Read the statement and the instructions that follow it, and then make any notes that will help you plan your response. Begin typing your response in the box at the bottom of the screen.

The best teachers are those whose classes include a large amount of discussion between teachers and students.

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

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Being a good teacher can mean a lot of things, being the best teacher can mean something totally different than that. There are many different criteria in what determines the best teachers. I disagree with the statement that "the best teachers are those whose classes include a large amount of discussion between teachers and students" because discussion between teachers and students cannot be easily measured and having these discussions is only one of many tasks of what makes the best teachers.

First, discussions in class cannot be evaluated in a standard way. It is possible that a teacher may have a great discussion with some of their students, but there are students that may not take part in the discussions. Students are all very different, they come in all shapes and sizes, and learning styles. While having discussions are good, some students are not great talkers and that could be because of their shyness, upbringing, or poor language ability. Therefore, teachers who include a large amount of class discussion can benefit some students, but may be a poor tool in teaching other students.

Second, the best teachers are those who achieve results. Having a large amount of discussion does not help a student read, develop math skills or even how to properly write an essay. It is important that students develop minds that can solve mathematical functions, read and also how to present an argument in written form. Overall, a classroom that focuses on a lot of discussion does not prepare students to perform well on standardized testing.

On the other hand, some may argue that having large discussions are more important than performing well on tests and that if poor students cannot participate in discussions, they will need to learn because it is a skill that also carries throughout one's life. Therefore, the statement that "the best teachers are those whose classes include a large amount of discussion between teachers and students" is not a factually, supported argument. Instead, it should be that while good teachers hold a lot of classroom discussions, the best teachers are those who hold classroom discussions and at the same time, develop students ability to solve mathematical problems, read, and write at the proper academic level. I further disagree with the above statement because I know that personally as a child to immigrant parents, I did not possess the ability to participate in classroom discussions at an early age. I knew that what allowed me to succeed and graduate through college was my math, reading and writing ability to score highly on the SATs, not my ability to engage in classroom discussions.

In summation, while having a lot of classroom discussions can make a good teacher, it cannot be the only criteria to measure what makes the best teachers. All students have different learning styles and the best teachers are those who not only have classroom discussions, but prepare students in the areas of math, reading and writing to succeed throughout their educational careers.