A Teacher’s Heart

By. Meredith Biesinger

“They’re such a great teacher; they have such a teacher’s heart!”

There’s something to be said about an individual who chooses a profession teaching young or teenage-aged children. It’s rewarding and challenging at the same time! Kindness, empathy, and a focus on building community are among the qualities of a great teacher and makeup what we call a teacher’s heart.

Do you remember your favorite teacher? I have a few. They’re all very different! They taught various subjects, had very different teaching styles and personalities, and were scattered throughout my K-12 learning career as a child. The one thing all of these teachers had in common was that they cared. They invested time into learning about me, teaching me, and motivating me to become better and reach my goals at that time.

Maybe you’re wondering how to be a caring teacher and an effective teacher at the same time?

Here are three categories that embody a caring and effective teacher.

Heart

*Building Student Relationships

*Growth Mindset

*Inspire and motivate colleagues

*A genuine love of teaching

Hands

*Meets Deadlines

*Time Management

*Organized

Head

*Subject Matter Expert

*Understand Curriculum and Pedagogy

*Innovative Problem Solver I believe most educators have a teacher’s heart. I also think that most educators know their strengths and weaknesses; we often tend to be our own worst critics. Take the opportunity to identify your strengths in the “Heart, Hands, Head” list and your weaknesses as well. Set some goals for this school year on one aspect to improve upon. Is it organization? Curriculum? Or, is it