This is my sixth year teaching at Mitchell Elementary, and I am proud to work at a school that is dedicated to enhancing student acheivment and participation. If you walked into a classroom at our school you would see structure, rigorous lessons, and deep teacher/student relationships taking place. The passion that my peers possess as educators is evident. I believe that our enthusiasm bolsters the innate desire that our students have to learn.

I was recently asked to define what makes an outstanding teacher. This turned out to be the most difficult question I have ever answered, and I still don't believe I can answer it completely. I used this question as a time to reflect my own professional goals.

When teaching students to become lifelong learners, I encourage them to celebrate their strengths and embrace their weaknesses. I aim to create an interactive community of learners where transitions across the subject areas are smooth and where students have rich learning experiences in which their individual needs are being met. Where I have high expectations for my students, I feel the expectations I have for myself should be even higher. As educators we are constantly juggling content, timing, student performance, and strategies around in our heads. However, my overall goal every day is to remember that I am an influential figure in each child's life and every minute we have together is precious.