Characteristics of a teacher

What...Continue to be a learner
Why...By forcing yourself to continuous learn, you create a classroom that is integrated and developmental, further you are vulnerable and open to learning from your students
How...I will explore something new each quarter that is outside my comfort zone to teach to my students; I will extend the offer for my students to teach me something new every month.

What...My evaluations work to touch all types of students
Why...Differentiation is important to the success of a classroom and recognizing that all students do not test/evaluate the same is imperative to becoming a successful teacher
How...I will create assessments that utilize multiple testing strategies.

What... bodily kinesthetic activities
Why... Adolescents are active by natures. Asking them to sit for hours is silly. Movement energizes, provokes though and creates conversation in the classroom
How... I will plan relevant lesson plans (60% of the time) that include movement and learning combined!

Worlds Apart

We are, as teachers, responsible for the education of our students. How we define that education is different across classrooms, schools, nations, and countries. However, in everyone of those places there are children/adolescents on an exploratory phenomenon. "Worlds Apart," makes you ponder about the access we have to those worlds. But more, about how our students can learn from those kids that seem "so far away." How they can CONNECT with them, without sitting right next to them in a classroom.

Reading/listening to "Worlds Apart", reminds me, that it is my responsibility as a teacher to connect those gaps. Whether they be the 5 feet across the hallway, or the 5000 miles over oceans. Young adults are so engulfed in their lives and other peoples'. Further, they are so attached to their digital self, that not using that developmental phase of their lives and technological innovation to our advantage is irresponsible. I think about the connections that twitter has made in the world of NEWS, not pop culture (though it has it's place in the classroom), we should be taking advantage of it. Or virtually seeing worlds we can't physically get to.

Worlds are no longer parted. How do we as teachers help adolescents responsibly go about bridging that gap and finding value in doing so?