Ruby Jefferson

One of the joys of my life is teaching young students. I want learning to be a happy and exciting experience for all the boys and girls that I teach and touch. It is my belief that a teacher is a person who helps others learn and that means more than explaining, lecturing, and drilling. The great teacher adds creativity and inspiration; and the greatest teacher adds love, caring, and sharing. No matter what you do as a teacher you will be acting as a model for all the students. If I am enthusiastic, my students will be enthusiastic. I want learning to be a happy, exciting experience for all my students. For this to happen, I must, as a teacher, provide a nurturing and

caring environment rich in opportunities for success for all my students, from the learning disabled to the high achiever or gifted. I want my classroom environment to be a warm and secure place where my children will experience on a daily basis a positive attitude and lots of selflove. I begin each of my teaching units with "This is going to be fun." I say to my students, "You are going to love doing this." I want to continually set the tone of fun and love and the thought that everyone can do this. Every day I want to make certain that each of my students will learn something new about math, reading, writing, science, health, social studies, and about life. Every day I start all over again letting them know that they all can learn. I am certain that every child can learn -- my challenge and my responsibility as a teacher is to make this happen. An enormous amount of energy must be devoted to this task. As a teacher I am the motivator, the class leader, and the classroom manager. I have had a long love affair with teaching, it is my first love. -Ms. Ruby Jefferson