Learning can be fun!

Tyler C.

I have fifteen years experience teaching 9th graders and 10th graders. The best part of teaching was imparting, not just knowledge, but the ability to think. Critical thinking is the heart of being a good student and for that matter, a good teacher. Thinking and developing strategies for a variety of students is a key component for being a teacher and accomplishing goals. My goals were to have my students become better thinkers, learners, writers and overall more knowledgeable individuals at the end of the year. Even after so many years of teaching, teachers continue to learn more strategies that make them more efficient and effective and this is so very important since there are so many dynamics in public teaching.
The best part of teaching was being a first hand witness to those students who struggled at the beginning, but overcame those adversities and became excellent students. This is the apex of being a teacher when you see that moment when those students arrive at that higher level of thinking and find it exciting and worth the struggle to get there. This is a moment those students can take with them and apply to all facets of life. There will always be struggles, doubt, fears, adversities, but if one focuses on the goals and applies himself or herself, then there truly is no limit to what can be achieved. Sometimes we all need a little guidance, mentoring and tutoring to realize the greatness that lies beneath; a little patience helps as well.

For fifteen years I prepared students for taking and passing the state standardized testing. From the TAAS, to the TAKS and currently STAAR, I prepared the students to pass those tests. These tests covered all basic English knowledge and skills like reading comprehension, grammar, vocabulary and writing. Though not all of my students always passed these state tests, I tried my best to give them the encouragement, abilities and knowledge to pass.

To be honest, being a student and learning can be boring. I was a student once and kno