Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Vermeulen Final
Vermeulen Final
Quality Teaching:
Lauren VerMeulen
It is difficult to put a true definition to what quality teaching actually is, and instead much
easier to express what it is not. Again, quality teaching is not throwing a textbook at a student
(literally or figuratively) and telling them to read it and answer questions. Quality teaching is not
lecturing students for a full hour and expecting them to take notes. Quality teaching is not
labeling students and hereby capping their potential from the get-go. The list goes on.
Fenstermacher and Richardson truly said it best in saying that “Perhaps we cannot define quality
teaching, but we know it when we see it” (Fenstermacher and Richardson 2005). The reality is
that quality teaching is dynamic—it’s ever-changing. It is the ability to adapt to the environment
in a given moment and make the necessary changes to ensure learning. This task is much more
difficult to express in word than it is to experience. This being said, another important aspect of
quality teaching is the acceptance that it is ever-changing, and taking that as a challenge to
improve our skills as educators as time goes on. While quality teaching is ever-changing, so is
the world of education. Quality teaching is keeping up with these changes and striving to be the
best possible teacher for our students. Every teacher should have a “toolbox” of strategies for
dealing with the multiple situations that arise every day. As mentioned by Sharon Feiman-
Nemser, “Good teachers know about a range of approaches to curriculum, instruction, and
assessment; and they have the judgement, skill, and understanding to decide what to use when”
(Feiman-Nemser 2001). The range of tools in their toolbox should come from personal
Every teacher has a unique position within their profession, because not only do they
have experience as a teacher, but they also have experience as being a student under other
teachers. Everyone experiences teachers in one way or another, but when teachers reflect on
quality teaching we reflect not only on quality teaching that we have lead, but on quality
Quality Teaching 3
teaching that we have experienced through a student perspective. Many teachers can think of at
least one other teacher who has inspired us to be a better teacher ourselves and who sticks out as
a role model for us. Personal experiences with our own teachers help us grow and have an image
in mind when we think of what quality teaching is. For example, a teacher who takes risks in his
classroom to create a memorable lesson for his students to truly embrace the feelings during a
historical time period. The intense planning involved to create this feeling reflects a thorough
understanding of both teaching as well as his students. Another example of personal experiences
can be the teacher who inspires others to be like her through her careful building of relationships
with her students and showing that she cares. As McBee mentions, in “What it Means to Care”,
“As teacher educators, we should begin by intentionally and explicitly modeling a genuine
approachability and respectful reciprocity in our relationships with out learners” (McBee 2007).
By stopping students in the hallway to simply as how they are doing, she demonstrates quality
teaching through building relationships which motivate students to try if even just to make her
proud. The relationships that she builds allows for her to challenge students to be the best they
possibly can be, but she can be critical because she had made the strong effort to build
relationships with her students that they trust her. Both of these are my personal examples of
what sticks out in my mind of when I have experienced quality teaching first-hand.
Another way to build a personal toolbox is through teacher inquiry, or action research. As
Yendol-Hoppey refers to Carr and Kemmis (1986), “[Action research] has many benefits: (1)
Theories and knowledge are generated from research grounded in the realities of educational
practice, (2) teachers become collaborators in educational research by investigating their own
problems, and (3) teachers play a part in the research process, which makes them more likely to
facilitate change based on the knowledge they create” (Yendol-Hoppey 2014). Through action
Quality Teaching 4
research, teachers are able to take a step back to reflect on a particular inquiry that they have in
their classroom. They are then able to engage in data collection and analyzation to take a deeper
look into the issue at hand. Quality teachers take the time to understand what they are
experiencing in their classroom and furthermore, they investigate the reason behind these
experiences. Through this inquiry process, teachers learn much about not only themselves as a
teacher, but their inquiry through the eyes of other teachers as well. Often times, one inquiry
leads to another inquiry which brings up a continuous cycle of reflecting and processing new
A final way in which teachers can broaden their range of tools to achieve quality teaching
is through collaboration with colleagues. As Richard DuFour mentioned in his article, “The
process in which teachers work together to analyze and improve their classroom practice.
Teachers work in teams, engaging in an ongoing cycle of questions that promote deep team
learning. This process, in turn, leads to higher levels of student achievement” (DuFour 2004). It
is commonly mentioned how we are only as good as those we surround ourselves with, and in
teaching it is no different. Teachers have the opportunity to learn from each other and to build
not only on personal experience, but on the personal experience of others as well. All of the
clichés about two minds being greater than one, absolutely apply to the world of education. The
value in using other teachers as resources proves to be undeniable, especially for younger
teachers who are in the beginning stages of their career. Veteran teachers have the wisdom and
experience to help mold the newer teachers, especially when it comes to teaching experiences
that come with age, such as classroom management. This being said, the reverse is also of value
as younger teachers are fresh out of their programs and equipped with the newest phenomenon in
Quality Teaching 5
the world of education. The blend between youth and tradition can be extremely powerful, and
one without the other will struggle to survive. As newer teachers who are still looking to
establish themselves in their classrooms, collaborating with veteran teachers gives them direction
and a sense of what works and what does not. Ask any veteran teacher, and he or she will have
certain routines that they stick to, because it works year after year. However, many veteran
teachers also turn to younger teachers to look for new strategies for lessons to relate better to the
students. Again, as the times change, so does education, and things that once were outstanding
lessons might become less relevant as years pass. Allowing professional development time for
teachers to collaborate and share resources can only help both teachers and students. Being open
In conclusion, there is no direct definition to what quality teaching actually is, but rather
it is a variety of actions that a teacher takes in order to be the best teacher that they can possibly
be. Ultimately, quality teaching is processing data collected through a wide variety of
experiences. Quality teacher stems from personal experiences that a teacher has as a student
themselves, through the reflection and analytical process of actions research or teacher inquiry,
and through collaboration with fellow teachers. Because of the variety of facets in which a
teacher truly demonstrates quality teaching, it is obvious that quality teaching is a very dynamic
topic, however the result is always that quality teaching is going through whatever means
possible to create a repertoire of resources and strategies to survive everyday life as a teacher.
Each day presents itself with new situations, and quality teacher is setting yourself up to be
prepared to deal with these situations by pulling from the ever-handy tool box.
Quality Teaching 6
References
Strengthen and Sustain Teaching [Electronic version]. Teachers College Record, 103(6),
1013-1055.
Fichtman Dana, N., & Yendol-Hoppey, D. (2014). The Reflective Educator's Guide to
McBee, ., & Haskell, R. (2007). What It Means to Care:How Educators Conceptualize and
Actualize Caring. In Action in Teacher Education (Vol. 29, pp. 33-42). N.p.: