Within the classroom, the atmosphere must remain fun and light.

The students have to be

able to see the passion that you feel for the subject you are teaching. If the teacher exudes a
positive attitude and a high level of energy, the students will feed off of this and be more
focused and excited about the task at hand.

Mathematics is often a very difficult subject matter for most students to grasp. The material
has to be presented with real world connections. The students have to understand why it is
important and how it matters within their world.

It is very important to keep the students guessing and intrigued about what is coming next.
Monotony and boredom can lead to a lack of engagement between the student and teacher,
which directly leads to a lack of learning. A variety of platforms must be used in order to keep
students engaged and wanting to learn. Student-centered and technology-driven lessons
have become critical to keep students in todays society connected with 21st century skills. It
is critical to connect to every child, and because every child learns in a different manner,
mixing the delivery of lessons allows for the teacher to reach every child in the way that they
learn best.

When presenting math concepts, manipulatives should be used to help make topics more
concrete and less abstract. Technology is key to keeping the students engaged, and there are
many new and exciting apps and software out there that help students to connect better with
mathematics. Students should be able to explore and discover to see how and why the
mathematics is working the way that it does.

In addition, it is important to set up a classroom where every student knows that his or her
voice is heard, and where every student knows when his or her voice should be heard. It is
important to have structure and routines and to repeatedly remind students of the
expectations that are set forth for them. Teachers should work to promote positive behavior,
as opposed to constantly correcting misbehavior. Students should also have a chance to help
set some of the expectations, which will lead to a higher student buy-in within the classroom.
Most importantly, the students should know that they are the teachers top priority and that
the teacher is going to do everything within his or her power to ensure that each student is
successful while in that class.

Teaching extends far beyond the classroom walls. It is important for teachers to be involved in
extracurricular activities. Oftentimes these activities outside of the classroom allow the
students and teacher to interact in ways that cannot happen during instruction. The teacher
is able to learn more about the student as a person, which in turn creates a better relationship
that will foster more learning inside of the classroom. Extracurricular activities are a very
rewarding experience for both the teacher and the child.

Being that education is a constantly evolving field, it is important for the teacher to be open to
trying new things. The teacher should strive to constantly become better in hopes of making
the classroom a better place to learn. Attending professional development is key to staying
current with new modalities for teaching. Teachers must also be able to work as a team and
share information with colleagues. In the end, it truly does take a village, so it is essential to
be a good citizen within that village. Student success is the ultimate goal after all!