GUEST FEATURE - Patricia Bourne
Students First: the key ingredient of great teachers
civility and accountability on a daily basis.
There’s an attitude that accompanies the really great teachers I know. It’s an attitude that exudes “My students deserve my best efforts.” It’s an attitude of embracing the challenges and barriers encountered along the way and believing, wholeheartedly, that students – all students – deserve dignity, respect, access to quality education and someone who notices their presence.
M
uch is being written and discussed regarding
the effective teaching practices and indicators
of highly of
success for teachers. From blogs to books to billionaires, the resources and lists of “best practice” are fully accessible to anyone with an opinion on the subject. Published criteria and rubrics exist to objectify
and compare “fair” teachers
from those described as “exemplary”; the public at
large will often gauge a
successful classroom and school by the test score numbers quoted in the paper. Since most people have “done school” in some capacity, they will assume a keen understanding good teacher.
of what characterizes a
For those of us who have the opportunity to be in many music classrooms across the state, it’s easy to describe what truly exists in the learning environments of masterful, artful teachers. It’s visible. It’s full of feeling. It’s delightful to witness.
There’s observable and audible joy coming from the room. Every student in the class knows he is valued and appreciated. All students are viewed as having unlimited potential and are provided with continuous opportunities to move their own learning forward. As they leave the room, students are heard humming, carrying the tunes and rhythms into the hallways.
These are the sounds and sights one sees and hears in the schools of excellent music teachers – not just excellent in objective language,
but excellent due to the connections they make with their learners.
These exemplary teachers among us
understand it is these connections – one human to another – that stimulate and open learning possibilities. There is no denying that the positive relationship between teacher and students – forged with trust, consistency, direct and age-appropriate communication
– provides unbridled
potential for growth, regardless of setting. The advances made with the best academic standards are no match to the power of a teacher with heart, eyes, thoughts and energies focused on the individuals in his/ her classroom.
The really great teachers I know are
able to balance strong academic rigor of instruction with the spirit of their students guiding each step. They’ve crossed the bridge from “Here’s what I will teach” to “Here’s how they best learn.” They are the ones who speak of their students with pride, with hope, with insight. The really “wow level” teachers I know provide the strength and guidance of a leader, but understand how necessary it is to get out of their students’ way and allow them to assume responsibility. They embed opportunities
for students to 36
The 19th century American poet, William James, wrote, “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” The really great teachers I know do just that. How often do music teachers consider whether their subject area actually matters? Often. How often do really great music teachers consider
whether their interactions
with students build strong pathways for learning? All the time.
Former educator and psychologist Haim Ginott wrote:
“I’ve come to a frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It’s my personal approach that creates the climate. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de- escalated and a child humanized or dehumanized.”
practice
In the classrooms of highly effective, “students-first” teachers, a culture is created
Continued on page 37 Wyoming Windsong
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