Recipes for outstanding teachers have great variability, but certain key ingredients do seem essential for success. Outstanding teachers maintain enthusiasm even in the face of adversity. Great teachers are attentive listeners, respectful of differences, and enjoy students. Outstanding teachers are collaborative workers and have high expectations for all students. Exemplary teachers are adaptable and see the benefits in employing a variety of teaching strategies and activities so that different learning styles can be accommodated. Most importantly, teachers committed to excellence recognize the importance of reflection. Reflecting on students, classes, materials, successes, failures, and more, ensures that we continue to grow.

The rewards of teaching are many, but to me some of the greatest rewards are those that often go unnoticed. Seeing students grow over the course of the year to be more tolerant and empathetic individuals is astounding. Watching students take social risks by sitting at a lunch table occupied by people with different beliefs and cultures excites me, because I know this small step will lead to greater understanding and respect. Some days the rewards of teaching can be as simple as a student saying, “Hey that was cool. Can we do it again?” Whenever the adventure in the classroom generates excitement, it is rewarding. Additionally, it is always rewarding to be standing in line at the grocery store and have some “stranger” wrap his or her arms around me, saying, “I’ll bet you don’t remember me.” Before ever uttering a word, the past student has usually identified his or herself, and recalled some special memory from a class years ago. Although that memory may not be clear in my mind, what is clear, is the impact we as teachers have on our students. Henry Adams said, “A teacher affects eternity: he can never tell where his influence stops.” I find this concept most rewarding.