This document discusses several important aspects of being an effective teacher, including being meaningful, relevant, entertaining students while also having substance, using visual aids, allowing student participation, treating students with respect, and properly dealing with difficult student behaviors. The author emphasizes that good teaching is about having fun and enjoying the work, not just doing it for the money. Motivating students through high standards and maintaining student dignity are also discussed.

2. Good Teaching: Requirements Motivate Students: Rules for teachers Difficult Behaviors: How to deal with them

3. In order to convey your message to your students you must be meaningful, relevant, and memorable. To be a great teacher you must listen, question and be responsive. Do not have a fixed agenda. Be spontaneous. Have fun with your students.

4. Teaching is about caring, nurturing and developing minds and talents. You must devote your time to your students. Teaching is not about being mean or rigid, but about using humor and entertaining your students while also having substance. Teaching is not easy but someone has to do it!

5. After reading this article I have realized there are many important facts to remember in order to be not just a great teacher, but to be the best. I want to be the best teacher I can be for a student. The author, Richard Leblanc (1998), York University, Ontario, summed up what I felt when he said, “At the end of the day, good teaching is about having fun, experiencing pleasure and intrinsic rewards….Good teachers practice their craft not for the money or because they have to, but because they truly enjoy it and because they want to. Good teachers couldn’t imagine doing anything else,” (p.2).

6. Use visual aides: diagram or flowchart. These will be more valuable then a thousand words in a text or lecture. Use in-class activities: permit students to work in small groups. Allow them to ask questions while completing their assignments .

7. Help students to use a “link” to understand what is being taught. Help them to “link” the new material with “real life experiences” or prior material learned. Treat students with respect. Students will give you their best, it you give them their dignity. Hold students to a high standard. Maintaining high standards will motivate student learning and be a source of student feelings of accomplishment when they meet the standards.

8. After reading this article I realized there are many things that can motivate a student. The author Lana Becker and Kent N. Schneider, East Tennessee State University, developed eight simple rules that would help motivate a student to learn. I believe rules seven and eight are the most crucial because they deal with how a student feels. Although teaching techniques are very important I believe it is also important to deal with the feelings of a student as well. Becker and Schneider (2004) believed, “Give students their dignity, and they will give you their best efforts.” They went on to say, “Hold students to a high standard. If students are not required to maintain a specified level of learning and performance, only the most highly motivated students will devote the time and effort necessary to learn,” (p.2).

9. Shyness or Silence—lack of participation: Give strong positive reinforcement for any contribution. Involve by directly asking him/her a question. Make eye contact. Appoint student to be a small group leader. Talkativeness—knowing everything, manipulation, chronic whining. Acknowledge comments made. Make eye contact with another participant and move toward that person. Give the person individual attention during breaks.

10. Side Conversations: Don’t embarrass talkers. Ask talkers if they would like to share their ideas. Casually move towards those talking. As last resort, stop and wait. Overt Hostility/Resistance—angry, belligerent, combative behavior. Respond to fear, not hostility. Ignore behavior. Talk to them privately.

11. The ghost author of this author, brings out some very relevant points on how to deal with a child’s difficult behavior. I have learned from this article that it is okay to ignore behavior. You don’t have to bring to light every wrong thing a child does. It can actually make the situation worse. It can make the child feel as if they are getting attention for their bad behavior, which will encourage them to continue behaving in that manner. The author writes, “Instead of holding your students with an iron grip, allow them to be themselves until (and unless) their behavior distracts you or the other in the class,” (“Difficult Behaviors,” 1988).

12. In the end we all just want to be the best teacher we can possibly be. It is important that we remember: “If teaching were easy, everyone would be doing it.” “Teaching in front of a classroom full of students can be challenging, but on the other hand, very rewarding!” (Difficult Behaviors,1988, p.3).) To learn more about these articles visit: http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/motiv8rules.htm