by Victoria Rose Perkins

Created on: November 21, 2009   Last Updated: February 12, 2010

Good teachers know how to challenge their students, simply because they get to know their students as individuals, and what they need. The more a teacher understands the students, and learns about what the students find interesting and not so interesting, the better able they are to adapt their teaching methods, to help the students grasp the material.

For instance, lets say some of the students are bored with math. A good teacher looks beneath the surface to discreetly discover why. A student may deem math a boring subject, but underneath, the reason is because they have a hard time understanding it, and can feel embarrassed in front of their peers.

In order to challenge this student, it is a must to know where they truly stand on the subject academically, and work at that level. Commendation is shown each time the student moves along to catch up to their peers. Children need genuine praise. Making math interesting means bringing in supporting topics, besides the text book, in order to get a challenging interest going. How about using math riddles. Most students love solving riddles. They are fun and interesting and challenging. Students need to get the idea that learning can be fun, not just drudgery.

Whatever subject a good teacher is trying to get across to the students, the interest on the part of the students, has to be there first. This is where supportive ideas come in. They create a challenge and gain the attention of the students.

What if students do not care for history. Good teachers find surrounding information supporting that particular piece of history and strive to tie it in with students of today. When students relate to people of the past, realizing they are more like them than not, they begin to listen more intently. Tidbits of interesting history (not found in the books) add some spice to the subject. A good teacher will dig up this information.

Learning has to be interesting, understandable and fun in order to keep the attention of students. The studetnts must feel they can relate somehow to the material. Here is where a good teacher can do extra research to get some hidden gems. Presenting the material to the class in this manner, more than llikely, will turn a boring subject into an interesting one.

Who of us cares to learn dry, boring material. However, give us some rumors, riddles, speculations and input from the class and we are more apt to pay attention and want to know more about the subject. Once in a while a good teacher may want to rotate having a student lead the class. Also, helping the students realize, "we are all in this together."  Challenging projects on the particular subjects should be offered, and a team reward given out. A good teacher will consider mixing teams up with a good academic balance in each group.

Good teachers go beyond the classroom. To them it is not just a job, but a chance to influence and help direct students to get all they can out of learning. Good teachers go the extra mile and reap rich rewards. A good teacher is like a 3rd parent and respects the child's abilities and teaches with compassion and respect for every student, regardless of how capable they are of being challenged. To him or her, the student is a person first, and then a student who needs to be taught.

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