¬Ý¬Ý ¬ÝTo teach is to transmit inspiration and empowerment. I believe in the power of education. You and I have been students. We remember the teachers who ignited our passion for a particular subject, and those who gave us the confidence to believe that our dreams were possible. We remember the teachers who challenged us with depth and complexity, giving us a cause to pursue, question, and investigate. We remember the teachers who revealed knowledge that had an impact in not only the classroom, but the world around us. As a teacher, I yearn to have the power through education to impact a child.

¬Ý¬Ý¬Ý¬ÝA teacher must strive to enhance the content knowledge and skills of each child. Grade level content standards are met through the use of interdisciplinary units, which are structured around a universal theme, and a big idea. The curriculum must be designed to encourage children’Äôs curiosity. It must challenge them to engage in independent thinking, and invite them to share their view of the world. Lessons should be composed of not only the concrete, but also the abstract. This provides the student an opportunity for not only success, but also challenge. Instruction must include the individual, small group, and whole group. Information must be personalized, relating to the child, and the world around them. The teacher must provide feedback, which is immediate, and includes genuine and specific detail. The goal of the teacher must be to provide a learning environment which fosters an intrinsic approach towards learning. ¬Ý ¬Ý

¬Ý¬Ý¬Ý¬ÝA classroom must welcome any learner who walks through its doors, and the teacher must implement a behavior management strategy to engage not only that learner, but the community within the classroom walls. Expectations must be clear, and part of a pattern. The teacher must practice positive reinforcement, through building a sense of awareness. The classrooms community must engage in problem solving, by approaching the situation, and not the individual. Behavior management must be genuine, and instructive, with the goal of creating a classroom community of learners.