Chapter 1: Knowing Students Well

One particular section caught my attention because of one of my strong beliefs. On page 13 the author discusses the idea that “if teachers know more about what their students care about, it’s easier to motivate them, by connecting academic work to their existing interests.” I firmly believe that teachers should be connecting the material inside of class to material outside of class. A great teacher prepares a student not just for another year of the academic world but of the real world as well. Integrating a student’s interests is not only going to help them become more interested but it will help them learn more.

Another idea that I found really interesting is that the students could shape and mold their own education by just a few simple changes made by the teacher. This made me feel that it was not only the teacher’s fault for not listening better but the students as well for not communicating better. I think the most important concept in chapter one is that students just want to be treated as equals and as a friend. They need someone to talk to and to understand them as well as critique them. However one particular quote that made me mad was on page 5. It was a comment made by a student, “Teachers are for teaching.” This statement makes me feel as if, from a future teacher perspective, students do not understand all the important roles a teacher must play besides simply a teacher of the material. Improvement on both ends, student and teacher, is needed if any change is at all reachable.