I believe in teaching students to be self-sufficient individuals who love learning. I've seen far too many students burnt out or tired of going to school, because they "don't see the point in school" or because it's "boring". Learning does not have to be this way. In a safe and open-minded environment, any student can prosper and have fun. Learning is not a one size fits all. It's a messy, chaotic path of brainstorming, researching, and exploring in a vast sea of information that has now become much easier to access because of the internet. Instead of giving all the information to my students, it's my goal to guide them into exploring on their own. To become a critical thinker, it is important for the teacher to foster a positive classroom community for students to communicate and help each other out. When students learn to question and look into multiple diverse resources and perspectives on their own, they become critical thinkers who are ready for the world. Furthermore, I see teachers as facilitators. Teachers are here to guide, give examples, and help students learn to relate the work given to real life until they can do so on their own. A good teacher is empathetic, patient, collaborative, a good listener, and most importantly, adaptive. Students come from all different kinds of backgrounds, ethnicities, and learn differently. As an educator, I will get to know each of my students and facilitate my classroom differently each year-whether it be smaller group discussions, using both paper and technology, etc-according to the atmosphere of a classroom. I can do this by getting feedback from my students and communicating frequently.