Role of a Teacher

The teacher plays a critical role in creating the environment in which the students learn best because the environment emerges from the dynamic interaction between the students and the teacher (within the context of the overall school mission).

The primary relationship element in the teacher-student environment is respect and implementing this in the classroom begins with the teacher. I believe in fostering an environment in which students feel comfortable to express their own ideas and where they learn to listen and be supportive of the ideas expressed by their fellow students. I believe it is my responsibility to create an environment where the students feel that learning is not a "right or wrong" process but a process of gaining knowledge and understanding that when applied over time will lead them to develop new skills and greater confidence in their own abilities. I am a strong believer in building confidence in our young people and I actively look for every opportunity to offer positive feedback and encouragement to students.

Using the case study method for teaching is very important to the learning and absorption of educational material for students at every level. There are vast resources of case studies available to educators today and tapping into these resources helps to create a vibrant, relevant environment in the classroom. Case studies help to draw the students into real situations and allow them to utilize their own skills and talents to address and solve challenging problems.

I believe the best teachers go beyond teaching to helping the students learn from within themselves, based on their individual strengths and talents, and then challenge the students to reach for higher levels of achievement.