With globalism becoming a part of our lives, its effects can be seen on all the

major spheres of our lives, including classrooms.

No doubt students will need to learn how to interact in a diverse environment.
Students who attend schools with a diverse population can develop an
understanding of the perspectives of children from different backgrounds and
learn to function in a multicultural, multiethnic environment. Yet, as public
schools become more diverse, demands increase to find the most effective ways
to help all students succeed academically as well as learn to get along with each
other. Teachers are faced with the challenge of making instruction "culturally
responsive" for all students while not favoring one group over another.

Schools must take a proactive approach to acknowledging diversity

A parent needs to look beyond the numbers to evaluate a school's approach to
diversity. To create a positive environment where students and teachers are
respectful of different backgrounds, schools have to be proactive.

Structured classroom activities can highlight diversity. She suggests that

teachers structure their teaching to acknowledge different perspectives. For
example, in a history lesson about the Vietnam War, they should draw attention
to the perspectives of North as well as South Vietnamese citizens, the feelings of
the soldiers and diverse views of Americans. In a classroom the teacher can
structure learning groups that are diverse and devise activities that require each
student to contribute to the group. In this way students learn that each person in
a group can contribute and has something of value to say.

Mutual respect is part of the equation. Hence believes teachers should

never tolerate disrespect. They should establish ground rules for the class, and
even let the kids help to establish these rules.

Today it is a prelude to the world of work, where many students will encounter
diverse cultures. It is this exposure to cultures that can bring out a teachers
creativity in teaching a broad range of subjects. So each teacher must go on a
journey to uncover how cultures influence families, government, language and
where people live.

One unique idea would be for teachers to explore their own culture and talk with
the students from a personal perspective. Also, invite the students to do
research on their families culture. Invite a relative who can talk about the
history of how their family arrived in this country. Explore some of the things that

have changed in your family. For example some children no longer speak the
language that their grand parents were taught. Some families still have property
in their native countries and return to their roots for family reunions. Students
may also be assigned to interview a family member about an historical event that
they experienced. Families are filled with rich stories that arent always passed
down.
The teacher also must realize that some students have not been exposed to
people who are from different backgrounds and cultures. They may not be sure
how to respond to some one who speaks differently. There may be some
assumptions about the students knowledge level because they can not speak
English clearly. This offers a great teaching opportunity. It also provides material
for class discussions on the dangers of stereotyping people, the role of the media
as it relates to culture and understanding people on an individual basis. Teachers
may initiate projects connecting students with schools in other countries.

Top 11 traits of a good teacher

by Alan Haskvitz

"Some say that my teaching is nonsense. Others call it lofty but impractical. But
to those who have looked inside themselves, this nonsense makes perfect sense.
And to those who put it into practice, this loftiness has roots that go deep."
-- Lao-Tzu,

First, there is no hard and fast list that tells you who is a good teacher or who is
not a good teacher. However, there are traits that excellent teachers have in
common. These are not the usual qualities such as being a good friend or having
a nice personality. These are what researchers from around the world have found
when they watched those teachers whose students excelled once they left that
teacher's classroom. Of course, not every teacher is going to be a skillful teacher
for every child and a child spends only about 8 percent of the year in school,
which means that regardless of the quality of teacher, a supportive home
environment is essential to excellent learning.

1. Be unsatisfied
The first trait of a high-quality teacher is that he or she is a good learner. They
are always eager to learn new things, expand their knowledge base, experiment

with better ways to achieve success. They are lifelong learners and they produce
lifelong learners. So, the first trait is to be unsatisfied with what is. In other words,
the best teacher is always a student.

2. High expectations
High expectations are the second trait of outstanding teachers. I once had a
principal who said having high expectations created failure. In other words, the
principal did not want to set high goals for fear of parent complaints. In reality,
setting high standards brings out the best in students and creates in them a
feeling of accomplishment. They become self-reliant, learn to delay gratification,
and fit more readily into adulthood where competition is inevitable. High
standards are not impossible standards. Setting high expectations may require
making the student uncomfortable, much like taking the training wheels off a
bicycle. In other words, good teachers encourage risk taking and accept errors.

3. Create independence
Thirdly, highly effective educators are adept at monitoring student problems and
progress. They remediate when necessary and differentiate as needed. To do this
they use their time well. They are not the center of the classroom. The students
are encouraged to look for help and answers on their own. They are passionate
about not teaching, but facilitating learning. As such, they are promoting their
own obsolescence. Just as a fine manager has a team in place that can operate
well without him or her, a good teacher creates in a student a sense of self that
lasts a lifetime. They promote a deeper understanding of concepts and work
habits than just learning the curriculum suggests. In other words, they create
independence.

4. Knowledgeable
Fourth, they possess a deep knowledge of the subject matter and are able to
manipulate, simplify, and individualize this data more easily because they are a
master of it. To gain this they are not just hard workers, but have a passion for
the subject. They are able to empathize with students who might not like that
subject and turn that lack of enthusiasm around by presenting the facts from a
different angle. In other words, their bumper sticker reads, "This teacher stops for
new ideas."

5. Humor
Fifth, first-class teachers have a good sense of humor. They make jokes and
accept jokes. They are not comedians, but they are entertaining. They tell stories,

point out silly things, bring joy to difficult situations, and are not afraid of
laughter. They use humor to connect to their students. In other words, excellent
teachers keep the students' attention without fear.

6. Insightful
The sixth trait is to provide quick and accurate assessment of student work. Tests
and other projects are evaluated in a timely manner. The student work may not
be filled with red marks or gold stars, but it is returned with the understanding of
what was right and what could be improved. Without constant evaluation a
learning child cannot make the progress of a student who is guided. A helpful
teacher does not discourage original thinking, but it must be proven. At all times,
the best educator is looking for the student's reasoning, rather than the answer.
In other words, for the insightful teacher, student assessment assesses the
teacher's performance and provides ideas of what changes both need to make to
improve.

7. Flexible
Seventh, the best teachers use the community as their resource. They see
education as more than what is done in the classroom. They belong to civic
groups, participate in organizations, and use their contacts to enhance student
learning. For example, they bring in guest speakers, seek donations from the
community as needs arise, and allow their students to display their work for the
citizenry to critique and enjoy. They use technology as an extension of the
community and find new resources to make their lessons more attractive. They
use a newspaper and current events to open a child's mind to what is happening
in the world and at all times they search for a teachable moment
(any instance where a child expresses an interest in something that could be
used to stimulate their learning). This includes both negative and positive items
and is the main reason lesson plans are never mentioned as a trait of good
teaching. Superior teachers abandon them to follow more encouraging leads.
This is why educators and education is so misunderstood by those who feel
children are cans of soup, all alike and open, ready for knowledge to be poured in
and sealed. Excellent teachers encourage student input and use the community
to make for more invigorating teaching. In other words, a quality instructor is a
master of flexibility.

8. Diverse
Eighth, a first-rate teacher provides an array of methods to learn. They integrate
the lessons among several subjects; they use research papers, artwork, poetry
and even physical education as part of the learning process. For example, when a

child is studying an explorer the teacher shows them how many miles per hour
they walk, how to create a graph of the calories they would need, make a map of
the trip with legend, write a journal of what they saw, draw pictures of the flora
and fauna, and make a presentation of what the student felt was the best and
worst part of the discovery. In other words, the proficient educator offers children
a diverse array of avenues to pursue excellence.

9. Unaccepting
Ninth, a quality teacher is unaccepting. They do not accept pat answers. They do
not accept first drafts. They do not accept false excuses. They are not the easiest
teachers because of this trait. Education is, in essence, the disciplining of the
mind. A student who knows the rules knows what to expect and knows what is
right. The best teachers are those that have appropriate standards and that build
good habits. In other words, a superior teacher understands what a child needs
now and in the future.

10. Unconforming
The tenth, and perhaps most interesting trait, is that a quality teacher keeps
children off balance. The student is not bored, but challenged. When a child who
has a skillful teacher comes home, they talk about what they did in class. They
are riled up, they are motivated, and they know they need to be ready for the
unexpected. A high-quality teacher can be dressed up in an outfit, show a video,
take them to the library, have them work on a project, create lessons for one
another, work on a computer, proofread a classmate's work, and invent a game
to play at recess, all before noon. One day is seldom like the next. There is
continuity, but diversity is everywhere.

11. A communicator
Of note is that not one research paper said a trait of good quality teachers were
their bulletin boards, tidy rooms, easy grades, ability to write neatly or dress well.
All the traits dealt with the ability to trigger learning, and thus the most
important trait of all is the ability to communicate.

Below are traits of good teachers as expressed by young people around the
world.

From Indonesia:
A great teacher smiles to his/her pupils even when they screw him up.

A good teacher shows the whole wide world to the students.

From India:
One who help his students in all respects. He makes his students able to live
better life. He teaches students to take decisions in all the conditions.

From Croatia:
A really good teacher should be child in his soul . . .

From Ireland:
It is fundamental that a teacher cares about humanity in general.

From Chile:
A good teacher is someone who can learn from his students, who can learn with
them, and for them.

From Egypt:
To win their confidence should be the teacher's first aim - though strictness has to
be in its place.

From Germany:
A good teacher, of course, has to be humorous. A teacher has to enjoy what she
does!
Has to remember how it was when he/she was a child

From Pakistan:
A guide.
A real friend is someone who knows all about you and still he loves you. A good
teacher is a good friend.
Good teaching is keeping yourself in the shoes of your students.

From Malaysia:
One who doesn't 'teach' but instead is willing to 'learn' with the child and from
the child.

From Mexico:
The teacher is to the students what the rain is to the field.

From Chad:
A good teacher should answer all questions, even if they are stupid.

From Jamaica:
To become a good teacher, you not only teach the children, but you also have to
learn from them.

From Nigeria:
A good teacher must be prepared to be foolish if that will help his pupil attain
wisdom.