I have narrowed down the choosing process to five simple questions that you should ask yourself while trying to decide on the right teacher-training course for yourself!

How long should my course be?

200-hour? 300-hour? Perhaps even 500-hour? These numbers determine the length of each yoga teacher-training course. Typically, most yogis start with a 200-hour course, and should you want to teach, most yoga studios require teachers to have a minimum of 200-hours YTT.

A 300-hour course is usually more suitable for intermediate or advanced yogis as it delves further into asanas and anatomy. Some schools also require that the participant first complete a 200-hour course before taking the 300-hour.

It is also possible to do a 500-hour program where you combine a 200-hour and 300-hour successively. Bear in mind though, that with more hours into the course, the longer the length of time you will have to spend. A 200-hour course is typically 20 to 30 days long, while a 300-hour course is between 30 to 40 days. A 500-hour training course will require you to attend for up to 70 days long.

What types of yoga should I teach?

What styles of yoga are you most interested in practicing and teaching? The most popular yoga teacher training teaches in the Hatha yoga tradition, but other styles are fast gaining popularity too. If you are into an athletic style of yoga, perhaps an Ashtanga yoga teacher training is most suitable for you. If you’d like to focus on awareness, breath and meditation, you might like to try a Kundalini yoga teacher training. Another popular yoga style is Bikram yoga popularized by Bikram Choudhury with Bikram yoga schools opening all over the United States and worldwide.

Whichever types of yoga that you choose, be sure to pick one that clearly resonates with you and your practice. It is important to choose a style of yoga that you are able to maintain in your daily practice.

Where should I go?

Once you’ve determined the type of yoga training course and the hours, the next thing to decide is the place where you will obtain your certification. You may want to choose to do it locally, but if you are interested in traveling abroad, there are some great destinations that offer a great yoga teacher training course.

For most yogis, India is still the more popular choice as a yoga teacher-training destination. With yoga schools situated in Dharamsala, Rishikesh and Kerala, there are many options you can from. Bali is also a popular choice for yogis wanting to immerse in their training amidst lush greenery and serene nature. Yoga teacher training Costa Rica also has come up as a popular destination in recent years, especially for yogis in the Americas region. In Europe, Spain is often the destination of choice for teacher training.

Wherever in the world you choose, do remember to check your school’s accreditation. Read reviews of past participants to find out what others have experienced. Do check whether the school is certified by Yoga Alliance as this gives a good benchmark on the reputability of the establishment.

How much should I spend?

With courses costing a hefty sum, it is important to consider whether or not you can afford the teacher training program that you are considering. Most, if not all yoga teacher training courses offer an all-inclusive package. This means, that along with tuition, the program covers accommodation, as well as food. However, the price of a program varies.

The two factors that most often determine the overall price of a teacher training are the number hours as well as the place of training. A yoga-training course in Asia, for example is much cheaper than one in Europe. A 200-hour yoga teacher training in India may set you back by about $1,500 USD, but this figure may double for the same hours in Spain.

That said flight tickets are often not part of the package, so it is important to also factor this in when calculating the cost of your training.

Why am I doing this?

Lastly, it is also important to consider your intentions for participating in a YTT course. Unlike a yoga retreat, a yoga teacher-training course is not leisurely and relaxing. For the most part, participants wake up early in the morning for practice and then lectures, and spend a lot of time studying. There will be limited time for sightseeing, although some programs do offer these activities. They are generally asked to observe a yogic way of life, which means adopting a vegan lifestyle and practicing meditation.

If your intentions are not aligned with these practices, sitting through such process day in and day out for weeks on the end may prove to be quite challenging and fruitless at the end.

Go in with the right mindset and make your teacher training experience a worthwhile one!

Teachers As Heroes

A role model is a person who fills us with the urge or ability to feel or do something, especially something creative and motivate us to try very hard to do something or make something happen, live to our complete potential and see the best in ourselves. A role model is someone we admire and someone we desire to be like. We learn through them, through their determination to be extremely outstanding and through their aptitude to make us realize our own personal growth. We look up to them for advice and guidance.

A role model can be anybody: a parent, a sibling, a friend but some of our most influential and life-changing role models are teachers who we admire and their behavior we try to copy.

“When the student is ready, the teacher appears.” – Marlene Canter, My Teacher My Hero

Teachers follow students through each crucial stage of development. At six to eight hours a day, five days a week, you as a teacher are ready and prepared to become one of the most meaningful persons in the life of your student. After their parents, they will learn from you, their elementary school teacher. Then, as a middle school teacher, you will guide students through yet another important transition: the process or state of growing to maturity. As children become young adults, learning throughout middle school and into hight school, you will answer their questions, listen to their problems and teach them about this new chapter of their lives. You not only watch your students grow you also help them grow.

“We think of teacher-heroes that taught us the academics but we don’t often think of those teachers that taught us life’s lessons.” – Maria Wale, My Teacher My Hero

Much of what students learn from their greatest teachers is not detailed on a syllabus. Teachers who help us grow as people are responsible for making known some of life’s important lessons. During their initial years in school, students come up face to face, perhaps for the first time, other children of the same age and begin to form their first friendships. As a teacher, you will show them how to become independent and form their own relationships. You will carefully guide them and step in when required. School is as much a part of social learning as academic learning, and this is true, not only in the early years of our education but all the way through college. Though, teacher’s influence on students lessens as they mature but those early lessons still have an effect on how they will collaborate with others in the future.

Teachers are fount of knowledge. They have already been where students are going, encountered what they will go through and are in a position to pass along lessons, not only about subject matters but also lessons on life.

Anyone can become a teacher but it takes a special person to become a great teacher. A great teacher is one who displays a quick and delicate appreciation of his students feelings. No teacher can be great without loving what they do. To excite and inspire a student requires a passion and excitement for the material itself.

Teachers are the architects of any developing nation. It makes me feel on top whenever I am reminded of the quote, “Teaching is the profession which creates all other professions.” But, I failed miserably to understand the fact that very few of us are into this profession by choice and most of us are into this profession by chance. Over the past three years, I hardly met one or two students who took pride in acknowledging the existence of this profession.

When a child is born, the parents start seeing their child wearing a Doctor’s apron or Engineer’s gear. Even my parents saw the same dream so as other teachers’ parents. Even when we counsel our students, we also show them the dream of being a doctor or an engineer. We as parents or teachers do not want our children or students to be the future teachers. My conscious is always bombarded with several questions. Why aren’t we encouraging them to become a teacher? And then, without consulting any book or expert, I get the answers and have to keep myself quiet. How can we encourage our children for this prestigious profession when we know that the world belongs to millionaires? Be it public sector or private sector, we all know the poor financial conditions of teachers, the salary they are paid, and the exploitation they face everyday. Public Sector teachers are not paid on time, and Private Sector teachers are not paid enough.

Other important issue which I came across was that we come into this profession unwillingly when we were not able to cross the standards of modern day criteria. And we were left to ponder that we do not have any other options left except to try our skills in teaching. We join enthusiastically, but our motivation level drops with each passing day due to one or other reason. So our talents are shackled by authorities’ exploitation and we keep ourselves confined to the works which are only allotted to us and we don’t bother to take any extra pain.

I was surfing through the internet when I found a summary of an interesting seminar which was held in France or any other country(don’t remember the exact name). That seminar was to discuss the problems which were faced by teachers globally. As the discussion was going on and teachers came up with common issues which were being faced. (Less salary, no respect, exploitation by management, job security, payment delay etc.). An old teacher was quietly listening to the arguments, when his chance of putting his views came, he expressed very calmly. He argued, “What do we want? Haven’t we got the most priceless resources of the nation? They are far better than any of the wealth in this world. Shape them into our wealth and the wealth of the nation and surely we will be the richest people on the earth. Tell me who will be better- millionaire or we?”

I didn’t read the full content of the summary of the that seminar and was motivated and pumped to put all our heart in teaching and shaping the priceless resources into assets of the nation.

Finally, I came to the conclusion that today if we are not sincere and hardworking in our teaching methods, then I am sorry to say, “We are robbing their future, and we are equally being part of any other robbery happening in this world. Remember, we may not be convict in the eyes of worldly jurisdiction, but we will be convicted in the jurisdiction of almighty Creator.’

So, let’s start on positive note and be honest to our tasks, if some of us has already started then carry on the positive momentum and there is no looking back.

Anthony Frisell, world-renowned teacher of voice for singers wishing to pursue careers in the field of international opera, has updated and reissued his three voice manuals: The Tenor Voice, The Soprano Voice and The Baritone Voice. They are intense, in depth and completely responsive to those individuals who wish beginning and advanced training for a serious career. My review is geared toward The Soprano Voice, however, the basic concepts are the same for all three voices.

For far too many individuals who surround themselves with music and perhaps even learn to imitate some of today’s stars, they begin to consider a singing career. While reality shows abound implying that there is an easy path to success, this is just not true. The professional singer must be trained, practice and learn to protect their new voice!

To find the path to success, Frisell first explains the “Mental Image Approach.” That is, “all vocal exercises must be indirectly applied, through mental concepts.” (p. 7) The beginner then realizes what is expected to attain professional status. It was not at all surprising to me that even though I’ve been singing in various groups most of my life that I had never learned to sing correctly. Learning and maintaining vocal standards is a lifetime study in a professional environment and by a master!

There are fixed rules that form the correct mental image. Grand opera began in Italy and the first rule requires that all vowel sounds, in order to ensure singer communication to her audience, must ensure purity of vowels. Specifically, “each of the five Classic Italian vowels, u (oo) i (ee), e (eh), o (oh), and a (ah), as pronounced by native Italians, must be mastered in their purest form throughout the entire voice range.” (p. 8)

The next fixed rule applies to Control for without control our voices are unreliable. The book covers breath-force dynamics, range, flexibility and shading of tones-all results of control.

There is also a requirement that professional singers must become familiar with the rudiments of music and the ability to play a musical instrument, preferably the piano. Additionally, it is necessary to learn several foreign languages.

For many of us, we do not understand how and why we can reach some notes sometimes, but not at others. This is simply explained by the requirement to identify the vocal registers for the individual. Frisell notes that “to master the art of refined singing one must know the function of the two vocal registers and fully develop them, so they function together as a single unit of quality and strength.” (p. 11) This is not easily done. However, Frisell effectively takes each of the issues in this process, identifies and explains them, and then proceeds to illustrate how the single unit is developed.

Using a keyboard illustration, the breaks for females are identified. The lower register are those that come from the “chest voice” while the upper range is the “head voice.” A ruling principle is provided because there is constant antagonism between these registers. “The conflicting muscular responses that occur, between the two vocal registers, when attempting to produce pure, superior vocal tone, represent the natural responses to the energy of the motor force (breath tension) being applied to the muscles of both registers.” (p. 16).

For an individual to advance from routine singing to a professional, there are years of muscular control development through exercises, practice, and by listening and studying those professionals already proficient in opera. This manual takes you through the mechanics of this study and provides an outstanding array of exercises, detailed illustrations of where the sound should be located, how the tongue and throat are affected, etc.

Frisell has provided “a personal guide to acquiring a superior singing technique.” Indeed, the only thing lacking is that Frisell is not there, helping the individual in this effort. This is a must-read for serious students of voice. As a final contribution, Frisell has included a copy of a recent article entitled, “Is There an “American School” of classic voice training? If so-has it failed American singers?”

By the way, the author gives master classes and is located in New York City. In my opinion, only very serious students need apply! This man will either accept you as a potential great singer…or you will come to know the answer to the question he poses in the above article.

Teaching is a vocation. It is a special call that demands utmost dedication and commitment to fulfill a noble purpose. It is a privilege that fits well to anyone who possesses enduring patience and strong discipline. For one, I regard teaching as a gift not of things but of people entrusted with the task of sharing knowledge and talents with the youths who with hope or determination pursue education to make a difference in life. As a teacher, let me be an instrument of change that helps mold young minds and facilitate them in their pursuit for what they can truly become in life. Teaching for me relies on these core values: commitment, patience, discipline, and freedom.

Commitment comes first to be an effective teacher. I commit myself to the task of teaching no matter how bumpy the road is in this journey. Challenges and struggles are but part and parcel in this vocation, but they are the ones that truly define me for what I am today. Without challenges and struggles, I could have not been more committed as a teacher. These challenges and struggles are like the fire in a crucible that refines the gold in me. The more frequent I am exposed to them, the better teacher I become.

Patience is the second quality a teacher should possess. I set each day goal / s to accomplish for my students and myself. If I achieve it, I congratulate myself and thank God for the blessing. But many at times as challenges beset, I have to make twists and turns to find a better way to achieve my goal, and in the process, sometimes miss it. But it does not deter me. If I miss it today, I tell myself there is tomorrow and it gives me hope. These everyday goals are meant to reach my long-term goals with my students in mind first concomitant with my personal satisfaction second. Teaching demands patience, and if you have it, there is always a price that awaits in the end.

Discipline means executing goals into real action. I can only meet my personal vision and mission through discipline. If I set the things to do, I have to do them to let them happen. It cannot be come-what-may. If I have to wake up at 5 AM each day to start my day right, then I should wake up at 5 AM, not to delay it at 5:15 or 5:30. Commitment demands disciple and discipline complements commitment. Discipline should work hand in hand with commitment. It is the arm to make things happen. As teacher, I model discipline to my students and that discipline should naturally emanate from me.

Freedom has two sides: a means and an ultimate goal, and a teacher by heart knows the value of freedom. As a means, I exercise freedom to share things with them in a manner I see and feel best for my students. Being the captain of the ship in class, I decide freely on my teaching style and strategy. As an ultimate goal, however, freedom is a crystal ball that the teacher carries on his hand. He protects it with utmost care and passes it on to his students. This freedom embodies the knowledge and talents that the students may acquire and develop in the process. The teacher facilitates the acquisition of these knowledge and talents, and the students eventually acquire and use them to stand on their own feet. That's the real freedom I relish upon seeing my students excel and stand like my equal.

These four values ​​define the teacher I am today. My short-term goal is to let my students explore day by day the necessary language tools they need to survive in their academic life. Further, my long-term goal is to hone my students' communication skills, writing and speaking alike, to become better and more versatile workers in their chosen fields someday, ready to face the challenges in the real world. In the end, they will also become gifts to others, a medium of change just like their teacher. For as long as I live a life of a teacher, I uphold these purpose, goals and core values ​​as my ethos, my driving force and my inspiration.

The demand for new teachers has been climbing steadily since the 1990s and is expected to continue in the foreseeable future given the increases in teacher retirement and student enrollment, lower pupil/teacher ratios, and rising teacher attrition rates. New teachers enter the profession with varying degrees of preparation, ranging from extensive coursework and classroom experience to no preparation at all. They often need special attention and support to reach their full potential as educators, but this support is sorely lacking in many schools-which may explain why large numbers of new teachers leave the profession after just a few years of teaching.

The standards movement has put teacher quality at the center of educational reform. Conceived broadly, teacher quality consists of three elements: teacher knowledge, teacher qualifications, and teacher practice. In turn, these elements are affected by individual school factors and by working conditions such as class size, professional support, and school leadership. They are also affected by systemic variables such as state and local policies on teacher preparation, certification, and salaries.

Teachers operate in complex, multidimensional environments, so the direct impact of teaching on student outcomes can be difficult to isolate. However, by linking student achievement to individual teachers, researchers have been able to confirm that some teachers have a lasting, positive impact on student performance, while others have a negligible or negative impact on the performance of students with similar profiles. A simple definition of teacher quality has emerged from this research, namely, the ability to increase student learning during a school year, regardless of a student’s initial academic standing. But this definition, which points to academic growth as an indicator of effectiveness, does not explain why and how some teachers are more effective than others. The research that has been done on teacher credentials, while informative, does not address the actual quality of classroom instruction-a dynamic much more difficult to measure due, in part, to the lack of consensus on what type of instruction is most effective. Definitions of effective teacher practice, therefore, must also factor in variations in curriculum and instruction, along with the relationship between curriculum and instruction and the variables that affect that relationship.

Based on five principles that describe the qualities and attributes of effective teachers, the standards have been broadly adopted by the education community as a measure of teacher excellence:

– Best teachers base their instruction on knowledge of child development.

– They are committed to students and their learning.

– They know the subjects they are teaching and how to teach those subjects to diverse learners.

– They are able to effectively organize the classroom environment to engage students in the learning process and to sustain their learning so that instructional goals are met.

– Accomplished teachers are active members of learning communities; they systematically examine and improve their practice and learn from their experiences, and they are aware of the policies and resources that can benefit their students.

Teacher perceptions and attitudes are, nonetheless, quite important since a teacher’s sense of efficacy plays a large role in the decision to remain in the profession. Some teachers-typically those entering the profession through an alternative pathway- do not receive any kind of classroom exposure prior to their first teaching assignment. They felt this lack of preparation placed them and their students at a distinct disadvantage. One commented on how it was “unfair to students to subject them to teachers who have had no student teaching or internships before teaching a class.” Another reason for why teachers do not feel well prepared is a mismatch between the instructional pedagogy they were exposed to in their education programs and that practiced in the schools to which they are assigned. One teacher commented that the range of instructional strategies she learned in her education program would have helped her reach her students. However, because the district office had different instructional mandates, she had to use strategies that ran contrary to those she had learned during her pre-service education. “Out-of-license” teachers also felt unprepared. A high school teacher assigned to teach a math class dug out old college texts to try to refresh her math skills since she had received no math preparation during pre-service training. Several teachers assigned to special education classes said they had no prior special education instructional experience or background.

Teachers who described themselves as being least prepared were those with no educational preparation, other than a bachelor’s degree, and no educational training or support. Older teachers entering the profession as a career change felt they were able to draw upon prior work experiences to help them in their current teaching roles; most admitted, however, that nothing really sufficiently prepared them for the unique challenges of being a new teacher. The level of student ability also influenced the teachers’ sense of preparation. Teachers felt more prepared to teach students who were advanced or at grade level than students who were English language learners, below grade level in literacy or math, or had other special needs. Some teachers, despite their inexperience, were asked to teach a wide span of grades, as well as special education classes. These teachers felt they needed a great deal of support.

Quality teaching includes not only mastery of subject matter and how to teach it, but a belief in the potential of all children to learn, an abiding ethic of care, and the creativity to inspire children who would otherwise be lost.

When you travel the halls of your memory, who do you remember as your most influential teachers? How did these teachers influence your life and change it for the better? Great teachers spark more than math, literature, or science in your life. They spark something else as well, something deeper and long-lasting that stays with you. As an individual living your life, you have another teacher you may not have touched on in your memory. That teacher is you! When you’re trying to get healthy and support your body and mind better, your inner teacher is key toward achieving what you want.

Health involves learning. You learn about your body and which lifestyle habits foster balanced health, versus which habits derail health. But you also learn something else. You learn about yourself as a person, how you face challenges, and which obstacles are blocking your road to health. The journey toward health involves more than regimens for diet, exercise, and sleep. The journey is unique to who you are and where you’re at in life too.

Bringing out your inner teacher to learn about your health isn’t always easy. Everyone wants to believe they are perfectly healthy, and sometimes facing the reality that your health needs more support can be challenging. It means admitting that you’re not perfect and that you still have more to learn. It takes knowing that supplements, medications, or doctor’s visits alone can’t keep you healthy. You as a person are an essential part of your health, and acknowledging this fact takes honesty and courage.

When you call forth your inner teacher in an open and honest way, you can explore your physical and mental-emotional health through a unique lens. You can ask yourself if there are societal and personal expectations that are burdening you and blocking your health. You can explore whether some part of your past unfairly has a hold on your health and who you are today. You can explore your relationships with yourself and other people to see whether they are supporting or hindering health. You can also notice how you manage stress and emotions and whether your current approach could use some adjustment for better health.

Good teachers both challenge you out of your comfort zone and patiently support you through the discomfort that can result. Getting healthier can feel strange and uncomfortable at times. The body and mind are used to doing what they always do—in other words, homeostasis or equilibrium. They will maintain states of health, but they also maintain states of unbalanced health. To get healthy, your inner teacher has to push you beyond comfortably unhealthy habits. On the other hand, your inner teacher also has to patiently help you through these potentially awkward transition periods and regularly remind you: “I can do this!”

What steps have you taken lately to bring out your inner teacher on the road to better health? If you feel that it’s been a while since you’ve listened to your inner teacher, that’s okay. He or she is always there and you can turn to that side of yourself when your health feels neglected or stuck. Remember to give your inner teacher the same respect that you would any other great teacher in your life.

As you head into the autumn season, a period of time that is infused with transition in the air around you, encourage your inner teacher by asking yourself the following questions:

1) What are current strengths in my health?

2) What are some weaker points of my health that require more attention and learning?

3) Without focusing too much on the past or the future, what steps can I take today toward better health?

4) What are my obstacles to health in the present moment?

5) How can I create space in my life for my inner teacher to express itself and help me with health?

As you ask yourself these questions, you’ll find that your body and mind naturally know which direction to go in—if you listen to them. By paying attention to your inner teacher, you’ll learn new things about your health and how better to support it. And you’ll enter your own hall of fame of great teachers.

An effective teacher resume is absolutely essential in today's extremely competitive teaching job market. In fact, your teacher resume may be the one thing that gets you the interview.

There is no question that teaching jobs are extremely difficult to secure these days. The fact is the baby boomers are not retiring in the numbers most experts thought (who can blame them … life is just too expensive) and many people are switching careers and going into teaching (who can blame them … it's a great job with great benefits). However, this means there are more and more teachers looking for fewer and fewer available teaching jobs.

For these reasons it is not uncommon for schools to receive 500 -1000 applications for just one teaching position. Unfortunately, this makes it extremely difficult to even get an interview for a teaching position. Fortunately, there are many things that you can do to separate yourself form the other 1000 applicants and you should make sure to do them all. This article, however, will focus on just one … your teacher resume. Actually, this article will focus on just one aspect of your teacher resume … your objective.

Every teacher resume should start out with an objective right at the top! I know this may sound obvious to many, and many may argue they are doing this already. However, most teachers are not taking full advantage of their teacher resume objective. This one sentence, if done correctly, will give your teacher resume a huge edge over the competition.

The truth is I stopped including my own objective when I first started applying for teaching positions thinking it was not necessary as I thought all I was doing was just stating the obvious. It was not until I got involved with teacher recruitment and started sitting on various teacher interview committees that I realized leaving my objective out of my teacher resume was a HUGE mistake. You see … there are two major problems with most teacher resumes and I can show you how to overcome both of these obstacles with a powerfully written teacher resume objective.

The first major problem with most teacher resumes is that they do not immediately let the reader know what SPECIFIC position the applicant is applying for. What many people don't realize is that the teacher interview committee is not just interviewing for one position at one specific grade level. Those on the teacher interview committee are actually interviewing for many positions at many different grade levels.

If you don't include your objective in your teacher resume … an objective that clearly and specifically states the teaching position you are applying for … then you are making it more difficult on the teacher interview committee. They do not know if your resume is for a first grade teaching position or an 8th grade teaching position. This is a big mistake!

This goes hand in hand with the other major problem with most teacher resumes … they do nothing to STAND OUT!

This would be a big problem if there were only a handful of applicants, but when there are over 500 applicants it is a major concern. If your teacher resume does not stand out amongst the others how then can you expect to get a call for an interview?

When those on the teacher interview committee sit down to go through all the applications they may very likely be going through hundreds of teacher resumes at a time. Their initial goal is to divide the resumes into various piles. At least one of those piles will be the pile that never gets looked at again … the ones whose teacher resumes did nothing to stand out … the ones whose teacher resumes simply all blended into one another. Unfortunately, after a while almost all the teacher resumes start to do just that … blend in.

This is why it is imperative that you make your teacher resume stand out! How? Again, with a well constructed teacher resume objective. A focused objective grabs attention instantly and will make you stand out brilliantly, but only if you do it right.

However, most applicants that use an objective in their resume don't do it right … they simply state "Objective: Seeking an 8th grade social studies position" while this is better than nothing … it is not nearly enough.

Try this instead: "Objective: 8th Grade Social Studies Teacher – Seeking to interview for a position where ten years of teaching experience and a passion for education will add value to [insert school name] See the difference? The second example really stands out AND You personalized the resume by inserting the name of their school. Also, notice how the above example subtly ASKS for the interview.

So at the top of your next teacher resume, start it off with an "objective" that clearly states the teaching position you are applying for and one or two well-written sentences that speak about your specific skills pertaining to that teaching position. Use this powerful tip to energize your teacher resume.

Who was your favorite teacher? Take as long as you need. Chances are if you’re a teacher it wasn’t the easiest going teacher in school. One of my favorite teachers I ever had was one of the most hard headed people I know. But I was determined to work hard in his class.

As a teacher myself, I take my role very seriously knowing that a lot of my students look to me as more than just a teacher but also as a coach and role model. It can be a powerful thing to wield and must be handled with care because one careless phrase could turn them in the wrong direction.

While they’re are nearly unlimited areas to teach in, to me there are really only two kinds of teachers: Personal and Impersonal. An Impersonal teacher is an educator who holds no connection to his students and is merely a resource for his or her students to gather information from. I must be honest, a textbook would be cheaper and more convenient. Now I’m sure someone is saying “But Alex, how will students know what to learn if the teachers not their. A textbook can’t just fill in all the details.” And you would be absolutely right, but the problem is a student doesn’t know what he or she doesn’t know. Students don’t know when they are missing this information or what details are more important. That’s where it is up to the teacher to create an environment that is personalized, detailed, and hand tailored to the needs of the student. That is something that a textbook will never be able to do. Students pay for your services and expect a level of detailed and personalized service to help them with their learning needs.

If you’re a teacher teaching some sort of general education class, such as a level one algebra class, then chances are there is somebody there who is just doing it because it is a required course for them to get their philosophy major. Their is no reason that you should give up on this student. If anything it should be a challenge to you to get this student to a more comfortable place with your field of work.

Teachers who take a personal interest in their work and the students work will always yield better results. Students will respond better and even if they don’t like or understand the things you are teaching them they will come to respect you more. Whenever possible you should make it a goal to become familiar with your students: Who they are, what they do, their goals and aspirations. Students don’t always need teachers who inspire, they just need someone they can relate to.

In my line of teaching I often work in small groups or even one on one environments so it is easier for me to have a personal teaching relationship with my students. However it is still very easy when teaching throughout the day to just slip into teaching “at” the student as opposed to working with the student and being more than just your typical teacher.

While I realize it’s not always practical if you’re a professor teaching a 150 student group lecture, students will always catch on to teachers who are passionate about their teaching. They will learn more and you will feel more fulfilled as a teacher. So take your work as an educator seriously because these students are our future and they deserve to learn from someone who truly wants the best for them.

Why are so many teachers unable to really enjoy the profession of teaching?

My take is that they often get too absorbed with testing and classroom management issues.

I understand how difficult it is to manage a classroom. I also understand how important it is to know that YOU are in control as a new teacher.

But when I ask teachers, “what’s the one thing that is still challenging you, they almost always say: “discipline problems.”

Gee. Now I understand why teachers are constantly stressed and unhappy because they feel they are fighting a war.

I don’t know about you but I like to teach and build a connection with the students. And when you build on effective instruction, you minimize discipline problems so much so that you can eliminate them forever.

So here’s my tip for enjoying the teacher’s life.

Keep on reviewing and reinforcing your rules and procedures but teach what you love. True, you won’t dearly love EVERY single aspect of managing a classroom. But you should come to see it as purposeful in helping you create an atmosphere for learning which then helps you teach what you love!

Otherwise, students know you are frustrated.

There are other ways besides reporting discipline problems to managing a classroom.

So, if you’re like me, and hate reporting discipline problems, don’t even think of that as the first path to enjoying the teacher’s life.

Simply use your rules and procedures to continue building a connection with your students.

Try it – it really works and you can take control in the classroom.