Roadmap to Becoming a Better Teacher

Roadmap to Becoming a Better Teacher

There are many things one can do to become a better teacher.According to Heick, becoming a better teacher is about prioritization, practice, reflection and refinement. And it all starts with a why.Why did I become a teacher? For Heick, that should be visualized by teachers to even start seeking improvement.Life is a matter of priorities and so is the process of becoming a better teacher. We cannot learn everything that is out there but no one can stop us from never stop learning the things we find worthwhile studying. One cannot spread oneself too thin in trying to meet all the demands along the process. It is best to prioritize and focus on the "bits" that might need improvement right away rather than trying to cover all aspects at once. As the saying goes, he who focuses upon everything has, in fact, no focus. Another saying goes "practice makes perfect" and we all know what that means. Practice is key in everything but we cannot expect practice alone to improve things. Practising needs to be aligned with our priorities and sustained by the teacher´s reflection. After all, we could insist on practising already proven ineffective methodologies and techniques in class and stumble over the same stone over and over again.Thus, once the teacher has identified those pieces she wishes to improve upon the process of refinement begins. Fortunately, the author does not waste his time in debating skills over passion but speaks of human teachers, capable of  change and capable of seeking help in others to find support.