Chapter 2

2. In the opinion of David Ausubel and Myron Brenton, what is the most important characteristic of a successful teacher?

The book states that David Ausubel wrote, “Perhaps the most important personality characteristic of a teacher is the extent of the teacher’s personal commitment to the intellectual development of students.” (Hoffer, 11) Ausubel is also responsible for the subsumption theory where the teach starts out with generic information and uses the student’s previous knowledge to build up into learning the more specific details.
The book simplifies Ausubel’s statement in Myron Brenton’s theory: “The best teachers wear a large invisible button that reads “I give a damn.’” (Hoffer, 11)
To put these two theories together, I’d say that the most important characteristic of a successful teacher is the ability to care about the student and work so that the students will benefit.


5. Current teachers have to want to continue their education to do so. If you think about it, every day is a new learning experience for the teacher and the student. Teachers can also work on their professional development by going to different workshops and inservices, and by joining differnet groups and networks to be more exposed to these opportunities. Teachers can also look back at their previous work to evaluate themselves and see how they can improve their current teachers habits and skills.

Ausubel, David. Educational Psychology. New York City, New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1978
Hoffer, Charles R. Teaching Music in the Secondary Schools. Belmont, California: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2001.