3 Attributes of a Great Teacher

What makes a great teacher has been extensively studied in the educational literature and understandably so. I believe all of us strive to be the best we can be. I think most of us have had some thoughts about what it means to be a great teacher.  And while we are all unique in what we bring to our teaching based on our life experiences and knowledge, I feel sure we would also have ones in common. Therefore, it is crucial to keep in mind that what makes a teacher great rests on many factors, not just those mentioned here.

Drawing from the educational literature on this topic and my extensive teaching experience, here are three attributes that consistently appeared across all sources.

Attribute 1: Excellent teachers know their discipline/subject matter exceptionally well. 

The primary qualifications you possess for moving into PA education is your knowledge and experience as a practicing PA (discipline), plus you completed a PA education program. You know what it takes to become a PA and what is expected of one in clinical practice. This approach of hiring those working in a profession to teach those who seek to enter that field is a common practice in higher education. Also, you have subject matter expertise. Subject matter for us would be our discipline area of clinical knowledge and the type of settings where we practice, such as family medicine or surgery, or hospital or clinic-based.

However, what great teachers also do is take the time to learn about and become highly knowledgeable in other disciplines and subject matters. Not surprisingly, for faculty in higher education, this additional discipline tends to be education and includes subject matter areas of teaching, learning, and assessment. The PA educational model trains us to be clinicians, not educators.  Unless you started in education first or have had some formal training in teaching – you will need to become very knowledgeable about the discipline of education and the subject matter of teaching and learning. As poignantly stated by Bain (2004, p. 24), just because we know our discipline or subject matter well doesn’t necessarily make us great teachers.

Attribute 2: Great teachers, POP! 

They Plan. They are Organized.  They teach with Purpose. Relative to planning and organizing, great teachers think about so many things – such as what needs to be done, what resources are required, what activities need to be planned, and what format and teaching strategy will work best to foster student learning. What feedback and support need to be provided, and when? How will a safe and positive learning environment be established and maintained? Great teachers think about all of these things and more when preparing and organizing, and they plan well in advance. 

What the research and authors consistently comment upon under this attribute, sometimes referred to as preparedness, is that there is a deeper purpose fueling these teachers' planning and organizing. That purpose is that great teachers see teaching and their responsibility as doing whatever is needed to help and encourage students to learn. How they see this purpose includes a clear intention about why they are teachers and recognizing the student's significance in the learning equation. These teachers are student-focused; they understand the importance of timely and useful feedback, giving the students a voice and some sense of control over their learning, and developing students' trust that you, as the teacher, will evaluate them fairly, honestly, and consistently. And great teachers have a positive perspective and enthusiastic attitude toward their students and their ability to learn.

Attribute 3 - Great teachers are avid lifelong learners who seek to be the best they can be.

Great teachers are ongoing avid learners. This attribute complements Attribute 1 in taking the time and energy needed to learn a new discipline – that of education.  Great teachers also possess the depth and breadth of educational knowledge, teaching and learning concepts, strategies, and best practices to intentionally and mindfully draw from when creating a positive, safe student environment that fosters curiosity, engagement, and learning.

Also, excellent teachers continually evaluate themselves to keep growing and developing their teaching skills.  Great teachers are always interested in becoming better, so they seek opportunities to collect evaluations and receive feedback from peers, administrators, and students. These teachers go above and beyond the standard evaluations that are completed. For example, if they try something new in their class, they will likely develop a survey,  tool, or method to ask students or colleagues for feedback about how it went.

With over 30 years in teaching and education, I have long been fascinated with the role of teacher. It has been my experience that who we are as teachers governs what we do and how we do it. I believe great teachers can be defined in one powerful sentence that speaks to the heart of all the attributes, qualities, and characteristics.

It’s not only about WHAT great teachers do, but HOW they do it, and WHO they are as they do it. 

References and Resources

Bain, K. (2004). What the best college teachers do. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Breaux, A., & Whitaker, T. (2015). Seven simple secrets: What the best teachers know and do (2^nd ed.).  New York, NY: Taylor & Francis.

Characteristics of effective teachers. Stanford Teaching Commons. Retrieved from https://teachingcommons.stanford.edu/resources/teaching/planning-your-approach/characteristics-effective-teachers

Clement, M. C. (2013, August). Six things that make college teachers successful. The Teaching Professor. Retrieved from https://www.teachingprofessor.com/

Cranton, P. (2001). Becoming an authentic teacher in higher education. Malabar, FL: Kreiger Publishing

Forbes, J., Sierra, T., Trapp, J., & Parish, T. (2018). Characteristics of effective teaching in physician assistant programs from the student’s perspective. Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice, 16(3). Retrieve from https://nsuworks.nova.edu/ijahsp/vol16/iss3/3/

Johnson-Farmer, B. & Frenn, M. (2009).  Teaching excellence: What great teachers teach us. Journal of Professional Nursing, 25(5), 267-272.  Retrieved from https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.profnurs.2009.01.020

Orlando, M. (2013, January). Nine characteristics of a great teacher. The Teaching Professor. Retrieved from https://www.teachingprofessor.com/

Parker, P. (1998). The courage to teach: Exploring the inner landscape of a teacher’s life. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Parker, P. (1990). Good teaching. A matter of living the mystery. Retrieved from http://www.couragerenewal.org/parker/writings/good-teaching

Peterson-DeLuca, A. (2016). Top five qualities of effective teachers, according to students. Retrieved from https://www.pearsoned.com/top-five-qualities-effective-teachers/

Richmond, A.S., Boyson, G. A. & Gurung, R. A. R. (2016). An evidence-based guide to college and university teaching: Developing the model teacher. New York, NY: Routledge.

Stronge, J.H. (2018). Qualities of effective teachers (3^rd ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Tucker, P. D., and Stronge, J. H. (2005). Linking teacher evaluation and student learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Walker, R. J. (2008). Twelve characteristics of an effective teacher: A longitudinal, qualitative, quasi-research study of in-service and pre-service teachers' opinions. Educational Horizons, 87(1), 61-68. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/42923744

Whitaker, T. (2012). What great teachers do differently: 17 things that matter most (2^nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.

WhiteHorse, E. (2001). Holistic education for healthcare practitioners. (Unpublished master’s thesis). Vermont College of Norwich University, Montpelier, VT.