My philosophy is like a sand dune made up of countless grains of sand that represent every life experience, it is not solid and immobile, it has the ability to bend and shape itself to an ever-evolving world, improving always, growing and learning from the new grains of sand added with each new experience. I keep this philosophy in mind with my students, they truly want to build their own dune from their personal experiences and they can do so if they have access to a nurturing and guiding mentor which I strive to be in my teachings. I have high expectations for all of my students. During my 15 years, I strongly encouraged my students to read for an hour every day. When I taught in a self-contained classroom I required all of my students to read for an hour during the school day. For the past few years, while teaching middle school, I have made sure my students read 20-30 minutes every day in class and 20-30 minutes every evening. To prove that it works, all of my students increased their Reading Inventory scores this year. Students will meet your expectations if you set them high. This year it took my students a few weeks to complete a segment in the READ 180 software. I set a goal for everyone to finish a segment in one week. It took a few weeks, but almost everyone now finishes a segment in a week and keeps their percentage score high. Flexibility in teaching can be a challenge, but each year brings a new group of students; revising the way I teach based on the needs of my students is something I appreciate. I want my students to have a say in what they are learning so they feel more engaged and willing to learn. I want to show my students that taking risks in learning is necessary and that making mistakes is how we all learn. Bel… middle of paper… my goal is to bring creativity and positive attitudes and high expectations to the classroom by creating lifelong learners, using data to guide educational decision making, and collaborating with teachers. I believe a teacher should be a consistent, dedicated and enthusiastic educator. I teach my students that literacy and thinking are as important to them in life as breathing. Thinking is a life strategy. I watch my students grow in their ability to be independent learners, deep thinkers, and problem solvers. My desire is to fuel this flame SOON and keep moving forward! I have more opportunities to do this in my role as a literacy interventionist. I want my students to fall in love with learning; to create, question and explore throughout their lives! It truly benefits our classrooms, homes, and communities to cultivate this lifelong love of learning in our citizens.