What Sorts of Standards for Teachers?

Jeni Day, Richard Allington

ABSTRACT

Day and Allington analyzed the literature on exemplary elementary teaching and teased out the characteristics reported by all the researchers. In this article, they describe four important characteristics found in more than half the studies. These are: Effective elementary teachers 1) hold high expectations of students, 2) create classrooms in which students own their own learning, 3) make materials relevant, engaging, and meaningful to students, and 4) build curriculum based on students needs and interests.

* Teaching for Intelligence II, A. L. Costa, Ed., Arlington Heights, IL: Skylight Professional Development, 2000