What is the difference between a good teacher and an outstanding teacher?
When preparing for this question, consider teachers you've had throughout your life. Which teachers stand out as having been amazing? Which ones do you sometimes forget about, because they were good but not 'outstanding?' Outline a few of the qualities and practices of those teachers and identify commonalities.
"When I think about good teachers I've had, I recall each of them focusing on instruction and making sure we were ready for quizzes and tests. They did things by the book and made sure we were on the right path. While I certainly learned from them, nothing else really stands out about my experience in the classroom. When I think back on outstanding teachers I've had, I have no trouble picking them out. They all went beyond basic instruction - they were intentional about timing and activities to keep us engaged and excited about learning. They took time to get to know each of the students and set individual goals which made us feel seen and important. An outstanding teacher is continues to care long after a student leaves their classroom. In fact, when I visit a few of my outstanding teachers 15 years later, they still remember me and show interest in my growth."
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Anonymous Answer
A good teacher may be successful at covering the content and getting good results from their students, but to be outstanding a teacher needs to go beyond this. An outstanding teacher demonstrates their passion for teaching and for their subject and inspires their students to appreciate the content. An outstanding teacher builds positive, supportive relationships with their students and holds them all to high expectations. I try my best to be an outstanding teacher and I recently had a conversation with some of my upper-level students that gave me confidence that I had achieved this goal as they were noting how "beautiful" mathematics was and how it's so cool how things come together and work out in the end. They also noted that while math wasn't their favorite subject, it was their favorite class because of this.
Stephanie's Feedback
You do a great job of explaining the difference between a good teacher and an outstanding teacher.
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