a site for inspired and aspiring teachers

Inspired teachers demonstrate exemplary skill in thirteen discrete areas. Each skill is briefly described below and covered in depth in chapters 1-13 of The Inspired Teacher: How to Know One, Grow One, or Be One by Carol Frederick Steele, published by ASCD in 2009. Click here to read sample chapters.

Knowing the Subject - The best teachers gradually build a rich understanding of the subjects they teach and display the ability to organize and re-organize whatever knowledge they have in order to make it highly accessible to learners.

Using Knowledge of Teaching and Learning – Great teachers merge general information about learning with wide knowledge of specific teaching methods and then adapt their plans to fit a specific class, as well as the groups and individuals within that class so as to increase learning.

Solving Problems – Inspired teachers have learned to imagine the learning task from the student’s perspective and identify student problems with the material. These teachers are able to adapt lessons to students’ needs in advance or during the teaching process because of their awareness of a broader array of instructional goals.

Improvising - Expert teachers understand and use improvisational techniques; they are comfortable using the Socratic method or other highly interactive approaches, and respond accurately and effectively to unexpected questions that students generate.

Managing a Classroom – Highly effective teachers consider possible reasons behind students’ behaviors and adjust their own teaching and procedures to dramatically increase the likelihood that classroom behavior is appropriate, students are productive and that learning is occurring.

Interpreting Events in Progress –Compared to novices, expert teachers notice more of what is occurring in the classroom, especially events that impact learning; they “chunk” these observation into meaningful units, and make choices that cause positive changes in interaction and instruction, even when distractions occur.

Being Sensitive to Context - The wisest teachers come to understand their own outlooks as well as their relationship to the personal, social, and cultural characteristics of their students;  then these teachers make continual adjustments to balance the complexities that connect these factors.

Monitoring Learning – Excellent teachers continually sample students’ understanding, both formally and informally, in order to determine students’ developing comprehension levels and notice whether students are attentive, and whether they are mastering material.

Testing Hypotheses – Outstanding teachers take steps to identify root problems. They consider and evaluate numerous hypotheses rather than just the first one that comes to mind, and intentionally test the one selected, trying others if the first is not effective.

Demonstrating Respect – The finest teachers reduce the vulnerability of all those they work with in order to continuously demonstrate a concern for the best interests of each individual with whom they have contact, resulting in work and classroom relationships which are more positive and effective.

Showing Passion for Teaching and Learning – Outstanding teachers express and demonstrate high levels of commitment to teaching well and to improving student learning and they show a strong sense of mission regarding the work they do in schools.

Helping Students Reach Higher Levels of Understanding – The best teachers are able to lead an ever-larger percent of their students to try harder, do more, understand better and find greater intrinsic satisfaction in learning.

Helping Students See Complexity – Well-developed teacher help students learn how to mull over facts and contradictory information, evaluate and synthesize their meanings and form new interpretations based on those deep considerations of relevant factors.