humility

"to be truly great, one has to stand among people - not above them" - Montesquieu

I think that as a teacher it is important to be self assured and as the head of a classroom you need to have confidence in yourself as an authoritative figure. but there is a fine line between being confident and being cocky.

The difference, in my opinion, is whether you brag or not about yourself. You can be really good at something or be very confident in a subject and would not be considered arrogant. But the minute you decide to open your mouth and let everyone else know how good you are at this particular subject you become cocky.

I think another aspect that depicts the difference between being humble but also self assured is how you view other people. If you are critical of other people and not yourself you are often considered arrogant.

As a teacher it is so important to be self assured and confident in your teaching, but you must also be aware of what you say and how you treat other people so you don't come across as arrogant or cocky.

collaboration

collaboration is different from group work because it incorporates everyone. each person brings their ideas to the table and everyone recognizes each others strengths and weaknesses and respects them. often in group work one person is stuck with the majority of the work - ideally collaboration evenly divides the work among group members - so that everyone is heading toward a common goal, project etc.

a highly effective team or group would be one that revolves around respect. it is okay to be critical of other people's ideas but it must be in a respectful we. a highly effect team would recognize each others strengths, what that person can bring to the table, and their weaknesses. and be open to new ideas and the fact that their own idea might not be the best. and that the ultimate goal desired is the best final "project."

efficacy

when I first saw that we had to write a blog entry of efficacy, I was a little intimidated because I have no idea what efficacy means.

according to dictionary.com efficacy means effectiveness - and I do know what effectiveness means=]

I think that being confidence in yourself as a teacher and your abilities is a very important skill to have. I am a firm believer that people won't believe in you (especially children) unless you believe in yourself. Although you may feel unsure, or at times questions your abilities - you must always feel that you are capable of doing a wonderful job, it might just take a little more work.

I also think that persistence and work ethic are both important traits to have in order to be an effective teacher. I personally think that work ethic is an important characteristic to have in life, not only in teaching. If you are willing to work, and work hard - you can accomplish anything. And again with persistence, having this trait allows you to succeed. Specifically with children I feel that is important to be persistent in your expectations of each child.

As a teacher it is important to be self-aware. What are my strengths? what needs a little help? etc. recognizing that you may have to make some changes (for the better) is the first step to becoming a better and more effective teacher.