Sound Off: What makes an effective teacher?
Safe and inclusive. Enlightening and engaging. Fun. Challenging. Different. There are many reasons why we anoint teachers or classes with the crown of “favorite.” What are yours? What makes an effective teacher? What do you enjoy most about your favorite classes?
Maava Tialavea, student reporter
Mrs. Hjelmstad is definitely my favorite teacher. She makes the class feel like a home and is definitely an easy teacher to talk to about problems or anything. Her child-like personality is one of the things that stand out the most and her classroom is filled with Disney characters or some sort of Disney theme. She even has a family portrait of her at Disneyland with her family. She’s also a fan favorite at Manteca High School with her being the leader of the leadership team and fun activities in her classroom. Usually classwork and homework are boring, but not with her classes. She makes classwork easy, and she lets you use your imagination until you can’t no more. She’s open to any ideas and is very reasonable.
Rebecca Navarro, student reporter
What creates my favorite classroom environment is the openness amongst all students and teachers, an environment where we can collaborate to create projects and learn as a group. One that incorporates hands-on activities about subjects that interest me. My favorite classes have been Intro to Floriculture with Nolan and History and Film with Eavenson. In floral, Nolan was a passionate teacher willing to guide us every step of the way as we worked in two areas that interested me, history and agriculture. Meanwhile in History and Film, I get to watch movies (one of my favorite pastimes) and discuss the films afterwards with my class writing and analyzing the deeper meanings of the media we consume.
Salvador Paniagua, student reporter
Some of my favorite teachers and classes that I have had over the years at Manteca High, and not in order, are teachers like Burns, Ballin, Benson, Flores, Eavenson, and more. I crown these teachers as some of my favorites because they’re all friendly and fun to learn from. They make the subjects they teach engaging and interesting. But outside of academics and school, they are just really cool people that you can consider a friend. Someone that you can talk to about something that has nothing to do with the class. Someone that you can see as a person more than just that one teacher. I think that’s what makes an effective teacher. What I enjoy most about my favorite classes are the teachers and the freedom. I like my English 4 class because Ms. Ballin is a chill teacher but also straightens us up when we need it. And the same goes for my photography and journalism classes.
RubyAnne Noonkester, student reporter
To make school more appealing and interesting, I would mandate that classes have flexible seating and make the work less redundant and tedious. The work can often be the same and uninteresting, killing any creativity and intrigue. I would also have teachers let kids work together, encouraging them to talk and socialize to get to know people in their classes and to expand their social circles. This would help kids want to go to class to see people they enjoy working with. Schools could also stop giving busy work and stop assigning things that often feel mindnumbing and unimportant.
Andrew Juarez, student reporter
Teaching isn’t an easy job; being a good teacher is an even more difficult thing to accomplish. Teachers that have fun and engaging classes are often the most scarce. In my life I’ve had a handful of teachers who have fought for the spot of "favorite” teacher. In my experience I’d have to say my favorite teacher was my 4th grade teacher Mr. Korac; He was one of the first teachers to get me engaged in class discussions. He showed me that learning could be fun, he was one of those that could turn any lesson into something fun. He always had the class on their toes. Having teachers that can make something boring into something that you can’t wait to learn more about. That is invaluable.
Johnie Vaughn, student reporter
My favorite teacher had to be my 6th grade teacher. His name was Mr. Baker. He was an ex-football coach, so he was really loud, strict, and called everyone by last name. I believe back then I needed someone to be strict to guide me to stay on track and I've realized that over the years that I still tend to prefer “strict” teachers over “fun” teachers. I need guidance to keep good grades because if I'm left with too much freedom, I naturally abuse that power and proceed to slip up and not do my work. It’s a bad habit I've been trying to work on over the years, but it’s gotten lightly better, but I still have my weeks where I just don't do anything.