Getting to the Heart of Great Teaching

As I was reading this morning, I found a wonderful Edutopia article, The Heart of Teaching: What It means to be a Great Teacher, by a Twitter colleague, Rusul Airubail. Rusul starts off her piece by saying that "great teacher should be much more than credentials, experience and intelligence." This is so true. In my long career in literacy education, I have discovered the essence of teaching rests in the heart of many an educator. Inward passion inspires educators to take a stance of positivity to impact teaching and learning daily. Dr. Rita Pierson was one such inspiring educator who championed the child. You can read my tribute to her and every teacher here.

Because we are nearing National Poetry Month, I decided to take Rusul's words and compose a Tagxedo word cloud and then, a poem titled, Getting to the Heart of Great Teaching.

Beyond knowledge, 

credentials and intelligence,

teaching is a matter of the heart.

From passion to compassion,

great teaching builds minds,

character, and learning styles.

It provides children of the world,

thirsting for knowledge, 

a real life experience within

a broader view of society.

Great teaching unfolds in hearts

filled with kindness and empathy.

It inspires; builds community;

frames out an approach to

interdependence that leads to

independent meaning making.

Great teaching rests in the heart

and in a positive spirit. 

For those who teach, teaching

is a matter of the heart. 

CVarsalona © 2015. All Rights Reserved

Today is nearing the end of the March of Life Story Challenge. It is Day 30 out of 31. Please visit Two Writing Teachers to read other slices from a variety of writers.