I believe that every child has the potential to be great, although “greatness” can mean many different things to many different people. Nevertheless, I also believe that every student is deserving of an education that gives them the basic tools to achieve their full potential, thus achieving “greatness”. Education as a whole should be both focused on providing individual students with a chance to succeed, as well as being the primary means of preparing the next generation, both academically and socially. For example, encouraging autonomy in the classroom enables students to flourish in situations even beyond school boundaries (Brighouse, part one). In essence, education exists for the purpose of empowering students to be good citizens that …show more content…
Some of the qualities of such a teacher that come to mind based off of class discussions include: communication and clarity, passion (for both the subject, as well as for teaching in general), knowledge, patience, flexibility, and durability. Furthermore, I believe that the best teachers are able to create a fun and encouraging learning environment for their students, while still maintaining control of the classroom. Such a classroom would most likely also utilize differentiated instruction strategies in order to provide students with the best opportunities to learn and grow, both academically and as a person, thus allowing students to strive to reach their fullest potentials. Additionally, creating encouraging relationships with students, especially those that are struggling, is integral to students’ success both in and out of the classroom. This TED Talk quote perfectly sums up this sentiment: “every child deserves a champion, an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection, and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be” (Rita Pierson, Every kid needs a