Effective?

“Effective teachers”. What does that mean? We are told, as teachers, to strive to be the “most effective.” But who gets to define effective? Someone on Capitol Hill, far removed from the classroom who has no idea what teachers do on a regular basis? Effective teachers is a bald-faced lie. There is no such thing.
There is no way to define effective. It is a word beyond definition in the world of education. What makes an “effective” teacher to me is someone who is able to communicate and reach their students. Someone who instills a love of learning within their students. Someone who never stops trying, no matter how resistant their children are to learning. Someone who approaches each day as a new day to motivate their students to love learning. Not to force their students to memorize facts and perform, but to love learning. That, to me, is an “effective” teacher.
But that definition of an “effective” teacher would most likely be fired under our current regime of education. “Effectiv”e, according to that system, is a teacher who produces “results” and “smart” children. But test performance is not the only way to measure education. Some of the “smartest” children are the ones who look at the world in a different way, and these are some of the children who perform worst on a test. But these are the innovators of the future, and their unique perspective ought to be treasured. Why should all children have to learn the same and think the same? When has that ever produced anything but sameness?
As educators, I think our job is not to be “effective.” It is to be unique. It is to make a difference in the lives of our students and give them a chance to realize their full potential, even if that potential does not perfectly fit the standards for a “smart” child. Since when are smart children the only ones worth our time and attention?