Defining Effectiveness

School Improvement Network's Teacher Effectiveness System Prepares All Educators to Get 100% of Students College and Career Ready

By Amy Esselman

It took me a long time to figure out what defines an “effective teacher.”

Growing up I had lots of teachers that I loved. I still remember by kindergarten teacher. She was the best! Not only did she help me start to read, but she let me stay up during nap time. She wasn’t giving me special treatment; she just knew that I didn’t like naps. Turning the lights off and having me lay down on my Barney mat would have done very little to get to actually rest, let alone go to sleep.

In my mind, she was an effective teacher. She knew my strengths, and skills. She gave me room to grow in the classroom, and the flexibility to do things I enjoyed. She encouraged me to find positives in the activities that I disliked. For example, I didn’t like trying to sound out words; I preferred to make them up. She taught me that imagination is a great thing, but I still have to read the words on the page—that’s how I would understand the story.

Now I may not remember every lesson from elementary school, but somehow that one stuck with me—a little kid who could barely read learned that words were important. She was effective in preparing me for the next level. She didn’t help me just in the moment. She helped me for the long run.

Now think past kindergarten. The ultimate test of teacher effectiveness is each student being prepared for college or their career. It will take hard work, dedication, and time. Effectiveness is something you can’t gain overnight. It’s a combination of preparation, research, practice and passion.

But realistically, it’s hard to find the time.

Sure, there are resources out there. You can find them online, or at the library or through your school. But training takes time, books have to be read. There just aren’t enough hours in the day. Collectively, any number of resources could help you achieve teaching effectiveness, but it doesn’t seem all that practical.

The School Improvement Network has over 20 years of experience and research in teacher effectiveness and has created a systematic approach that will ease the burden and confusion of figuring out where to start.

The Teacher Effectiveness system incorporates tools, resources and applications to help achieve effectiveness at every level. All in one place, ready when you are. The ultimate goal of the system is get prepare all educators to get 100% of students college and career ready.

It seems like a lofty goal, but it really isn’t. There are schools all over the country who have met the 100% mark with their students. It’s a combination of hard work, the right tools, and learning to be flexible. In order to prepare students for college and careers, you can’t just pass them. You can’t just make them nap or read. You have to work with them; try to understand them and how they work.

Students remember the teachers who helped them grow, achieve and get ready to move forward—the ones that were effective. (It’s just an added bonus if they let you stay up during nap time!)