t they can truly assess the effectiveness of their teaching methods and make adjustments to improve them (Ross, 2002, 682). Teachers often do not have the time, or find it painful to reflect honestly on their teaching abilities, and this is to the detriment of their students. Only by true reflection can a teacher really develop his/her full potential.
Theories abound as to what makes a good teacher, and what makes someone become a teacher. Whitbeck (2000) looked at preservice students to determine why they wanted to become teachers and the knowledge base on which they relied to make this decision. Three basic answers emerged from the study: the students felt a calling to be a teacher; the students were influenced by their experiences with a teacher in their own early education who became a role model; or they simply saw themselves as teachers.
Many teachers come from a long line of teachers, having parents, siblings, and grandparents in the teaching profession (Ross, 2002, 131-132). Students who feel ôcalledö to be teachers often believe they have special insight into children and how to teach them. These types of students usually have strong views as to how teaching should take place and have very idealized views of themselves as teachers (134). These students often have the notion that, even in the earliest stage of their becoming a teacher, they know what is wrong with the system and how to fix it.
Students in this group often identified themselves as teachers, even before beginning their studies, which demonstrates that many preservice teachers may have unrealistic self-assessments which may hinder them from becoming effective teachers (Ross, 2002, 135). They believe that they have all the answers within themselves already, and so may be less willing to learn from more experienced teachers once out in the workforce. Preservice teachers often believe that teaching is easy, and all they have to do is relate ...