ABSTRACT
Great teachers have an incredible ability to ignore. This doesn’t mean they are oblivious—great teachers are aware of almost everything that happens in their classrooms. Great teachers have the ability to ignore, but this doesn’t mean that they ignore their students. Paradoxically, the students who misbehave often do so simply because they want attention. In a study examining differences between more effective and less effective school leaders, Doug Fiore determined that one significant variation is that the very best leaders ignore minor errors. A great teacher resembles the master chef who can keep a busy kitchen cooking along in the midst of what looks like chaos to the uninformed. The great teacher has the ability to ignore trivial disturbances and the ability to respond to inappropriate behavior without escalating the situation. The great teacher has the ability to pay attention to students, to recognize and praise their achievements, and the ability to overlook minor errors.
