These teachers can laugh with their students and with their colleagues. They smile in class and exude a warmth that students appreciate. Outstanding teachers attain a high amount of time on task. Classroom time is used productively. Time is viewed as a precious commodity not to be wasted.
Teachers move from task to task within their instructional periods with little, if any, down time.
There is a sense of purpose to every minute of the instructional period. These teachers are self-reflective. They think about their teaching. They analyze what they did in the classroom and try to do a better job with their next lesson. They understand teaching well enough to be able to make changes following their self-analysis.