Five Habits of Highly Effective Teachers

According to the article, Five Habits of Highly Effective Teachers by Neil Bright (The School Administrator, October 2011), highly effective teachers exhibit the following habits:

• Take a wider view of student success:  Outstanding teachers know the purpose of school isn't solely students' academic performance but also to do well in life.  Linking curriculum and instruction to post-graduation demands and real-life experiences requires teachers to incorporate creative writing, research, oral presentations, and persuasive essays as well as other authentic but labor-intensive activities.
• Recognize instruction as a performance:  Superior teachers employ several strategies to improve instructional delivery. 
• Internalize personal accountability:  The most effective educators internalize lofty performance standards for themselves.  They focus on what they can always control-their own actions.
• Understand student motivation:  Excellent teachers use instructional strategies that overcome such lethargy by focusing on learning's essential motivating factors of doability and importance.
• Continue to focus on instructional improvement:  The best teachers have an insatiable appetite both for good student results and for their own learning.