Monday Moanin Thoughts #14 Things Learners Appreciate About Teachers

Welcome to the first Monday morning  of 2012. I trust all of you had a wonderful break and are energized to welcome back your staff and students. Besides enjoying my family, I used the break to conduct many one question interviews with learners of all ages. I was interested in finding out what did  learners appreciate about their teachers. What made them successful as instructors?  Here are some of  the comments I received:

• “My teacher is always concerned about all of us and whether we get it.”
• “She is always organized and easy to understand.”
• “I appreciate when they take a personal interest in me and they can relate to all of us.”
• “Personal connection is so important. When I was being bullied in 7th grade, my teacher offered me a safe place and he cared about me.”
• “I appreciated when they take an interest and knew something about me.”
• “I appreciate when you can tell that they like what they are doing. They like their job. It rubs off on me.”
• ” My favorite teacher is engaging and makes science come alive. It is not boring.”
• ” He is always available to all of us and willing to help if we do not understand something.”
• ” She never yells at us or gets mad.”
• ” I appreciate when I am treated with respect and not like a little kid.”
• ” She gives us a choice for certain assignments.”

The most repeated and common thought was the importance of  teachers establishing a personal connection with the learner. I urge you to conduct a similar exercise in your school or classroom. Find out from the learners what do they appreciate about their teachers. Or consider the question, What is a good instruction or teaching? Learners are an untapped resource that can provide feedback as you move forward with teaching and learning initiatives. As a learner, what would you add to the list?

Have a great week , find the good stuff and remember learning doesn’t have to be painful.

Quote of the week:

Teaching is listening, learning is talking. -@DebMeier Deborah Meier