Opinion
Teaching Profession Letter to the Editor

Calling Attention to Unsung Teacher Heroes

October 31, 2011 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

To the Editor:

Jeffrey Newport’s recent Commentary, “In Praise of Teachers” (Oct. 5, 2011), salutes the unsung heroes in education: great teachers.

Coincidentally, the very same week that Mr. Newport’s article appeared in Education Week, I asked my graduate students to write a paper entitled: “Who Was Your Most Effective Teacher and Why?”

Each time I assign this paper, students identify the following traits of their most effective teachers: teaching for understanding, connecting new learning to students’ daily lives, tapping students’ critical-thinking skills by asking provocative questions, encouraging students with meaningful comments on their written work, maintaining high expectations, keeping classroom momentum, building relationships, caring, inspiring, showing passion for their subject. The most frequently mentioned attributes of great teachers, according to my students, are building relationships and caring.

Mr. Newport’s essay shows us that great teachers care so much that they spend more time at school, and when they are at school, they are constantly engaged with their students. Mr. Newport reminds us that great teachers communicate often with parents, collect information about their students and use it to improve teaching and learning, seek ongoing professional development, and strive to meet the needs of diverse learners. Great teachers do all of this and more. They impact the lives of their students so that one day their students will remember how important they were to their growth and development.

Phyllis Gimbel

Associate Professor

Secondary Education and Professional Programs

Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater, Mass.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the November 02, 2011 edition of Education Week as Calling Attention to Unsung Teacher Heroes

Events

School & District Management Webinar Fostering Productive Relationships Between Principals and Teachers
Strong principal-teacher relationships = happier teachers & thriving schools. Join our webinar for practical strategies.
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
Promoting Integrity and AI Readiness in High Schools
Learn how to update school academic integrity guidelines and prepare students for the age of AI.
Content provided by Turnitin

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Teaching Profession From Our Research Center Teacher Morale Is on the Upswing. Will It Last?
Education Week recorded a jump in teacher morale. What factors explain the upswing?
8 min read
Photo collaged illustration of teachers
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
Teaching Profession ‘Does Anyone Care How Hard I Worked Today?’: Principals and Teachers Get Candid
Three conversations reveal what's really going on with teacher morale.
2 min read
030425 SOT Principals Teachers EDU BS
Allison Shelley for All4Ed
Teaching Profession Video Meet the Hometown Boy Turned Art Teacher (and Bus Driver, and Wrestling Coach, and ...)
Clayton Hubert is bus driver, art teacher, and coach. But even his small, tight-knit school community struggles with student engagement.
1 min read
SOT Lamberton BS THUMBNAIL
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
Teaching Profession Video ‘It’s Not All Rainbows and Butterflies’: SEL in the Early Grades
A veteran teacher reflects on how the classroom (and the kids) have changed, and on what's needed to fix education.
1 min read
021525 SOT SEL BS
Sam Mallon/Education Week