By creating a safe, nurturing, trusting environment, students will be willing to take risks and become part of the learning process. Students need to know what is expected of them academically and behaviorally. Teachers need to build a rapport with their students. Find out what they like and dislike, and make learning fun.

“When teaching, light a fire, don’t fill a bucket.”      Goethe.

     Educators are faced with the task of facilitating the learning process to students of varying learning styles and intelligence levels. In order to accomplish this task, we need to provide opportunities for differentiated assessment, investigate what the student knows, how they learn, their strengths and weaknesses, and most importantly, what motivates them to learn. Collecting data via pretesting, post testing, and daily assessing students, evaluates the student’s knowledge upon entering and exiting the class. The pretest enables the teacher to begin within the student’s comfort zone ensuring student success from the onset. I believe that success is a catalyst that propels the student towards further learning and growth.

     Teachers need to adapt each lesson to meet the needs of the tactile, auditory, kinesthetic, and visual learners. Remember “all children can learn,” they just learn differently.

“I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand.”       Confucius.

     Maintaining professional development to keep up with the trends of education and sharing ideas with other educator’s inspires me to reflect upon my teaching techniques, set personal goals and maintain the desire to be the best educator I can be.

     The world of a teacher is filled with countless memories, endless experiences, and challenges. Through constant self-reflection, and genuine caring for students, faculty, and the community, a teacher plays an essential role in a student’s life.