Reflecting Teaching - 30 Day Challenge Day 21

The best teachers I know all share a part of themselves with their students. Whether it is a favourite sports team, a sport they love or a hobby they just can't get enough of, the parts of their lives that they share with their students make them more approachable and more authentic to their students.

It has taken me awhile to learn how to open up to my students. I'm not sure what I was afraid of - loss of privacy perhaps - but I have learned that sharing really is caring. If I am asking students to invest in a classroom community I must be willing to open up to them. For me, this has been easier since having kids; I love having pictures of my kids around at school and my students often ask about them, opening the door to all sorts of conversations about home life, family and various activities that we do at home. While I don't really have hobbies that I bring in to the classroom, I do try and share my passions for reading and active living with my students, both to inspire them and to share a little bit of myself with them. The more connected we can be, the better the learning environment will be.