Teachers Who Make Learning Exciting

       There is a secret that every teacher knows...and every teacher hopes that students never find out about this secret.  The secret is...we can't force anyone to learn anything.

       There is no physical way that a teacher (or anyone else) can actually force a student to learn.  It can't be done.  The best we can do is convince students that learning has a practical purpose and that everyone is capable of being able to learn.

       Fortunately, most students "get it" that school is the place where they are taught things, and school is the place where they are assessed to determine the quality of their learning.  So most of the time, teachers don't have to do too much convincing of the purpose of learning.

       Still, there comes a time in every student's life in which they struggle to learn things easily.  When this happens, it is the skill of the teacher to motivate students; to convince students of their (continued) ability to be able to learn; and to engage students in the process of learning that keeps students on the learning path.

       All of us have had teachers like this.  They make learning fun.  You don't even know that you are learning; you don't care about your grade.  You just love going to her class because the teacher treats you like a real person; is glad to see you everyday; and makes a point to have every student feel part of the community of the classroom.

       Our best teachers strive to improve their skills every year.  Increasing these "skills" do not involve strengthening their content skills, but instead involve adding to their skill set the ability to engage their students in the process of learning.  Every students wants all of their teachers to be this sort of teacher and every parent wants this sort of teacher for their child.

       Thank you to all of these teachers who find a way to reach all of your students.  You make learning what it should be...an exciting adventure!