A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove. But the world may be different, because I was important in the life of a child.

Over the years I have left this field to “make real money” in the corporate world.  I got my director qualifications so I could stay in the field, but make more money than being a classroom teacher.  None of those things ever worked for me.  I always went back to the classroom, where I have the most fun and feel I have made the biggest impact. 

I create an environment for the children.  I want it to be a warm comforting and inviting place where the children feel safe to explore, make mistakes without being judged and learning in the many different ways that children learn.  I want them to be independent and self-sufficient, have good social emotional and problem solving skills.   I see myself as a facilitator, I am there to listen to them, not just verbally, but emotionally also; and give them what they need to succeed.  Most everything we do, that is not governed by some accreditation organization, is based on what the children are interested in and want to know more about.  I really do want to look back on my career and feel confident that I have influenced the children that came through my classroom. 

Finally I would like to say thank you to everyone for helping me become a better teacher by sharing all of your knowledge through this class.  I have enjoyed the discussion board conversations and the blogs.  We all have so much to share and I feel I have been lucky to have all of you so willing to share it with the class.  I hope to meet up with you all in future classes.  Good luck in the pursuit of your goals.