9 Effective Qualities in Teachers With a Degree in Education

The classroom is a demanding workplace, and the most effective educators develop strategies and behaviors to help meet its demands—as well as additional challenges related to student behavior, lack of resources, level of parental engagement, and administrative dynamics.

There are nine common behaviors shared by high-performing teachers. Fortunately, they are also strategies that can be learned by anyone with a degree in education.

Essential Behaviors of High-Performing Teachers

1. They have a mission and know exactly what they want to accomplish in the classroom each day.

2. They have positive beliefs in their ability to work successfully with students and to make a difference in their lives.

3. They recognize that the choices they make as educators have an impact on student success and on their own careers.

4. They have well-developed problem-solving skills that empower them to create and implement plans for overcoming challenges.

5. They have learned how to build positive relationships with students, no matter how unmotivated or disruptive some students might be.

6. They build positive relationships with parents in support of the crucial role parents and the home environment play in education.

7. They maintain a positive attitude, understanding that a negative mind-set is reflected in their classroom presence and could impede students’ learning.

8. They understand the necessity of a support network, and seek out friends and colleagues who are positive and proactive.

9. They have learned how to plan their time and effort to make the best use of their skills and resources.

Effective teaching requires great preparation. By making a determined effort to put practices like these into place, you’re choosing to empower yourself. From there, it’s just a matter of time before you’re viewed as a high-performing teacher by administrators, peers, parents, and students.

If you’re considering a master’s degree, such as a master of arts in teaching or a master of education, consider Walden University.

Walden University is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and offers a wide variety of online education programs that can prepare you with the knowledge and skills necessary to be an even more effective educator as you learn in a flexible, convenient format that fits your busy life.

Canter^® is a Walden University educational partner and the strategies outlined in this article are part of the Canter course, The High Performing Teacher®.

Canter^® Course: The High Performing Teacher®, accompanying resource book.

The strategies in this article were adapted from Lee Canter and Marlene Canter’s book The High-Performing Teacher and their course by the same name at Canter®, a Walden University education partner.