Teaching Well Presents Personal Challenges

I often say that teaching and parenting make me feel like a rock that's continually being chiseled. One of the most important aspects of teaching and parenting well is the way you exemplify the tenets you teach and promote. For example our grade-level curriculum promotes green living -- we're committed to Earth-friendly values and education. To teach that means I have to live that. Fortunately I've had a head start by living with family members who are very good at green living and an Earth friendly carbon footprint, but I know that there are ways that I can better my efforts here including the following:

• Using less paper
• More vegetarian meals
• Improving composting
• Water conservation
• Using little to no plastic
• Buying used items rather than new items
• Using less electrical or oil energy at home
• Biking, walking more

To be an optimal teaching/parent requires good emotional intelligence too--to be present, attuned, a good listener, and respectful family member and educator is essential to doing those jobs well. And of course, it's essential to collaborate with others modeling effective teamwork and practicing the good academic expectations you have for children such as reading and writing every day, critically appraising information online and offline, setting goals and working towards them. 

Who we are is as much of a teacher as what we do--this is a great and positive challenge for teachers and parents everywhere.