Defining Teaching Excellence: The Characteristics, Practices and Experiences of Highly Effective Teachers

This is an easy, yet very informative read for teachers who want to continuously improve their craft. The ideas, experiences, practices and characteristics shared in this book come directly from highly effective teachers using their exact words. The book is written in such a way that the reader will feel as though he/she is engaged in a comfortable, informal conversation with the featured highly effective teachers. Not only will the reader come away with meaningful insights into how and what these teachers do, the reader will also glean several helpful ideas that can be immediately implemented in any classroom.This book should also be read by school administrators looking for examples on how to improve instruction either in one-to-one improvement conversations with a struggling teacher and/or in general professional learning communities. The study questions and respective answers provided by the highly effective teachers may also serve as reference points when interviewing prospective teachers.Finally, this book should be included in teacher preparation programs. The teachers featured in this book provide years of valuable experiences, ideas and practices that are proven to be effective in any classroom setting. Prospective teachers will benefit greatly from reading about what works from the direct quotes of highly effective teachers as well as the supporting related literature.

Dr. Keith E. Leger earned his Doctorate degree in Educational Leadership from Lamar University in 2014. He received both his Master of Education degree (1997) and Education Specialist degree in Administration and Supervision (1999) from McNeese State University. Dr. Leger earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Louisiana State University in 1993. He retired as a School Administrator in 2015 having also served as a Classroom Teacher, District Quality Supervisor and Federal Grant Director.

Dr. Leger is a member of the National Beta Club Board of Directors, a lifetime member of Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana (APEL) and an active member of the American Evaluation Association. He served on the Louisiana Standards Review Steering Committee for English, Math and Science (2015-16) and is serving on the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education Minimum Foundation Program Task Force and the Louisiana Commission on Assessment Review and Use in Public Schools.

Dr. Leger is a U.S. military veteran, father of four children and married to Jennifer. He is the owner and manager of High Quality Program Improvement & Evaluation (hqpie.com).