Factors Affecting Teacher's Effectiveness
Teachers have a major impact on the academic success of their students. They have a responsibility to motivate their students, and make lessons relevant to life. This, in turn, helps students determine a path in life. However, there are factors that influence the teacher's ability to achieve these goals. An awareness of these factors can help to increase a teacher's effectiveness.
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Structure of School System
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The organization of the school system affects how well the teacher is supported. A school system with programs such as mentors, a strong network of supportive teachers in a cooperative environment and administrators that are efficient leaders encourage a teacher to be highly effective. However, if administrators do not acknowledge the suggestions made by the teachers and the curriculum is not structured effectively, then this can decrease morale and teacher effectiveness. The structure of the college from which the teacher graduated also has an effect. A college that focused on giving the teacher real life experience through a multitude of internships and volunteering produces a more well-prepared teacher than a college and maintained its focus mostly inside the classroom.
Classroom Conditions
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The behavior, motivation and personality of the students can either enhance teacher effectiveness or hinder the positive qualities of the teachers. If students are excited about learning, motivated to excel academically, determined to reach long term goals such as college and their personality and culture complement the teacher, then the teacher is able to focus better on teaching. She may be more encouraged to develop engaging activities and more motivated to put in much effort to help students reach their academic goals. However, a classroom full of disruptive students can incite high levels of stress and increase the likelihood of burn out. The teacher may become less enthusiastic about teaching and too stressed to concentrate. The diminished passion can significantly lower effectiveness.
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Budget
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The school's budget limits the amount of funding that teachers can use to supplement and improve the classroom lessons. A low pay grade can inadvertently lower the quality of teaching. The stress from trying to survive financially and the feeling of being unappreciated can reflect negatively in the classroom. However, a larger budget enables teachers to expose their students to real life experience through field trips, conduct interesting experiments in science class, introduce students to technology, use less of their own money to purchase supplies and ease the stress of budgeting for their own lives.
Childhood School Experiences
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The most memorable school experiences from childhood has a huge impact on the teacher's perspective of the role of the teacher and the students. Even if the teacher attempts to avoid negative behavior, the childhood experiences can be so embedded that the teacher may automatically resort to such behavior. Teachers that have had positive experiences of school as a child will have an easier time being an effective teacher. The teacher may have observed methods to manage the classroom, speak to parents, develop creative activities and construct lessons.
Personality
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The teacher's personality, character and ability to cope with stress can have a negative or positive effect on a teacher's effectiveness. A teacher that is more resilient and patient is able to focus more on teaching than a teacher with anxiety issues. Personal attitude towards students due to the teacher's personality can affect whether or not the teacher treats the students respectfully.
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References
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