“Teaching is the greatest act of optimism.” - Colleen Wilcox. I believe that each student has the power to reach their full potential, to change their stars, to change the world. Students own their learning. “The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.” - B.B. King. Learning is an investment in oneself that will pay dividends throughout a lifetime. “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” — Benjamin Franklin. I encourage every student to dig in & be involved in the learning process. “It is not what is poured into the student but what is planted that counts.” — E.P. Bertin. My role is to plant seeds that will be cultivated into knowledge & understanding throughout the learning process. My goal is to help students think & problem solve. “Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.” — Margaret Mead. When this goal is achieved, students will have created knowledge & understanding that cannot be taken away.