Teaching is relationship-building and emotional. In order to teach/reach your students, you need to understand them, be aware of the baggage they bring to school, and care about them as they are.
You are preparing them for a world that does not exist today.
Although I understand that memorization is a mental skill that has to be practiced, forget names and dates and teach them how to ask questions.
A love of reading is the gateway to higher learning.
The ability to concentrate for lengthy periods of time is a learned skill that can be practiced and bettered. Start outperforming a task for one minute, then two, then five, then 30, etc.
Grit, the ability to persevere in the face of adversity, is what drives your success and achievements. Dr. Duckworth’s research on Grit suggests that when it comes to high achievement, grit may be as essential as intelligence.
Failure is learning. Thomas Edison said when asked about his 10,000 failed attempts at a light bulb, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” The real failure is when you do not realize how close you are to success when you give up.
Students need a happy teacher. A teacher to excite them, motivate them, to make the information come alive and relevant to their world.
lifetimeteaching 