Hajer Yahya

TED 2250
Reflective 2: Best Practices for Effective Urban Educators

The urban classroom is a challenging environment; teachers deal with

students who have numerous social, educational, and economic needs.
Effective educators face the challenges and achieve increases in student
success. Based on our readings, I believe that the ten characteristics of
effective urban educators are as follow:

1. Commitment and enthusiastic about teaching

Effective urban teachers are committed to multicultural education
which advances equal education for all students, regardless of the
group to which they belong. They also exhibit enthusiasm in the
classroom that allows students to be interested in class discussions
and classroom activities.

2. High Expectation and Persistence

Many urban teachers honestly believe that most of their students
should not be in their classrooms because they need special help; are
not achieving at grade level; are "abnormal" in their interests,
attentiveness, or behavior; are emotionally unsuited to school; or are in
need special classes. Effective urban teachers, on the other hand,
believe it is their responsibility to find ways of engaging all their
students in learning activities. They persist in trying to meet the
individual needs of each student and find ways that work best for all.
Effective urban teachers realize that their beliefs affect students, so
they place high expectations for their students that encourage them to
do better and meet those expectations.

3. Relevant Curriculum
Effective urban teachers adjust their teaching strategies to their
students' needs. They observe and evaluate their teaching and reflect
on what worked and what things need to be change.

4. Building Relationship with students

Dereca insists that teachers need to have authentic relationships with
their students and that connections makes anything possible and
opens up more achievable results, (Watson, 40). Effective urban
teachers build relationship with their students

5. Communication Skills
Effective teachers have communication skills and know how to
communicate with their students in the way they understand and get
their attention like Rudy did.
6. Knowledgeable of students background
Urban teachers often lack knowledge and respect of the ethnicities and
cultures of the children they teach. However, effective teachers have
enough knowledge of their students background and what
environment they are coming from so they understand their students.

7. Actively listening; having passion for teaching

Listening to students is imperative and an effective way of getting to
know their ideas what they are thinking. Without listening to and
learning from student, teachers are less likely to build the bridge of
understanding. Without this basic tool of communication, little reaching
or teaching is possible, (Watson, 103). Effective urban teachers
actively listen to their students and respond attentively to their
concerns.

8. Engaging and encouraging students to learn

Effective urban teacher provide rich and varied activities/assignments,
focuses curricula on the local environment, and involve community and
family in educational activities. In order to engage students, Rudy
believes the content must relate to whats going on, (Watson, 67).
Effective teacher also motivate their students to learn and help them
succeed when they fail.

9. Engaging students parents

Effective teachers are well aware of the benefits of family involvement
in children's education. So they try to get parents engaged in school
and participate in school activities, attend parents conference and etc.

10. Showing care and love for students

Effective urban teachers show care for their students by praising them,
loving them, listening to them and encouraging them effectively.