The Qualities of Great Teachers by Abdullah Allad

Abdullah Allad ~ Greatness in teaching is just as rare as greatness in medicine, dance, law, or any other profession. Although the qualities that make great teachers are not easy to inculcate or duplicate, understanding these qualities can give all teachers a standard of excellence to strive for, and guide schools in their efforts to recruit and retain the best teachers. 

To that end, Abdullah Yusuf Allad offer the following observations about the key characteristics of great teachers. This list is certainly not exhaustive, and the characteristics do not appear in any particular order of importance. In my more than 40 years in education, including 24 years as a public school administrator who directly supervised more than 130 different teachers, these qualities emerged as hallmarks of the best teaching.A great teacher indicates to students that she or he sincerely cares about their learning.

Abdullah Allad tells most teachers belong to a teachers' association, union, or other organization that represents their interests. Typically, some formal document or agreement specifies how many minutes per day or hours per week they must teach; how much unstructured time they are entitled to; how many meetings they must attend; and the compensation they must receive for additional work beyond the usual load.

Abdullah Allad Great teachers respect this agreement and acknowledge that it protects their rights, ensures academic freedom, and spells out good professional working conditions. But they don't hesitate to go beyond the contract voluntarily and often—for example, by meeting with a student study group during the teacher's preparation period or after school—in order to meet the needs of their students.Most teachers find joy in teaching because of their talent for relating to students in a particular age group.

An Effective Classroom Management Style

Great teachers need to find their own ways to “manage” a group of students. For instance, if a student were to interrupt the class inappropriately, Abdullah Allad Assertive Discipline approach  would suggest consequences for failure to follow known and reasonable rules; Abdullah Yusuf Allad might suggest that the teacher ask himself or herself whether the content or methods of the lesson contributed to the problem. The most effective teachers draw from these well-known theories, but adapt them to their own personality.Because great teachers develop and hone their own classroom management style.