John Dewey, the great American philosopher, said that "education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself". This philosophy really emphasizes the importance of education in one's life and the fact that they are actually related, not separate. I believe he was expressing, in part, the idea that education should serve us throughout our lives, constantly enabling us to reach our greatest potential through self-realization. Learning is a lifelong process, through which we are all constantly searching for meaning through reflecting on our experiences to make sense of and better understand the world we live in. I am humble enough to say that I remain a student too, not just in the literal sense, but in life. As teachers, I believe it is our responsibility to provide an educational experience that motivates our students to discover their hidden potentials and hopefully achieve self-actualization. This is especially important for young children, since it is through the combination of their innate ability to learn and the influence of great educators that their wonderful potential can be explained. Learning initially begins with the attitude towards oneself, others and the world in which we live. live. It is our attitudes that play an important role in shaping our experiences, which in turn influence how we learn. We must first be able to interpret the world using the information we already know, in order to understand something completely new. As a teacher, I can only hope that I can provide children with a positive educational experience, one that will broaden the scope in which they see themselves, others, and the world on a larger scale. Children already acquire the desire to learn, however it is up to us...... middle of paper ......sioned teachers who have contributed to forming the type of teacher I would like to be. They found a way to speak to me in a way that motivated me to want to improve, all while honoring the work I've already done. I would like to bring this same moral into my classroom, when a child is motivated, passionate and aware of their needs, strengths and weaknesses, they can and will push themselves to improve. Students don't just care about how much knowledge an educator has, they care about how much these educators truly care. We should not judge a person based on their educational level based only on test scores. The most educated person may not be the best person to teach children. I may lack test scores, however I do not lack the passion and motivation needed to be a great teacher. If we can't celebrate small successes, the end result will have less weight.