foundations of education paper

Philosophy paper
Teachers are those who are educating the future of America. Teachers have the huge responsibility and great opportunity to help shape their students into the special individuals God has called them to be. While teachers have a very challenging job, their job is always very rewarding. Teachers help children from developing motor skills all the way until they are handing an adult a doctorate degree. It does not matter what age or level, a teacher has the ability to change a student’s life forever. A great teacher is one who makes learning fun for his students.
The first characteristic of a great teacher is he must be an effective practitioner. An effective practitioner is one who makes sure his lesson is useful. If the lesson is not useful, this can lead to a disengaged class. Of course class was not invented to waste the students time. This is why a good teacher will make sure every single word he says is going to be beneficial and help the student he is teaching. This will mean the teacher does not ramble or tell stories that do not relate to the lesson during the class period. This causes the students to mentally check out. An effective practitioner also understands the correlation of the lesson and the hands on assignments. A good teacher would have his students play an educational computer game as a hands on assignment to further the computer skills that were taught that day. This would keep the lesson exciting and the children engaged. An effective practitioner will also use technology with his lesson. As technology is becoming more and more useful, a good teacher will take advantage of this. Colorful power points and Ipads are just a few ways that technology could be used to make the lesson more exciting. An exciting teacher will make interesting handouts and neat assignments instead of boring, messy handwritten work. This will save time and increase learning. An effective practitioner also uses many different creative ways of instruction. Sometimes the teacher will do a normal lecture; sometimes he will do all hands on instruction. The teacher will use many experiments and demonstrations to keep lessons fun and exciting. Not only is a good teacher an effective practitioner, but a good teacher must also be a caring leader.
A caring leader is always a moral person. This is a person that is well trusted and respected. This person is one who lives above reproach. Not only is a caring leader respected, but he also respects every single student. It does not matter what the students home life looks like, how financially well off the student is, or what family the student belongs to. Every student is looked at equally and is always treated with love and respect. Once the teacher has built trust with the student, the student will start wanting to listen. A caring leader also communicates with ease. This teacher does not pace back and forth saying “um” after each sentence. He does not seem nervous or clueless about the material he is trying to convey. This teacher communicates with confidence and is very educated on the subject he is teaching. The student can always understand the teacher. A caring leader is not one to mumble under his breath, or teach so fast the students cannot grasp the concept. Lastly, a caring leader is fair with every student. This person makes sure every student’s papers are all graded equally. One student will not receive partial credit if the other students do not. The leader makes sure one student does not get any more help than another student. And a caring leader would never show favoritism towards one of his students. If the teacher has all of these characteristics, the student if for sure going to trust the teacher making it easier for the student to pay attention. A great teacher is also a life long learner.
A life long learner is always involved in the community. Whether it be helping with a charity event or helping pick up trash on a highway, this person is always willing to help and play a big role in his community. Being involved in the community is a great way to learn. The teacher will also get his students involved in the community. This is an exciting way to learn. A life long learner also uses technology to grow their mind. Technology can teach us more than we ever could imagine. This person realizes this and uses technology to keep their mind sharp even when they are done with their education. The more the teacher learns about technology the more he can use it in the classroom, creating an exciting environment! A life long learner also models good deeds. This person is a great example to everyone he meets. He tries to always do the right thing. This person would be on time to his meeting, he would use nice language, he would dress appropriately, etc. He is one many people look up to and is respected by all. The educator would also encourage and teach his students to do the same. Finally a life long learner invites others to learn by being a good example. This person shows others how exciting learning can really be. This person would not just visit a museum on the weekend, but he would invite his students to go with him. This person would also encourage his friends and students to get involved in the community. Many times people would just replicate his learning, because he models it so well. As one can see there are many great characteristics of an exciting teacher. Teachers are special people who have the potential to be world changers. Great teachers respect all and are adored by many. Teachers are influencing and shaping America in a great and positive way. As one can see exciting teachers are effective practitioners, caring leaders and lifelong learners. These are some of the greatest qualities any human could have. Although many teachers do not realize the impact they are having on children, they truly are changing lives every day.