My personal reaction to some mistakes of the 67 worst teaching mistakes.

            I chose mistakes no. 4, 9, 13, 22, 29 and 40 because it has close connection to each other.

4. Lacking knowledge and preparation. This can affect to the learning atmosphere of learning. The teacher doesn’t have any focus on what to discuss and how to explain and elaborate the important points of the topic. The teacher misses the value of being competent of relaying the important message to his/her student by having a short, brief and concise discussion.

9. Talking to the board. This is usually what happens if the teacher has lack of the knowledge and preparation. There is no direct eye to eye contact to his/her student. This gesture will lessen the engagement and active participation of the student. Some students feel that they don’t have an interaction to their teacher. 

13. Underestimating students. If you don’t have trust in your students capabilities then it a starting point of blocking their opportunities to discover more about their self. The tendencies are the teacher will give only an activity which he/she believes that it is enough for their capacity. The opportunity of taking the challenges of having difficult activity are deprive from the student. It is supposedly a chance to enhance their skills and talents.

22. Being disorganized. Having this kind of attitude does not limit only in the class room discussion or in any form of lecture. This is also observing on how a teacher prepare the materials needed for his/her lecture. Another one is how he/she schedule his/her vacant or available time. In other words have a good time management. This kind of attitude of the teacher can affect so much in their learning atmosphere it shows the incompetence of their teacher. 

29. Not giving clear explanations. Difficult concept needs a thorough and logical explanation so that the student grasps the meaning of it. Even the way the teacher talks are already a factor for a clear explanation. This can create a good atmosphere of hearing the lecture and also develop a good disposition for the student. That is why if the concepts are not clearly explained then proceeding to other related topic would be problematic.

40. Practicing a “do as I say, not as I do” philosophy.  This is a common mistake of a teacher who does not integrate what he taught to his students in his own life. For example the teacher remind his students not to smoke because it is not good for the health, but the student then saw him smoking outside the campus. An effective teaching is not only in cognitive level but also in affective level. In other words “walk your talk”.

            These six worst teaching mistakes I chose are common mistakes for a newly hired teacher.  That is why it is necessary to have a basic training before enter into teaching. This will help to a newly hired teacher to become more aware of his own limitation. These will also his opportunity to discover his other potentials how to be an effective teacher.