What Makes for a Master Teacher?

I sometimes tell my students I expect them to work harder than I do. They know what I mean: I am not going to stand in front of the class and tell them what to think. In my room, kids read, write, think constantly, while I walk around and question, prod, applaud. They are working harder than I am. Did I work a lot harder before class to develop involving lessons? You bet! I show movie's and movie clips, too, because I expect them to be able to analyze a film as well as I expect them to be able to analyze a novel. Both lists of traits of a master teacher are good ones. This author is trivializing another professional's work unnecessarily.

I am exhausted from the amount of work I do the entire school year, and I expect my students to work hard, as well. I have no idea where your children go to school or where you work, but I know of no teacher who would show a movie without it supporting curriculum -on any day of the school year. It would not be tolerated in our school district. As an English teacher, there is good reason to support literature with showing movies. The movies that relate to text are wonderful for English Language Learners and anyone with a processing problem with reading. It inspires and motivates students to read good literature.
I'm not sure what a "Master Teacher" is because as far as I'm concerned, teachers are constantly honing their craft and I don't see how they reach that mastery completely. I think then, that the most important factor is that teachers care enough to work toward mastery. If I were to list qualities, caring would be at the top of my list.

I haven't read Robyn Jackson's book, but have often discussed "not working harder than your students" with fellow educators. This comes with another slant on "master teaching." In classes that I have observed, the most "effective" (let's eschew "master") teachers appear to work less intensely than their students in making everything seem effortless. The intense work is in the preparation- being able to visualize what students will do in the coming class, and what the learning outcomes will be.

Sorry, but the valid points about master teachers are obscured when the piece turns into a rant about using movies in class. If this had been turned in by a student I'd send it back for revision for going totally off-topic. One would think, ipso facto, that a "master teacher" knows when/where to utilize media appropriately to meet the needs of the students and the standards of the course. The fact that the author is a consultant on the use of technology gives immediate insight into the author's point of view. Also (and it may be a quibble), will professional writers PLEASE refrain form using "they" when referring to a singular antecedent. To wit: "Of course a master teacher is working harder than the students, or they would not be considered a master teacher." My rant over.

I hate that this article turned into a movie-bashing segment. Ben Johnson is really onto something that I wish my district would evaluate. Many administrators and most politicians do not know how to effectively critique and question text - in whatever form it's given. Johnson obviously does when he questions and argues with the idea that master teachers somehow have a classroom of hardworking students without the teacher working even harder.

I do, however, take issue with lumping all teachers who show movies into the same category, and that is exactly what will happen with powers that be entertain this anti-movie idea. Macbeth, for example, is much too dfficult for my students to grasp through class study and activities - or even clips alont. We read two act of the play and then watch the play for better understanding,not only of the play, but also of the changes that Hollywood, or Foldgers Theater decides to bring to the play in the interest of our current culture. More often than not, because I know that students sign out the day before vacation anyway, I PURPOSFULLY PLAN to show the final acts the day before a break. This way the students are still learning. Never forget that we must adapt and change with the times and this generation of students are highly visual.

I will agree that I have a hard time seeing where movies in a math class, for instance, can be linked to an effective lesson plan, but I know that many teachers could possibly use this mode of education as effectively as I utilize Foldgrs Theater versions of Shakespearean plays. For example, a student struggling with math - or school in general who watches a movie in which the protagonist makes a believeable life-long change from having given the subject a chance might be the thing that creates intrinsic motivation for the child to give the teacher another chance at teaching math concepts.

Although movies are an important topic that should be addressed - and defended I agree that many need to be educated on how to effectively use movies in the classroom, I wish the conversation could turn to the more important picture. Students must take ownership of their education and master teachers know how to make that happen. Having students who are living in areas of high poverty, and having students whose parents can give them all of the benefits in the world take a new look at owning their own education takes a lot more work than than many students know how to give. It takes a team of caring, master teachers who know how to build relationships to make that happen - and those teachers do work harder than their students. If they don't, they'll lose them.

We are making a difference. We need to unite to make a larger difference.

Apologies if I seem off-topic, just as the administrators who make evaluations and judgments regarding teacher performance based on 4-6 lesson observations, we can see what happens when we form judgments based on limited information. We tend to become self-righteous and finger pointers. I'm cynical because I live in Ohio, and the leaders of our state just passed legislation directly influencing how teachers work and what they are paid.
Just like the use of media in the classroom, there are strong and weak educational purposes behind its use. A master teacher has to work harder than the students. The preparation, diagnosing, and discovering or developing strategies that move students from the comfortable acquired knowledge, to a more demanding task requires a high degree of trust (student with their teacher) and a master teacher that is willing to devote the time to meet these challenges; this learning is the most critical thoughtful work that a master teacher can do for her learners.
My worry is that administrators/evaluators will not be trained to recognize the difference between a teacher who wastes time, yet "shows" tricks and gimmicks, from the master teacher who works harder than his/her learners, instead of wasting time.

I use films to help students understand the literature we study better, and I always have. In our province, the curriculum now defines 'text' and articulates what it means to be a critical reader AND viewer. To flippantly dismiss viewing movies as a waste of time is smug. We should not beat ourselves up because we show a film or pretend we are martyrs because we work harder than students.
This is silliness.

I have to agree---nothing more irritating, as a teacher or parent, than seeing students spend an inordinate amount of time watching movies. This last week before spring break, I had 5 students who missed 3 or more days in order to begin their break earlier....I refuse to change my schedule of learning because some families choose to pull children out early....and I am not going to not start new material just because it's close to the break. I think this is what has caused many parents to think it's okay to pull kids out early, "because you're not doing anything anyway, right?"...WRONG! We should continue our normal schedule and students who are gone will have to get assignments from peers when they return or take zeros.

Now, that said, I do show some excellent Scholastic dvd's that print the words to stories underneath and light up each word as it's read--I use this as yet another dose of Listening Center time. But...I do this at lunch time. This is the best time to show a dvd or video to kindergartners and I limit it to just about 10 minutes so that they also have some time to just eat and socialize. The old Electric Company is also very good to show them--this time of year my kindergartners are reading everything that comes on the screen.

There are responsible ways to use dvds and videos. I think one needs to keep in mind, "what is the affect on student learning" when showing one...I don't want to waste a single minute of their time or mine.

P.S. I have copyright approval

great post. Love the idea that we need to respect the students' time. The first comment below strikes me as off topic -- needs a thumb down vote.

An incredible amount of research and practice has led us to the attributes that define a master teacher. However it seems, less study and observation has been given to how an "administrator/principal" can "accommodate" the abilities and talent of master teachers without showing signs of sabotage or insecurity. Given the legislation passed in Wisconsin, Ohio, and soon, Tennessee, there will be administrators who need the exceptional training and guidance, in a hurry; as master teachers evaluated by individuals who may or may not possess and recognize the characteristics of a masterful teacher. As it stands, at least one of these talented teachers has been harassed as a result of under-learned leadership.