Just like no two students are alike. The same holds true for teachers. Each teacher has their own personality, experiences (and baggage), as well as ambitions that they bring into the classroom. What separates a good teacher is that they practice what they preach (Brookfield, 2015, p. 49), both in and outside the classroom. This involves putting on multiple hats as they navigate students towards an engaging learning environment.
"Student Hat”
A good teacher walks in the students’ shoes in order to better understand what keep them engaged and motivated. More importantly, they keep their eyes and ears on the ground to ensure that students are equipped with the “right” skills, applying what they learn in the real world. To keep abreast with the changes around them, they frequently upgrade themselves in their professional field even it requires them to step outside of their comfort zone so as to provide students with the highest quality of education. A good teacher reflects on their own teaching practices and is also not afraid to break away from their own assumptions or conventions even if they do not conform to the norms of teaching practices. Their mantra is to adapt to the learners’ needs and will “shift gear” when required in order to help students to learn.
"Planner Hat”
According to Malcolm Knowles (Merriam & Bierema, 2010), most adults return to school due to necessity. Given that schooling is not only their responsibility, adult learners expect to get most out of their class time. With the increased enrolment among adult learners, a good teacher ensures that the curriculum are student-centred and organized, with clear learning objectives and outcomes. The grading criteria are fully disclosed to the students at the start of the course. They also provide students with detailed, specific feedback with areas of improvement in a timely manner. For example, to help students with this transition, a good teacher will upload the curriculum several days ahead of the course start date.
"Coaching Hat”
Other than the aging population, cultural diversity is another emerging trend. For older students like myself who have been out of school for a long time, the classroom experience can be intimidating. The same applies to newly immigrants and foreign students, where the educational system back home may be different than in the Western world. Good teachers display genuine interest in their learning and experiences. They make themselves accessible to students through different modes of communication to accommodate adult learners’ busy schedules. To help students cope with their learning issues, for example, a good teacher shares their personal triumphs and challenges in order to help students better understand the course content. Storytelling has a lasting impact on students as it makes them laugh, cry or fearful. Despite the fact that it has been over 15 years, I still remember some stories shared by my great teachers.
"Facilitator Hat”
Good teacher practices inclusion and diversity even in the learning activities. They respect the students’ opinions and value their wealth of life experiences they bring to the classroom. Good teachers also to find creative ways of keeping adult learners engaged by using relevant tools and technologies while keeping the learning content relevant to real life situations. They help students to take responsibility of their own learning. By asking thought provoking questions in group discussions or presenting a case study, students construct their own knowledge which reinforces their self-confidence. It also enhances their critical thinking skill, thereby enabling students to decide between right and wrong, good and bad.
Brookfield (2015, p.5) equates skilful teaching to white water rafting while I liken it to golfing. Even for the likes of Tiger Wood, not every shot will be perfect. Despite your best effort to analyze every element in golfing, some things are beyond your control, such as mother-nature (wind). When you hit a bad shot, you reflect and stay positive. Where needed, you take some risk on your next shot in order to get the ball back to the fairway. Last but not least, the best golfer persists in improving their skills through continuous learning.
References
Brookfield, S. (2015). The Skilful Teacher. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Merriam, S. B., & Bierema, L. L. (2010). Adult Learning: Linking Theory and Practice. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.