Good Teacher Bad Teacher
Uploaded by sandpiper1 on Oct 26, 2011
This paper discusses the traits of good and bad teachers, the study habits they create (or fail to create) and why or why not these habits are effective. (4+ pages; 3 sources; MLA citation style)
I Introduction
There is little doubt that a good teacher can instill a love of learning that will enable a student to do well in school, and succeed in life. There’s also little doubt that a bad teacher can make school such a frustrating, embarrassing and shaming experience students won’t learn much. This paper discusses traits of good and bad teachers, and the study habits they create, or fail to create, in their students.
II Discussion
What makes a good teacher? What sort of study habits does such a person engender in his/her students? There are a great many answers to that question, but some responses recur more frequently than others. One source says that a good teacher must be an expert in his field; there is no substitute for sound knowledge, and no amount of charm will make up for it if the teacher isn’t thoroughly grounded in his field of expertise. A teacher who is “in love” with his subject brings a sense of excitement to the classroom, and a strong desire to share his favorite subject with others. (Koo, PG).
With this as a basis, a good teacher will “cultivate a student’s sense of responsibility and hard work.” (Koo, PG). Many students with great ability are also a bit lazy; they need a “push” from a good teacher to develop good study habits. They also need a “reflective” teacher as a mentor to help them refine their thought processes—in other words, a good teacher will help students “deepen” their thinking. (Too many teachers teach by rote and memorization; students need to be encouraged to use their brains to develop their own ideas, not merely memorize facts.) Koo says teachers should remember they’re teaching students, not just subjects. (PG).
Another source says that good teachers do two things: they work hard to help their students and they expect hard work from their students. (Lowery, PG). Good teachers recognize that they have an obligation to meet academic standards, and that students who do not meet these standards should not be graduated; “pushing” them through the system defeats the purpose of having standards. (Lowery, PG).
Good...