Quotable Quote-For the School Year

 "Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire." --William Butler Yeats 

  When I look at this quote I think "That is what I want teaching to be!" There is something to be said however, for the quiet "bucket filling" of young minds. I think you have to have both. Students need the day to day facts and information in order to succeed in life. Where would we be without reading and writing? No where! But if I can integrate reading and writing basics into something more fun and creative then I will have achieved the "lighting of a fire" affect.
Case in point-
Having been at my new job for about a month and a half I can tell that there are certain students that really could use daily love and attention. If I show them that I care by giving hugs and words of encouragement then I have placed my "drops in the bucket" and they will hopefully begin to change over time. I can also help students get excited about big projects that the teachers that I'm working with assign and help the teachers to "light that fire."
There is one particular student who I care about very much and he needs help with social skills. I can tell he is trying to please, but each day is a struggle to focus and work well with others. I have tried to get him to focus on good behavior, but what I really need to do is get him to focus on how much I care and want him to succeed, that happened yesterday and he showed me that love for a child can do wonderful things-even remove social barriers!
Thanks for reading