Student Characteristics

An effective teacher displays both general and specific understanding of students’ individual characteristics (interests, family background, culture/language, non-school literacies and sense of self) and thoroughly and persuasively connects that knowledge to learning. Student characteristics that are relevant to instruction or relationship building may include the student’s interests; goals; cultural, linguistic, and socio-economic background; family traditions; non-school literacies.

For example, a teacher may notice the following assets about a student:

• Spanish spoken in the home (cultural/linguistic)
• Student expresses an interest in and commitment to athletics (interests/non-school literacies).
• Student expresses an interest in YA fiction (interests)
• Student expresses that they like playing make believe games with friends at recess (interests)
• Student accompanies mother to the machine shop on weekends (socio-economic background/non-school literacies)
• Family runs a farm (non-school literacies)
• Student participates in student government (interests/non-school literacies)
• Student participates in model UN (interests)
• Family recently moved to the area from Quebec (cultural/linguistic)
• Student identifies themselves as a southern, and moved to the area from South Carolina four years ago (cultural/family traditions).