Portrait of an Educator

The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery.
Mark Van Doren ~ American PoetMoline-Coal Valley has launched its Portrait of an Educator in alignment with its Portrait of a Graduate. The six competencies encompass not only what the district seeks in a highly qualified candidate, but represent the work already being done within our district.
The competencies, along with descriptors, reflect the qualities and characteristics we believe are important for all teachers and support staff to exhibit, to empower and prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s ever-changing world.

Uniquely, Portrait of an Educator represents the voice and perspective of our students. During the 2023-2024 school year, 60+ students participated in a Superintendent-Student Advisory Council. Over four meeting sessions, the student-led group developed six core competencies and descriptions that reflected the traits they feel our educators should possess. The group also
shared their ideas for creating a logo to represent how the students see educators and how they feel educators want to be seen by students. The project results were presented to administrators and school board members and adopted by the Board of Education in May 2024.
We are proud of this student-led and student-generated project that aligns with the district’s vision for teachers in our classrooms.Link to Download portrait of an Educator Competencies PDF

Understands Students' Lives

Knows students by their first preferred name and how to pronounce and spell it
Engages in meaningful conversations with students, beyond small talk, to really get to know them
Takes an interest in students’ stories, cultures, and backgrounds
Checks in on students and shows care
Is attentive/observant to student changes
Makes up own mind about students, not what others have said about them
Is mindful of students’ boundaries and personal struggles

Is Upbeat, Positive, and Relatable

Is confident but not condescending
Uses humor but cautious with sarcasm
Exudes passion for their profession
Serves as a positive role model
Adapts to students’ needs and works together to tackle issues
Shares experiences, life lessons, advice
Is willing to accept criticism
Shows no bias
Provides opportunities for student voice, asks for student feedback on how class and school could be improved

Communicates Effectively

Listens empathetically
Responds in a positive and encouraging way even when students are struggling
Communicates in a way that guides students toward solutions
Is mindful of tone and body language
Embraces students’ points of view even when different from their own
Refrains from negative speech, ranting, complaining
Refrains from engaging in power conflicts with students

Is Confident, Competent, and Prepared

Is Timely and Fair

Provides constructive feedback, timely grading
Responds to student emails promptly
Provides consistent grading practices across the grade level or department
Open to re-do’s, choice, test corrections, extra credit, and other flexible learning methods
Utilizes pre-tests, study guides, practice assessments, and chances to learn from mistakes
Flexible and reasonable with workload outside of class, mindful of students’ full responsibilities (activities, work, family)

Is Passionate and Creative

Uses multiple dynamic teaching methods based on students’ needs
Connects learning to the real world
Creates ways for students to engage with each other in class, through seating and grouping
Chooses learning tasks that are interesting, interactive, engaging, and allows for choice
Allows for alternative pathways to success
Allows for both collaborative and quiet/ independent work
Makes the classroom comfortable and approachable, such as adding music