In other words,

dim(A + B) = dim(A) + dim(B)

where (A + B) is the inner sum of the two sub-spaces A and B. This result can be extended to any number of sub-spaces.

Now, what is defined as dimension of a vector space is called degrees of freedom in Statistics. Accordingly, as dimensions of some independent spaces with only the zero element common among them are additive, degrees of freedom concerned are also additive.

For example, in a randomized block design you have the following three sources of variation: rows, columns and random errors. Suppose there are m rows and n columns in the block. The m row totals would sum up to the grand total. Therefore as soon as any (m - 1) row totals are found out, the last row total will be fixed automatically. This is expressed as 'degrees of freedom for rows are (m - 1)'. Similarly, the n columns would be associated with (n - 1) degrees of freedom. In total, there were mn observations, sum of which is the grand total again, which is why the total degrees of freedom are (mn - 1).

Now the total degrees of freedom is equal to the sum of the degrees of freedom of rows, columns and errors, because degrees of freedom here are additive. This is so because the dimensions of the row space, the column space and the error space would sum up to the dimension of the inner sum of these three spaces. Here the dimension of the row space is (m - 1), that of the column space is (n - 1) and that of the error space is (m - 1)(n - 1), while the dimension of the entire vector space concerned is (mn - 1).

That is why, we can find out the error degrees of freedom by subtraction. In this case, it would be (mn - 1) - (m - 1) - (n - 1) = (m - 1)(n - 1). As you have seen, this proof is available in the theory of linear spaces, and not in Statistics.

While studying mathematics, if one simply jumps over certain results without trying to understand why the result is true, then it should no longer be called studying mathematics. Knowing big things without giving credence to the basics is not knowledge. If a student tries to understand every basic detail of an analytical result, one day he or she will find that mathematics is nothing but poetry itself. Statistics is nothing but a kind of mathematical science. Even Statistics would be poetry if all mathematical results used are understood properly.

I have cited a practical example from one of your fields of expertise. I hope, you would agree with me if I say that not just mathematics, every field of knowledge, must be studied and taught in such a way that students find the matters easy to understand. If that is not done, they will be forced to memorize certain results. That would be bad teaching and bad studying.

As I have said in an earlier post, if you have already understood every basic detail of what you are going to teach, you need not carry books and such other materials into the class room. When I was a teacher, I was in the habit of involving the students in deriving certain necessary results using diagrams or numerical examples, and thereafter when a result could be established, I used to mention that what we have proved is actually a theorem that can be stated even by the students themselves. I was never in the habit of stating the theorems with proofs following thereafter. I used to do the reverse. Discuss the proof first, and then state the theorem concerned. That way, mathematics becomes the easiest subject to study.

@ Hemanta Baruah:

Frankly this is an eye opener to me.I wish in my younger days I had a teacher like you to remind such important and necessary facts. I would have followed the advice to the core of my heart. Still not late , as mathematics is Truth , the statistics is one of its beauties glorified by it. Mathematics is actually living in spiritualism with the Spirit guiding it. All actions are guided within its ambit; and as you said all manifest things are easily seen, and people don't inquire how they manifest.

Though operating skill is great, one should not forget the operator; In this case the Operator is flawless.

Dear Professor Muthuswamy,

Thank you for your kind complements!

A good teacher must be ready to answer immediately any meaningful question that a student might ask. For that, the teacher needs to have a lot of patience. I have come across teachers who do not allow students to ask any question! That should not be the case. Teachers exist because there are students; it is not the other way around.

This can be better explained with the help of the following example. There are police because there are thieves. Thieves exist on their own; they do not exist because there are police. In mathematical style, it can be said that existence of police is dependent on existence of thieves. The reverse function does not exist! So instead of beating the thieves, the police should be thankful to them because thieves exist after all!

Similarly, teachers should be thankful to the students because they exist after all, and behave accordingly.

@Hemanta Baruah

Nice example, and logically described.My sincere respects. Teaching is a pure profession and keeps the teacher child at heart as long as he lives.Sanchita karma at its best.

For the physical education teachers, you have to experts with your content knowledge. Beside that, make sure you have good skills in physical activities. This is because in the teaching and learning of physical education in secondary schools the students will learn through physical activities.

For a school going kid the teacher should be loving and kind; for the students in the teens the teacher should be strict and disciplined, for the college students the teacher should have an element of romanticism; and for the post graduates it is purely intellectual; while for the doctorates and higher it is mostly silence.

In all these phases the teacher must love his work, is devoted and has an inner feeling of thrill which motivates him to teach better and better.

@Sundaresan Muthuswamy , @ Syed Kamaruzaman Syed Ali, @Hemanta Baruah ,@Francisco Cua, @Maritha Purperhart , @António Rei Fidalgo, @John Tainer, @Ravindra Shenoy

Thank you all for your contribution ans sharing your thoughts in this forum.

The skill of the ability of keeping students engaged with the topic, and the ability to mold their ideas with the objectives of the teaching material ......

Next to keeping students engaged we also need to focus on how both instructions and individuals are being challenged do produce more. We need to look at the topic and objectives and how it relates to the future such by asking the folowing question; will it get the student ready for college?. Also we have to keep instruction real and simple and deliver it with great possibilities.

I believe that a good teacher combines Passion and Knowledge, as both concepts are defined by Cornelius Castroriadis in his work Figures of the Thinkable, chapter Passion and Knowledge (http://www.costis.org/x/castoriadis/Castoriadis-Figures_of_the_Thinkable.pdf ). Recently, I have also come across this youtube video that talks about a young mans educational, rather learning dreams...a good teacher should help such kids evolve http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_ZmM7zPLyI

Before teaching, we must consider what our students wants and need as well as students expectation. After this, we must try to motivate students. Now they are ready to learn. Do not forgot to involve students in learning activities.

Unfortunately, the students can not select what they want to learn. The syllabus is something that has to be followed anyway.

We are mostly talking about teachers and skills as we are under the assumption that students are still children who can be willingly molded. In the earlier days the students are the ones to be molded and prepared to accept the lessons to be taught by a teacher. Now this concept is forgotten to a large extent and we categorize the students according to merit scored in the previous examinations. The good one goes to a better college/school and the less bright are attracted through commercial means. The students and the management are on one side while the teachers are made to set their house in order because they are paid. We have unwittingly degraded the role of a teacher.

@Sundaresan Muthuswamy I agree with your words said above. In Autonomous Institute Student (in their mind) believe that whatever taken in the class is sufficient to score in the exam. Most of the time it is not possible to cove the hole syllabus for the subject teacher. If you compare a Institute under University (where there are many Institute under that) student with Autonomous Institute, students under university gives more attention to cover the hole syllabus compared to Autonomous Institute. Though Autonomous Institute students having so many facilities for study materials like Subscription of NPTL Videos, Journals of IEEE, SPRINGER, ACM etc.

@Suman Debnath ·I agree there are variety of problems not going well with teaching now.

@ Suman Debnath - You are right. In fact, the motivation of students "to [get good] score in the exam" is a TRADITIONAL mindset that should be radically changed. Good education should not be about good score. Good education should be about developing skills for Business, Employment, Education, and Training (BEET). Good education should be about skills development first and then knowledge construction (not acquisition). Good education should be teaching less and learning more. The notion of less fits the education in terms of "unit standard" that embodies smallness (the unit) to focus on. Good learning seems to be equated with grandeur and huge learning. But the reality with the information overload mentioned by Paul Vossen (in another ResearchGate discussion) points to "smallness," "less," and "focus" in education to be appropriate and realistic.

Perhaps, we need to discuss more about how not to teach. That would be more fruitful.

@Francisco Cua - I agree with your words, that "to [get good] score in the exam" is a TRADITIONAL mindset" should be change. Along with i want to add some words. I believe if they (students) can be motivated in such a way that-

-They are the future innovator (they have right to think freely ,innovate)

-They have enough potential to do something new in future,

-Visualizing an enlighten future (what can they be in future),

-To give enough courage and believing themselves that their contribution will give a better world.

- Stimulate their critical thinking.

I believe if a teacher can be able to motivate them and give support that we are always with you----- we definitely expect a better world made by them.

My teaching philosophy is to be passionate, enthusiastic, and engaging every time that I give a lecture so students are excited to learn more about the topic and become active learners. I don’t try to be the favorite teacher. Instead, I want to help the students to become self-sufficient, as scientists and physicians at the forefront of the field for the next half-century. I am most proud when I can make a positive difference in someone’s academic career and see the amazing accomplishments of those whom I have mentored. I truly believe that the future is in the hands of the students we lead toward careers as scientists and physicians. While in research we are only as good as our last experiment, the students we mentor and their future students are a legacy that will endure. Finally, Henry Ford once said, “anyone who stops learning is old, whether at age 20 or 80”. I truly believe learning is a lifelong process and my role as an educator is to instill lifelong learning in all my students

My idea of teaching is to convey to students why teaching my particular subject (which is Hispanic and comparative literatures) is an absolute necessity for me. I seat them in a circle, no matter how numerous they are, and move from one side of the circle to another, plying them with questions and receiving their answers in an energetic dialogue.

@Jerry Shay

Perfectly said as a true experience and all those who were true can't say more.

The question is how to teach? In context of adolescents and adults as my students, I suggests seven GUIDES to my students as they achieve the "unit" curriculum that I design.

1. SOLVE Your Problem with LESS.

Underlying the notion of LESS throughout the unit standard is that of FOCUS. The Unit Standard connotes less intended learning outcomes, less elements and performance criteria in the protocol, less people to connect and collaborate, and less solutions to the problem. It follows the doctrine of teaching less learning more.

2. BUILD a Career for Yourself.

To generate solution to your own problem is a great way to build your own career with you as your own customer (and your own target market). You know what is important to you (and what is not). You know what your skills, knowledge, and attributes (such as beliefs and biases) are. The knowledge provides a starting point to generate the solution or a range of solutions for implementation. In effect, solving your own problem with yourself as your own customer enables you to build a career for yourself.

The Solution as the Object of the Unit Standard

With the solution or the range of solutions as the object of the unit standard, you achieve a Certificate of Proficiency within a period of three months or less and get to realize that many people have similar problems that need your proficiency of the task. The realization helps you to build a career for yourself.

3. UNDERSTAND All Assessment Requirements and EXPLORE Their Importance.

To achieve the unit standard, you should understand all assessment requirements thoroughly, such as the application, joint waiver statement, the specific level, pathways, credits, the argument model, the expected learning engagements in the intended learning outcomes (ILOs) and the protocol in the appendices and later comply them.

Here is a continuation of the list:

4. DEVELOP Skills Out of Necessity in the Shortest Time Possible.

NOW is the time to engage in the unit standard. Achieving the unit standard validates the proficiency of skills in the Unit Standard. The unit standard makes explicit the solution to the problem that many people face. With further practice and reflection, you can devise a better tool that you can use passionately to yourself and to others. In the end, you get them to feel passionate about the task. The passion together with inherent contextual constraints involved drives innovation and transforms you to become a life-long learner.

5. FIGURE What Is Really Important; PRIORITIZE the Requirements.

The items in the intended learning outcomes and the protocol in appendices are important presumably in the Unit Standard. Nevertheless, you still have to figure out what is really important in your context. The prioritization and flexibility lead to constraints of making tough decisions, such as which intended learning outcomes and the protocol to prioritize or to modify and what expectations as to time period, budget, and scope to set. ENGAGE this step while you develop your skills (Step 4) and CONVEY your argument during the “Job Interview” before the Assessor or Panel of Assessors.

Further continuation:

6. USE a Team of Three Musketeers.

The Unit Standard emphasizes active learning engagements. As an apprentice or intern, you interact with the unit standard’s facilitator and the business entity’s compliance officer or associated person (CO/AP) to embrace constraints while you achieve the unit standard. IMAGINE the development of learning portfolio as your project. IMAGINE again the learning portfolio as the outcome of your learning engagement as well as your product. The efficiency of the team is the inverse of the number of the members of the team. (the curriculum designer) chooses the three musketeers for you to produce your Learning Portfolio for the Unit Standard version 1.0. Communications flow easily on small team of three musketeers. Ultimately, GET the instruction from the facilitator when you are ready to submit your learning portfolio for assessment.

7. EMBRACE Constraints as You “PRODUCE” Your Learning Portfolio.

Reality reveals that resources are scarce. Many students under traditional learning might think that they have abundance of time. But to adolescents and adult learners, even time is limited. Time is one of the several scarce resources. You do NOT HAVE enough to navigate around the unit standard. You do NOT HAVE enough time and not enough people to interact and learn from them. Consequently, EMBRACE constraints. FOCUS and INNOVATE your learning. PRODUCE your learning portfolio that is evident of how innovative you are to embrace constraints as you achieve the unit standard in the shortest time possible.

BE Yourself.

Uniquely you, you differentiate yourself with the unit standard that you have achieved, the skills that you have developed, and the knowledge that you have constructed. You differentiate yourself when you started to embark in the learning engagements that empower you to customize your learning to fit your contexts. Now is the time to be proud of becoming the unit standard Task Practitioner.

Hi,

I think patience with student and the ability to understand them will help teachers to better communicate with students.

@ Rihab Abdelrahman - You are right. Teachers should be patient. To do so, they should have the empathy (understanding of other people's perspective and letting go of ego). Furthermore, you should cultivate WITH students the positive learning environments of a community of practice - that is a community of co-teachers and co-learners. It is wonderful to discover new things to learn from students.

Thus, as teachers we should develop an environment of "dissent" where we can candidly tell students "I don't believe you. Proof it." If we have develop this culture with students, they will not be hurt when we say that "I don't believe you not until you can prove it or you can justify it with chain of reasoning." Students like that. They develop their SELF-ESTEEM. Self-esteem becomes the essence of learning. Telling their stories and proofing their points are essentially critical thinking. Through telling stories, informal education is integrated into the sort of boring formal education.

The qualities of a good educator depend on the level of the students; college, secondary education, ect.... I believe that scary college professors are more effective, while nurturing teachers are better at lower levels

However,universally, effective educators are those that have the following 4 qualities:

1) Want to teach students; want students to learn.

2) Love the subject they are teaching

3) Want to impart more than just knowledge about their particular field; develop students critical thinking skills.

4) Dear to say this, care about their students!!!

Educators that do not care about their students, are not educators at all!!!

@ Michael Mannen - You are right on:

1. Level of students - For example, New Zealand Qualification Authority sets 10 levels. To illustrate, 10th Level is for PhD. Level 1 concerns generating solution or solving problem that concerns absolutely structured context. In Level 2, the context is still "somewhat" but not totally structured.

2. "Scary college professors" could be more effective. To me, I like teachers who are "terror" but fair. This remind of deities who are wrathful but nevertheless compassionate. However, this type of teachers does not fit all segments, even at higher levels.

3. Passion is the keyword for your first two qualities. I associate Empathy for your fourth quality.

4. I also agree with the 3rd quality. With the reality of information overload, LESS is MORE as to knowledge. LESS is FOCUS as to critical thinking.

Just thinking out aloud, to "educators" who do not care about their students, what is the appropriate name for them? :-)

A sportsman works hard and enjoys his game and hopes to make it to the Olympic level. Very few make it , but all those who aspired and participated respects the Olympian and adores him. There is considerable degree of fairness and above all a sporting spirit is imbedded in all which makes sport a great event. But the he difference between a Olympic champion on the quality and effort put is huge compared to a district level champion. The sportsman are awarded for their achievements and all welcome it, though sometimes the commercial angle shadows it.

Likewise there are Olympian level teachers with all the qualities cited above who remain hidden and unsung. There are no such awards, not that they want to seek them as they are selfless. All that society can do is to stand up and say " We all love you and respect you deep in our hearts, and you have been a carrier of truth over which the whole world is built up and functioning and can say nothing more"

Small teachers like me adore those hidden great ones the past and living legends and humbly pay my respects with unfulfilled desire of not meeting them in person.

Somehow I have learnt to cling on to That Invisible and Invincible Teacher Who all of us know Is silently witnessing and is the Source of everything.

@Francisco, they are called public school teachers ;)

I think that teaching and learning means establishing an interpersonal relationship between teacher and student.The teacher should have deep knowledge of this teaching, so will have flexibility to teach in various ways, both in theory and practice.

important that the teacher likes to have contact with students, feel gratitude for the work.

@ Jacqueline Quintana - the establishment of "interpersonal relationship between teacher and student" should extend to encompass other co-teachers and co-learners in the community. For the "feel [of] gratitude, the necessary antecedents are (1) creation and maintenance of positive perspective environments and (2) cultivation of empathy.

@Suman, you can't really separate "teaching" from "Assessment." A teacher usually takes care of both. So, this question has two questions in it: a) how to teach, b) how to assess students' performance. If the assessment mechanism is not correct, the communication with the student will be broken. So, my answer is:

*** On the SOFT side, a teacher establishes a communication with the student. Humans are emotional beings. If you trust your teacher, and believe that (s)he is fair, you will be invested in the class ... This SOFT side covers a lot of what has been said so far, including, caring about students, having passion for teaching, in general, establishing a personal communication with the students ...

*** On the more QUANTITATIVE side, the nature of the assessments is very important. There will be multiple different skill levels. How do you handle that ? I asked a question about this on RG. What should the testing methods and quantitative assessment mechanism be ? If this is not FAIR, you will lose the SOFT side too ... But, this topic (i.e., QUANTITATIVE) is an entire discussion thread in itself ...

@ Tolga Soyata - You are right. The assessment becomes the "hard" side because of the traditional approach to explicitly include the grades. In context of adolescent and adult education.

If this education focuses in development of skills and then construction of knowledge, the QUANTITATIVE side of assessment could be transformed into simply ACHIEVED or NOT ACHIEVED. This means that the students have to achieve ALL intended learning outcomes and to conduct actively ALL engagements designed in the curriculum paying attention to the meso (organizational) and/or micro (individual) contexts. In this way, there is less chance of cheating. There is less chance of students engaging in surface approach to learning. And there is also less chance of parents bribing teachers for students to get high grades. The last incidence is common in underdeveloped countries.

Tolga, you stressed the word quantitative twice. In Queensland Australia, we focus on qualitative judgements, at least up to age 17. That is, we describe the qualities that we want to see, then design assessment to provide multiple opportunities for those qualities to be demonstrated, then criteria that describe the qualities at different standards, then evaluate the assessment product against the criteria. Eventually, our peers examine our processes and products to verify what we have done. Assessment here is about describable qualities, not measurable quantities.

I have watched my partner, who tutors in humanities at university, convert her qualitative judgements into numbers for tha sake of the desired quantitative processes. I was bemused by the process because the translation strategy seemed to me to be spurious.

@ Tolga Soyata and @ Mark Gould - "Quantitative" versus "Qualitative." Converting qualitative judgments to quantitative scale could be embedded into the mindset (or culture).

For instance, the "general guidelines for the assessment and rating of learning outcomes" by the Dept of Education in the Philippines exhibit this behavior probably, as you have said, "for the sake of desired quantitative processes." I am wonder too (candidly) that the culture might associate quantitative scales to higher intelligence.

For instance, in page 1, the guide uses the "level" in the "level of assessment" and suggests percentage weight of 15% knowledge, 25% process or skills, 30% understanding(s), and 30% products/performances. The know-how knowledge is process. It is nevertheless a knowledge. So how does one separate the two in the develop of skills or in facilitating toward the proficiency. The know-what knowledge is a knowledge. IS IT POSSIBLE OR RELEVANT TO FORCE THE ASSESSMENT AND BREAK DOWN THE ASSESSMENT as to 15% knowledge, 25% process or skills, 30% understanding(s), and 30% products/performance.

The term "level" is again associated to "levels of proficiency," which in the report card should indicate: B = Beginning; D = Developing; AP = Approaching Proficiency; P = Proficient; A = Advanced. The AP descriptor states that "the student"..."has developed the fundamental knowledge and skills"..., with LITTLE GUIDANCE (my emphasis) from the teacher and/or with some assistance from peers, can transfer these understandings through authentic performance tasks. If the "little guidance" criterion will be strictly implemented in the K to 12 school, then possibly almost all students below Grade 9 will fall in B and D because Grade 8 and lower grades students will find difficulty in coping with their learning with "little" guidance unless the curriculum is designed to be non-challenging.

Readers might be amused that the DepEd assigns numerical value as follows: B = 74% and below; D = 75 - 79%; AP = 80 - 84%; P = 85-89%; A = 90% and above.

This is an evidence where Qualitative assessment is translated FROM quantitative values. There are other instances about the observation (http://www.gov.ph/downloads/2012/09sep/20120905-DepEd-DO-0073-BSA.pdf).

All quantities are examined qualitatively to complete the assessment; and all qualitative appearances are graded quantitatively to be put to use.Quality gives satisfaction and quantity the confidence.

@Mark, to answer your quantitative vs. qualitative, I will provide the following story: I attended a management class about 20 years ago. They mentioned one thing, that got stuck in my head, and I never forgot it two decades after I heard it. Here it goes:

*** Human nature is to always IMPROVE something

*** What you can't measure, you can't improve

*** Give students (or, employees in a business environment) something they can improve

*** Find a way to QUANTIFY it

*** They will improve it

This is why, converting things to quantities will allow students to improve those things.

Tolga. I have always abhorred that statement, and I don't agree with it. I would simply rephrase it to

Tell them how well they've done and explain what is needed to improve and they will improve it as long as there is a good reason. The world is full of measurables that lead people to inappropriate and wasteful actions to try to improve them. In education especially, measurable are often surrogates for true quality. Eg 90% is a measurable on an exam that is easy to measure but means nothing if the exam is unsuitable for testing the type of knowledges desired. Another example - writing a scientific essay. What would you measure that is meaningful? Wouldnt it be better to describe attributes of a good scientific essay and assess the student work against those qualities? In another RG question, people were lamenting superficial focus on content over critical thinking. Trying to find measurables is probably a major part of this problem. Content is much easier to meadure than critical thinking, which is best assessed by comparison wit quakitative attributes.

In every area of discipline there is a leader, who guides the entire lot. If the leader has most of the qualities that many would have cited, then there is change for the better. Whether we like it or not the choice of such a person is beyond the good qualities of a teacher alone, but is also driven by various other factors not scientific due to social reasons. If many good teachers who are working under such environment what nobility in the profession one can expect to measure and improve? Army discipline perhaps can make things in order but will lack the sanctity with which teaching should progress.

Even if the leader is good there is an ambitious management behind to tailor things.

@Mark, I see your point. I guess, since we are from different disciplines, this makes a difference. I am an engineer, my life is numbers :) But, I agree with you a lot that, for example, teaching how to write a good "publication" to a student, even if it is in a highly numbers-driven discipline like mine, is far beyond NUMBERS. Some of the qualitative differences, such as the "fluidity" are very difficult to quantify. In this case, we really depend on the amazing neural network in the human brain by providing subjective feedback and let the students figure it out on their own ... Subjectivity is the miracle nature gifted us ... Why not use it ? I am with you on that.

The only trouble I have with subjectivity is that, whoever is providing subjective feedback should understand the other side very well. NUMBERS try to make it somehow objective, so, it is consistent from one teacher to the other. Do you agree with that ?

I agree about understanding numbers. It is a particular problem here from a different perspective. There is currently a backlash to say that we should use numbers more becausebthey are objective. Unfortunately those pushing this point clearly don't understand that numbers are not objective if there is a subjective component in their generation. So YES to more understanding of numbers. For a while there was a push in Queensland to get rid of numbers altogether. I remained outside of this and kept using numbers where they were appropriate, such as in counting number of correct answers in the simple section of a Chemistry test and found ways to correlate this number with quality measures for the extended response section of the same test, where students were asked either elaborate on concepts in novel situations or solve extended problems. Alaways! More understanding and critical thinking about each context is advisable.

Unfortunately, it has been my experience that Qualitative based measurements are used for the glory of the school and for parents to point out how knowledgeable their child is. It is also used for ranking students into a hierarchy of achievement.

Quantitative measurements indicate whether or not the student has or has not achieved the stated educational objective. Now, this requires careful consideration of the objective and the correct selection of the Action Verb used. After all, I want a pilot to safely land an aircraft 100% of the time, not 80%.

In my development efforts, I moved, many years ago, from qualitative to quantitative measurements, much to the dismay of my counterparts. However, it has proven to be very fruitful for the students. In cases where a student did not achieve the stated objective, remedial experiences, coaching and mentoring is offered. If then the student still did not achieve the stated objective, then that student simply did not achieve the stated objective. This too has created some concern from my counterparts.

The practical side tells me that not every student that enters my classroom is going to achieve the stated objective. Nor is it my responsibility to ensure that all students "pass" the course. Again, would it be better to have a Surgeon who can perform an operation with 95% accuracy or one that can perform at 100% accuracy?

I think what Jerry Shay has hinted, and what I would emphasize as a 35-year veteran of teaching Hispanic and comparative Humanities, is that good teaching is a self-renewing enérgeia or effort, a dynamism which sets the teacher in perpetual motion about his subject. He aspires to be contagious, and convey his dynamism to his students so that they, in turn, may communicate the same energy to their students in an endless process.

Donald, your use of the term quantitative appears spurious by your examples. You describe a counting measurein one case ie land a plane 100% of the time is actually a count of the number of good landings out of the total count. Similarly you mention a 95% accuracy for performing an operation. How do you meausre accuracy? Recognition of the organ to be excised, steadiness in holding a scalpel? I question your comparison of qualitative and quantitative. Both can be use to glorify, by manipulating resu.ts as has been seen in many quantitative measures in the USA and I see in Australia. And both can be used to describe success with adequate accuracy. A test with numerical measures (number correct) can be manipulated as much as qualitative measures. Mostly it depends on the intent of the user and the system in which they are tempted to manipulate results. You haven't explained why a quantitative measure is better at testing whether a student has achieved the stated objctive than qualitative. Unless the objective is for a student to get more than 80% on the test. In which case the test construction can be manipulated to enure this does or does not happen as suit the test designer.

I DO take it as my responsibility for students to pass my courses. That is my job. I don't beat myself up if they don't but I do look for reasons why I was not successful in helping them and seek to remedy those.

RIDERS:

Different age groups or different course may lend themselves to different assessment processes and pschological approaches.

The system within which people work tends to influence how they use the assessment data or seek to manipulate it.

Remember that you are the teacher. It is important for you to be like a "superhero" figure in their eyes. Remember that your students look up to you and will thus try to mimic your dispositions. If you are rude or inappropriate, they will have an inappropriate model for their behavior.

Mark, as teachers, our job is to lay out a path to knowledge or skills for students to follow. The actual act of "Learning" is their responsibility. It is true that additional support may be required to assist the student in meeting the objective, but realistically, there are some students who will simply not, for what ever reason (and there are many) achieve success.

Yes, both quantitative and qualitative measurements can be manipulated. The entire learning environment can also be manipulated. Achieved results can be manipulated. Presentation of material can be manipulated. Judging by simple life experience, nothing scientific, to me the United States does not seem to be able to produce proficient students, at least in any quantity. There are centers of educational excellency, but far too few I fear. In large part, I think this is due to the manipulation of the entire educational process. Having never visited Australia I can not speak to the educational system there (although, as a Texan, I have always admired the Australians). Yet, if the goal is student achievement versus Teacher or School glory, then manipulation may never come into play. Depends on the heart of the teacher?

No, safely landing an aircraft 100% of the time leaves no room for counting good versus bad landings. You may have missed the term "safely" which is key. Even bad landings can be accomplished safely, just a little bumpy at times.

Accuracy when performing a surgical procedure is probably just as important as safely landing an aircraft. Accuracy would include correct organ identification and steady hands while performing. All of which is proficiency based (Knowledge and Skills) and better measured through performance at 100% (go/no go). Can this be measured with qualitative instruments? Yes, but of what value is it if 100% is required?

Quantitative or Qualitative, which is the better measurement tool? Quantitative is used to measure the level of proficiency (Knowledge/Skills) the student has achieved. This ensures that students who ACHIEVE the stated objective can do more than merely recite knowledge statements or perform a given task without understanding why, when, what is needed, etc. A finished product is required, be it a math solution, an understanding of history, construction of a metal box, debating a particular issue or whatever is called for in the objective.

By the way, I have only developed performance based objectives and have done so for many years. Yes, lesson materials are harder to develop, I have to be very creative in the measurements I develop, but then, I get students who can actually DO something with the material they have studied. If there is a topic that is purely knowledge based, then educational gaming is a good solution for it lends itself to performing an activity based upon Knowledge and a quantitative result shown.

Donald, you continue to use quantitative as synonymous with proficiency. They are not synonymous. Yes it is true that you can construct an assessment that uses numbers to measure proficiency, such as more than 80% means proficient, however it is just as possible to subvert this process as a qualitative one. Similarly, you can use a purely qualitative process to measure or judge proficiency with acceptable accuracy and consistency. The best method is purely dependent on the context, the attribute to be tested, the predilection of the tester etc. eg measuring how much a student remembers is best done quantitatively ie How many questions can they remember the answers to, eg spot the organ questions for the surgeon. But when it comes to the quality of an extended response such as a thesis, essay, analytical piece, etc, qualitative measures against criteria works best. The challenge therefore in a complex situation like teaching, where we value a combination of low order (recall) and higher order (analysis, synthesis) thinking, is to determine the balance between the two and then how to combine the different measures to make a justifiable decision. It is as big a mistake to regard quantitative ones as the most accurate measures as it is to ignore quantitative measures entirely.

Mark, the measurement that is used is dependent upon the instructional objective of the course. Since I can not measure thinking, I can only measure indicators that thinking has occurred, I must leave the measurement to identify the results of thinking. Again, label the correct organ for a Doctor. Since the Doctor must label the correct organ, I have no problem with the Go/No Go. If the Doctor mislabels the organ, then that particular Doctor did not satisfy the stated objective and that Doctor will be invited for a form of remedial instruction.

When measuring a higher form of thinking, such as a Thesis, I can measure the ability to build the Thesis in a particular format or structure. I can measure the ability of the individual to defend particular statements in the Thesis, but even that sometimes gets a little muddy. After all, am I measuring the individuals ability to discuss an issue or am I measuring the individuals ability to convince me of a particular thought?

You are right in pointing out the blending nature of measurements. Quantitative, Qualitative? In my development efforts I want the student to perform, I want a blend of knowledge and skills. No matter what the topic or subject is. In a thesis, results of research is important, but then the ability to develop a crafted document is just as important. If one can not sufficiently and acceptably explain findings, then the findings have little value in the Thesis process. Go or no go on the Thesis, it either does or does not work.

In my the teacher have the quality of Convergence then the student will pick quickly the teacher point of view about the topic.

I believe in PARTICIPATORY Learning and Teaching. The most important aspect to the Teacher/Lecturer is to let your student (wether undergraduate or postgraduate-I teach both groups) recognize that you not only understand what you are passing to them you also have a passion for the subject matter. Students usually have the subject matter ahead of the lectures and if they know you will ask questions before you pass information on the subject matter, most of them would read ahead and made the lecture interesting. In other words you move from "known" what the students know to the "unknown"-the extra knowledge you desire to pass down. Make your lectures interesting especially if you are using Power Point to deliver your lectures, crack jokes and tell stories in between the delivering of lectures and your students will not be bored

if theory and practical go side by side ,teaching method will get overwhelming response.Teacher should use models,pictures,reference material,video,samples of his particular subject and involve students in practical approach.

Dear Suman

The teacher needs to understand and act in the following areas:

1) Teaching

The full domain of content to be streamed shows that the teacher has responsibility for the area in which graduate

2) Continuing Education

To be a teacher, not just enjoying teaching. Must also enjoy learning

3) Commitment to learning

Recognize and respect the social, cultural, ethnic and racial differences is very important

4) Cultural Training

The teacher must be a person engaged in your reality with a critical attitude and desire to know more and more cultural goods available

5) Management

The teacher must be aware of how your school is located in the system to know precisely what demands the teaching unit must meet "

6) Evaluation

The teacher must know what are the best tools to analyze the performance of both its internal and external class

The method of teaching students is very important . To teach students you should have the ability to explain the ideas in full picture . The teacher should be very patient in teaching and should move slowly from one idea to another one. The teacher should use expression and words that are easy and simple for the students to understand

Learn all the theory about teaching and learning but then be an action researcher about your own teaching by focussing on the learners. How they respond and what they actually learn is more important than what you teach. If you are clear about what is valued and they appear interested, then you are teaching well. If not then change what you are doing. Hattie in his book 'visible learning' is a good source of information about what is effective.

The ideal teacher:

Dominates the curricula of disciplines,are you aware of the developmental characteristics of students, know the teaching of disciplines,dominates the curriculum guidelines of the disciplines,organize the objectives and content in a manner consistent with the curriculum, the development of students and their level of learning,selects learning resources according to the learning objectives and the characteristics of their students,choose strategies consistent evaluation with the learning objectives, establish a climate conducive to learning, expresses high expectations about the possibilities of learning for all, establishes and maintains standards of living in the room, demonstrates and promotes positive attitudes and behaviors, communicates effectively with parents of students,applies strategies for teaching challenging, uses methods and procedures that promote the development of autonomous thinking, optimizes the time available for teaching,evaluates and monitors the understanding of the contents,search enhance your work constantly using systematic reflection, self-evaluation and study,works on staff,has updated information on the responsibilities of their profession and meet the educational system and current policies.

Effective teaching is engaging. The instructor is obligated to provide resources, exercise guided learning and model content knowledge and skills. School district these days are more engaged in providing  research based best practice activities in which learning is student centered and active learning is taking place in all core subjects. The technology age requires instructors to entertain, balance reading, writing, speaking and active listening with hands -on activities.

Dear respected Suman Debnath,

The qualities of a good teacher are

He/she is Hard-working

He/she is dedicated

He/she is committed

He/she is focus

He/she is determined,

He/she is persisted with the job,

He/she possesses can do spirit,

He/she has an exceptional and selfless level of devotion to the students,

He/she is creative

He/she has the ability to drive, inspire and motivate the student to learn and succeed, he/she must be dynamic by developing himself or herself the modern ways of doing things,

He/she must take time to explore new ideas of doing thing,

He/she must be ready to expand his or her scope of knowledge on the subject he or she handles,

He/she must be ready to read wide,

He must be ready to acknowledge and listening to people advice on his or her recognize area of weakness rather than defending him or herself.

Best regards.

Kifilideen.

1. Be well prepared.

2. Give lots of examples

3. Elicit questions and discussions

4. Do a review of previous material at the beginning of each class; maybe OK to start with a quiz

5. Listen to your students' questions and encourage students to ask questions

6. Be patient

7. Be passionate about teaching and your students

8. Help students think outside the box

These are just a few. I am sure there are many more valuable qualities and strategies for a good teacher.

Must have full command over subject.

Must be regular and on time.

Wind-up lecture within specified time

Encourage question & answer session

If no answer to a question, keep it for tomorrow and answer that question.

Give assignment on subject related local issues

Don't ask one student again and again.

If you sure a student can't answer, don't ask that student.

Always summarise a lecturer at the end.

Always give a review of previous lecturer.

Knowledgeable on the subject matter

Able to communicate in simple and clear language

Kind and able to relate with the student well

Consistently improving on his teaching skill