Becoming an Expert Teacher

I have enjoyed reading the posts thus far, and I feel there are some great insights into what makes a teacher an “expert” or “experienced.” However, I feel that with almost all discussions regarding education, it is hard to agree on any one definition or method for defining excellence. So, I find myself asking, “How important is it to define a teacher as an expert or truly experienced?” Every conversation we have about education and every person we look to for expertise must provide insight that can shape our thinking and be taken back to our schools and classrooms in order to be useful. Therefore, rather than focus too intently on defining what makes a person an expert, it is more important to focus on what each of us is actually doing in our own corner of the world to enhance productivity and positive change in our colleagues and students. Am I a teacher that another colleague could come to for help or perspective on an issue that would help them better serve their students? Am I making positive changes in my students and colleagues and still balancing my personal life? Am I always seeking to get better at what I do? These are just some of the questions that I find important for promoting real change in an educational culture with so many variables and definitions of expertise depending on the needs in a specific city, school, or classroom. I think most of us agree that calling ourselves “experts” is a bit lofty and complicated, but I hope that we can all perform in such a way that at times, a student or colleague feels like they are in the presence of an expert based on the help we provide.

I don't believe I will ever think that I am an "expert" teacher. I do feel that I am experienced, but not expert. With each and every teaching year comes new problems, new challenges, and new situations. There is always something new to learn and that is why I wouldn't call myself an expert teacher.

Do we dare ever to declare ourselves an expert teacher?

To me an expert teacher is one who has a mastery of their content area, are effective communicators in the classroom, are willing to collaborate with their colleagues, use best practices in their instruction, and above all do not consider themselves an expert who no longer needs to grow professionally.

As we strive to be the best that we can be, we can never be content with where we are.

JW

I like the idea from another blog suggesting we can be an expert at our profession without being perfect.

I too believe that I may never be able to call myself an expert teacher. I feel that the process of becoming an expert is never done. All educators must strive to constantly learn and become an expert. Whether it is being an expert in subject knowledge or the art of teaching. Reading and analyzing the latest journals or books about education is one way to begin this process. Educators that go beyond thier daily classroom duties are on their way to becoming experts. Being involved in their school community, after school activities, or involvement in educational research. I also agree that it is a balance between experience and knowledge. I liked the distinction between expert and experienced as mentioned earlier in this blog. It is important to make a distinction between these two and always strive to achieve both.

Shannon,

I completly agree that experience can add wisdom to the teaching realm. Everything that we work at consistently in life can help usto become more informed, refined, and successful. As we work, we are less likely to make the same mistakes two or thre more times. It is great to see improvement in yourself as experience is added to your life.

I am trying to gather experience not just from my own teaching challenges, but also others. I get to substitute and teach in twenty different schools. I have enjoyed watching other educator's function in their classes. I am anxious to have my own class again someday, but will strive to observe from others the mistakes and successes they are having until that time comes.

I agree with Katie Speed on the thought that I can never call myself an expert teacher. At-least not yet. Every time I climb a step on the continuum I am faced with a new situation where I need to go back and reflect. It could be because I am trying a new approach, different methodology, new group of children that have different set of needs every year. Whatever the reason I am or rather many of us are always moving back and forth on this continuum from novice to expert.
Can we be an expert? I think being an expert has a lot to do with reflecting back on experience and using that to solve situations and resolve problems. Most teachers after about 5 years of experience call themselves experienced but are they experts. How much of that experience have they reflected on and resolved current issues? Have they dedicated their lives to the field of education or simply to teaching?

Like all major occupations, the field of education is constantly changing. We constantly need to update ourselves with new information, new technology and research in the field.

I to one day strive to be an expert teacher, when I say expert, I mean as for as classroom management and analyzing my student's deficits. I know no one can truly be an expert at teaching because times are constantly changing and students are constantly changing. I feel that as for my content knowledge, I am great, and could even take up more classes to be deemed an expert, but one day with time of course, I aim to leave my novice title behind for an expert title.

Becoming an expert teacher depends on the expertise of the teacher and not the total number of years in the teaching field. An expert teacher is someone who does everything that is expected and more. I have observed a teacher that has been teaching for 25 years and is still having majors issues with classroom management and lesson planning. One cannot sit down and teach from a desk, yelling at the students to behave. An expert teacher works on her/his craft to better herself as an educator, learning from different strategies year after year. I recieved a "Teacher of the Year" Award after teaching only 3 years. I am now a 7th year teacher still think of myself as a novice teacher. I am still learning year after year from research and other teachers.

I agree with you Shannon. An "expert teacher" would infer that there is nothing for this teacher to learn. I had a discussion with a colleague at school about this term. We both agreed that to be an effective teacher, you must always see yourself as a student. Our profession is always growing and changing. In order to be effective, teacher must constantly be changing and updating their repertoire. I would agree with you that "expert" should be changed to "experienced."