Efficacy

To be honest, I don't really know what "efficacy" is. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines efficacy as, "The ability to produce an effect." I do not really understand how this relates to the questions that we were prompted with, so I'll address both.

My response to the definition is pretty obvious. Yes, it is important for teachers to be able to produce an effect: that's what teachers are trained to do. They are trained to produce the effect of helping children to grow and develop. This, of course, is not necessarily something that someone is born with. One can certainly be naturally gifted at teaching, but a lot of this must be taught. Much of the efficacy that a teacher possesses is learned in college.

As far as the prompt questions, self-awareness plays a major role in the effectiveness of a teacher. They must be able to convince others that they are an expert, and therefore, they must have a certain level of believing themselves to be an expert. As far as some of the other traits listed are concerned, a high work ethic and persistence all help to develop confidence as well as help the teacher to show their expertise. These are best developed through exposure to rigor. When a future teacher learns to work hard academically for a goal that they really want (like a teaching license), they learn or at least develop this skill