Running head: BELIEFS ON GOOD TEACHER PRACITICES

Beliefs on Good Teacher Practices

Terri Lynn Draeger
University of Alaska Southeast

BELIEFS ON GOOD TEACHER PRACITICES

Beliefs on Good Teacher Practices

Schools are a place for discovery, exploration of belonging, expansion of knowledge, and
experimentation of self. The job of a teacher is to help navigate and support students at this changing
time in life. High school is where young adults develop who they are and who they want to become. This
is where they learn to socialize differently with their peers, critically think, build their efficacy, and set
goals for their futures. In this changing world of technology and social behaviors, teachers must; create a
welcoming environment, empower students to take control of their learning, use proven teaching
techniques like apprenticeship learning, build students efficacy toward learning, and have a strong
sense of identity as a teacher.
As a perspective teacher, I have so many ideas on what education should look like. My core
belief is that students should be taught to think, how to question, and how to find out information on
their own because in their adult lives teachers will not be there to guild them to sources. My main
objective as a teacher is, in conjunction to teaching the science content, is to encourage students to
learn how to read science writing, how to question news articles and make them abled citizens. As a
result, students will find autonomy in their education and take intellectual ownership of their learning.
Accomplishing this goal is worth the effort. Creating intellectual hospitality (Gallagher, 2007) in
the classroom welcomes students to the process for taking ownership of their educations. For this to
happen, teachers must construct a safe learning environment that rewards curiosity and does not
punish students for wrong answers on their first try. We as teachers want to foster perseverance when
students get a question wrong, not punish them for trying. It is imperative to scrutinize you rubrics and
grading outlines to evaluate what you want them to learn. If you want them to understand how to
critically think about a topic, your rubric may include, summarized problems, considers context and
assumptions, includes own perspective, analyzes supporting evidence, and uses other perspectives and
positions. It is always important to think through how you want them to express their knowledge for

BELIEFS ON GOOD TEACHER PRACITICES

assessment. In the spirit of getting students to take ownership of their own learning, giving them choices
when every possible is a great opportunity. They might want to express ideas in a written essay,
developed short movie, or a book. Setting class norms as a class designs a structured place for learning
to grow.
I am a firm believer in the Reading Apprenticeship approach to learning. It develops the
dispositions and skills required for becoming confident, critical, and independent readers and thinkers.
The first step is making students aware of their own thinking and to see their metacognition. Making
thinking visible allows students to see how others are working through problems and recognize problem
solving strategies. This is where modeling, read-aloud, and taking to the text, helps students to see
metacognition. Getting students to have a double entry journal, working collaboratively, and think-pairshare all contribute to a strong apprenticeship program. Strengthening students literacy ability depends
on effective scaffolding with strategies such as vertical and horizontal text sets, building on prior
knowledge and evolving their schema and stamina. Other reading strategies include chunking text,
making connections, questioning, using evidence, predicting and previewing informational text. Once
students can utilize these tools for challenging texts they will be able to engage on a higher level where
they can discuss new ideas and topics. (Schoenbach, Greenleaf, & Murphy, 2012)
Effective teachers build students efficacy in their academic performance by providing
opportunities to succeed. A students efficacy has a large influence in their success because selfinfluences affect the selection and construction of their environment. A student with a stronger selfefficacy will set higher goals for themselves and are firmer in their commitment. They visualize success
and strive for their own expectations for themselves. That is why it is so important for teachers to
construe ability as an acquirable skill, lessen social comparison, and highlight progress and personal
accomplishments. As teachers we can also strengthen students efficacy by proactively and reactively
providing feedback controls as a form of motivation. Getting students to believe in themselves is

BELIEFS ON GOOD TEACHER PRACITICES

empowering and will aid in them achieving the goals they set for themselves. It is also worth mentioning
that teachers need to have a strong sense of self-efficacy in teaching and creating engaging and
encouraging lesson plans because teachers who lack a secure sense of instructional efficacy show weak
commitment to teaching and spend less time on academic matters (Bandura, 1993).
Working with teens and young adults is worth wild. I love kids and the excitement and creativity
they bring into a classroom. I see potential in every student which reinforces my sense of self. Getting to
know each students strengths and weaknesses is essential in knowing how to build your lesson plan. I
see each student as an individual who enriches the classroom with their own uniqueness. My strong
sense of self stems from my belief in my students and my indistinguishable optimism. Teacher identity
and a strong sense of self, creates a stable and reliable environment for your students. I believe all great
teachers set high expectations for all of their students and build a plan to help guild them there.
(Palmer, 1997)

References
Gallagher, E. V. (2007). Welcoming the stranger. Teaching Theology & Religion, 10(3), 137-142.
doi:10.1111/j.1467-9647.2007.00341.x
Schoenbach, R., Greenlearf, C., & Murphy., L. (2012). Reading for understanding: How reading
apprenticeship improves disciplinary learning in secondary and college classrooms. San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Bandura, A. (1993). Perceived Self-Efficacy in Cognitive Development and Functioning. Educational
Psychologist, 28(2), 117-148.
Palmer, P. (1997). The heart of a teacher identity and integrity in teaching. Change: The Magazine of
Higher Learning, 29(6), 14-21. doi:10.1080/00091389709602343