What is effective teaching and how do you know when it is occurring in the classroom?

When a student has acquired knowledge of new information and can accurately apply said new knowledge to everyday life as a result of active engagement set forth by a teacher; then in my opinion, effective teaching has taken place. Personally speaking, I feel that effective teaching is taking place in my classroom(art class), when ....one student correctly explains the steps of a new project to a fellow classmate.....when I look around the classroom and all the students are engaged in the creation of their pieces....when a student uses "art vocabulary" correctly in either asking a question or explaining a desired color combination...but my favorite is witnessing a student admire his or her finished art work with apparent pride in his or her eyes.

99% complete mural

99% complete mural
Originally uploaded by jenrosesegrest

I have been working on this mural since late August. If all goes well we should be installing this coming Sunday. This has been a very educational experience for me, a labor of love. Wish us luck hanging it!
xoxox, jen