 The social curriculum is as important as the academic curriculum: When

students/graduates interact with the community, social competence shows through

rather than content knowledge. Your character is judged by your social skills. Since
children spend a majority of time in school, we as teachers are obligated to teach social
skills.
 How children learn is as important as what they learn (Process and content go hand-in-
hand): We all know that students learn in different ways, so as teachers we need to be
able to modify our teaching to reach every student. We can do that by making the
information into a fun game/activity, teach lessons in different methods, like hands-
on/manipulatives, sight recognition, mentally, or with pencil and paper. When teaching,
introduce multiple methods so students can find out which method works best for them.
 The greatest cognitive growth occurs through social interaction: student to student
interaction forces students to think critically and understand the material better. Societal
norms and rules are complex; the slightest change in facial expressions and body
language can affect an entire conversation or social interaction. Students of similar
background or age may also share more common language and perspectives, and
therefore are more equipped to teach one another and learn from one another. When
students collaborate, they walk away with a new set of (social) skills, a better
understanding of the material, and a newfound respect for the similarities/differences
between them and their peers.
 To be successful academically and socially, children need a set of social skills (cooperation,
assertion, responsibility, empathy, and self-control): I believe that teaching social skills is
important for student success both in and out of the classroom. Students can learn
healthy coping strategies by the teacher(s) modeling such behaviors. This can be
accomplished in the classroom, during morning meetings, or during recess with team
building by activities. Communication is critical to a student’s overall success.
 Knowing the children we teach- individually, culturally, and developmentally- is as
important as knowing the content we teach: knowing the students we teach will help us
help them succeed and provide student choice. Incorporating different cultures into your
teaching will help students better understand their community and help everyone feel
welcomed.
 Knowing the families of the children we teach and working with them as partners is
essential to children’s education: knowing families can bring parents, teachers, and
students together to work on improving education. Having good communication not only
involves education, but also behavior as well. When students see parents and teachers
interacting and showing interest in their education and learning, it shows them a great
example of caring too. When we are educated about each family, you are broadening
your ability to teach more about diversity and personal needs.