There’s an old saying that great teachers are born, not made. But is that true? Are the best teachers truly the ones who are innately gifted at teaching, or can anyone be a great teacher with the right training and support?
The answer, it turns out, is a little bit of both. Some people are naturally gifted at teaching and have a knack for working with students. But many people may not have been born to teach but become great teachers through hard work and dedication.
So how can we ensure that more teachers fall into the latter category? How can we make sure that our teachers are getting the training and support they need to be great?
One way is to provide instructional support. This can take many forms, but one of the most effective is instructional coaching. Instructional coaches work with individual teachers to help them improve their classroom instruction. They provide feedback and guidance on everything from lesson planning to classroom management to pedagogical techniques.
Another way to support our teachers is to provide professional development opportunities. These can be in-person workshops or conferences, online courses or webinars, or even informal opportunities for collaboration and sharing best practices.
The best teachers are made, not born. By providing instructional support and professional development opportunities, we can help our teachers become the best they can be. And when our teachers are at their best, our students reap the benefits.
