Teachers have the power to give students in the public schools a space to be valuable. Students come from homes, some broken, some fantastic, and some just making it. Some parents expect nothing while others expect everything. The classroom should be a space for students to feel empowered and valuable as a person, worthy and capable of recieving an education. They are worth the time teachers put in. It is not just so they can get a job or obey the law, it is because the student is a person worth investing in regardless of their final outcome.

That is something that I have felt was important for teachers to understand. I have experienced teachers that really only cared about having enough students pass so that they would not be in trouble. Those classes were the ones that I could not wait to be over. On the other hand, I've had teachers that invested in their students. The one that sticks out was always willing to work with the student if something drastic came up and the student needed to focus more on that issue. She has been the one that has had the most lasting affect on me. She invested in me and made me feel like a person more than just a body sitting in her class.

I totally agree, you make an excellent point. As teachers, our goal should always be to have every one of our students reach his/her full potential. It's very easy to give up on the 'trouble' students, when in fact they need more of our attention in order to succeed. Many of these 'trouble' students get neglected year after year because the teachers discuss which students to watch out for. As a result, the 'bad' students are often times never even given a chance. Some of these students have amazing potential and skills that are never realised because of the lack of attention given to them by their teachers.

i completely agree! My dad is a middle school teacher and it frustrates me to death when i visit his classroom. Students are all over the place and when i ask him why he allows this he says, "im going to teach the students who want to learn". I have a different outlook on that and when i become a teacher it will be my job to help the kids who think they cant learn... learn. That is my job. I know plenty of teachers like my dad though, that will teach the material and if the kids dont get it or ask for help... too bad. It is my job as a teacher to help EVERY STUDENT not just the once who seem interested in school.

I completely agree with each of your ideas and opinions 100%! However, I would like to add that we have to also be very aware of ourselves, and how not to become slack or just doing the bare minimum. I think it is very easy for us all to say the kinds of teachers we will be now, but once we get out there and start our own careers how easy will it really be? We are humans too and we go through life and problems just like everyone else. Do not get me wrong, I do not wish this on anyone and I will not accept it from myself, but I think that it is a good idea for us all to also remember that not always will everything be perfect in the classroom. And their may be days we all want to pull our hair out.

I think that we must recognize that with every student that their life is actually hanging in the balance while we are their teacher. As long as we remember this it is easy for us to focus ourselves fully on being a good teacher. If we encourage a student and build their self confidence they will begin to see themselves in a positive light which will make them into more successful human being. The same power can be applied to make sure that a student doesn't succeed in life and I have seen some teachers do this on purpose out of spite.

We have the power to make or break the life of every student who comes through our door. The ability to influence the mind of another individual is a lot of responsibility which is why I believe that anyone who teaches anywhere needs to be trained understanding that they have a responsibility to their students. I also believe that anyone who doesn't understand the gravity of this should not be allowed to teach no matter how much they may or may not know about a subject.

Jessie I really agree with you. Everything you said is so true. I have seen so many teachers who just brush their studnets off and ignore them. Teachers do need to take the time to listen and care about their students. A teacher may be the only adult that some students ever interact with during the day. So it is important for us to let our students know we care.

I think this is an issue that all future teachers need to address at some point. Before becoming a teacher, you need to realize what all it is going to take in order to be that type of teacher that makes a different in his or her students' lives. It is most certainly NOT an easy profession, and the fact that all students are going to come from diverse backgrounds and cultures does not make it any easier.

Students are going to have various needs, and some may need more attention and effort than others. As teachers, we need to be patient enough to assist those who are struggling and who may not have very much support at home with their families. If we see a problem with one of our students, whether emotionally or academically, we need to make sure we are doing everything in our power to fix it and to help our students succeed. After all, that is what our profession is all about!

i agree erin and in regard to your last few sentences where you state our job is all about doing everything we can to help our students succeed, of course that's true. i just wanted to add that just by making students aware of their classmates' differences and teaching them the importance of respecting their diversities is a lesson in itself.

i agree with everything that has been stated. We do need to step up and take the responsibility of students succeeding whether its inside or outside of the classroom.

I agree. And I also think that if we expect great things from our students, then we will get great things. If there is a child in my classroom who I think will fail, then I've already failed them in my mind. Students know when teachers expect more from them, and when I was expected to give more in a classroom, I did. That's why I hope we all expect our students to do well and succeed in whatever they choose. And support them!

i agree. we teach by choice. we wish to make a difference. we want students to succeed. i doubt any of us our in this profession for the paycheck.

If you give the students at a secondary level an option whether they want to be there and learn, some students will do nothing while others will try to learn the most they can. Molly, your dad says that he will teach the ones that want to be there.. I mean more power to your dad because I am sure he is a great teacher, but it just leaves me with the question "what happens to the students who dont?". He lets them run loose? I feel that i will do everything in my power to teach everyone in the class whether or not they want to be there or not. If they do not want to pay attention and are disruptive, that is a different story. I will not just let them disrupt the rest of the class that came to soak in as much knowledge as possible.