Hello again,
I am happy to announce that the fourth episode of the Amazing Teacher Podcast has been published.
This week, I sat down with Danielle Mizuta, who is the State lead mentor with the Hawaii Department of Education Teacher Leadership Institute.
In her position, Danielle helps new teachers across the state be more successful in the classroom, so I felt that she would be a great guest for the podcast – and I was not disappointed.
Danielle was an amazing guest.
One of the topics we discussed were the qualities that she felt were common among amazing teachers.
That’s when she mentioned the Three P’s – Professional, Passionate, and Persevere
Danielle was so right, and I would like to elaborate on what she mentioned on the podcast. It was such great advice.
The first P of amazing teachers is Professional.
Amazing Teachers are Professional.
Amazing teachers are professional at all times not just when they’re in front of the class.
Teachers are going to find themselves in situations where they might be in front of an angry parent or in the presence of other teachers behaving “unprofessional.” Amazing teachers stay professional. They keep their emotions under control, and they don’t fall into the trap of arguing back or making “unprofessional” comments. I have been in situations where I want to step out of my “educator” role and respond in kind to parents who don’t have a problem crossing the line with insults or unfair accusations. I don’t, but it’s tough. It’s not easy to stay “professional” all the time. Amazing teachers, however, do.
Amazing Teachers are Passionate.
Amazing teachers love what they do. They enjoy teaching. They enjoy being with students. They’re excited about their subject and take joy in sharing what they know with their class.
We all know teachers who come to school, punch the clock, do what they have to do and then just leave before the final bell is finished ringing. Their classes are routine and boring, and student don’t like being there. The reason is because they don’t have that passion for teaching anymore. They don’t have that love for the subject. It’s just a job to them, and that’s not fair to the students.
Amazing teachers show their passion in what they’re doing every day, and that passion is contagious. A passionate teacher can take a boring topic and breathe life into it with their energy and enthusiasm. In the same way, an exciting topic can be made boring by a teacher without passion.
Amazing Teachers Persevere.
The last P that Danielle shared was persevere.
Amazing teachers persevere in spite of all that they have to do. There are so many demands made of teachers today. Teachers are being asked to do so much more with so much less, and it’s easy for teachers to get frustrated. Yet, what separates amazing teachers from all the others is that amazing teachers continue to do their very best without complaining. They keep making amazing lesson plans. They keep connecting with students. They keep doing everything they can to make the experience that the students have in their class one that is memorable and one that will last a lifetime.
I had an awesome time speaking with Danielle. She had some great insights, and I know that once you hear the podcast, you are going to come away with some great tips and strategies that you can take into the classroom. If you haven’t heard the podcast already, head on over to the podcast site www.TheAmazingTeacher.com and take a listen.
Until next time, here’s to your Success in the Classroom!
Thanks,
Sam
