As I think back to the days when I was in school, I don’t think I ever remember any of my teachers asking me what I wanted from them. However, as the paradigm in education is consistently shifting, so should the way we approach our classrooms.

When I first started teaching, I thought I would have every weekend and summer off. That was a far cry from the truth. However, the efforts that I have put in since my first year as a teacher have paid off each and every year. I often explain to my students, “you get out of it, what you put in to it,” and it is my opinion that in order to be successful, you have to do what needs to be done regardless of your circumstances. I guess I learned this during my first year in the Philadelphia School District when I was expected to teach three classes of video production with twenty-eight to thirty-five students per class, and only one camera.

Teacher collaboration can be an extremely effective way to both share and receive innovative teaching tips, strategies and information. According to the Teacher Leaders Network, the following have been identified as six of the key attributes of effective collaboration:

In my experience in education (i.e., urban and rural high school teacher, adjunct professor, industry trainer, professional development provider), I have learned one thing about education. And that is, it MUST change.

Most higher education programs teach a hybrid of students, some who know and use technology and some who do not, and are taught by professors who aren’t quite sure how to truly take advantage of the tools. The students who are fluent in technology are bored and the students who aren’t are lost. These students are then thrown into schools that have varying degrees of technology integration. They are often faced with the constraints of meeting the standards, having students pass standardized tests, and trying to be relative without funding to support their efforts. However, the time has come for a dramatic change and we should embrace what is happening now.

Teachable moments often come when you least expect them. Last weekend, as I was sending an e-mail, my son asked me if I could help him. I told him to wait a minute, and in typical six year-old fashion, he decided he would count every second as he waited. Instead of getting upset or asking him to stop because it was really annoying at the time, I decided to make it a learning experience.

An article in the Chicago Tribune has identified the five traits that an individual should possess in order to be considered to be an effective teacher. Although the teaching profession is not always given the credit it deserves, teachers are highly influential in shaping the minds of our children. In order to create engaging yet challenging classrooms for their students, teachers must realize that it all starts with them and the environment they establish in the classroom. The five traits of effective teachers include: