This I Believe…

In my Reading Foundations course this week, we completed a short exercise based on the NPR series “This I Believe.”  I would like to take the opportunity to share my short essay with you:

This I Believe…

Modeling is the Key to Success

Think back to a time where one’s actions, whether a simple gesture, prophetic words, or just lending a helping hand, has inspired you to better your own life or the lives of others.  This individual may or may not of none it at the time, but they made a difference in your life.  These profound individuals in our lives are called role models.  Role models all invoke an inspirational sense of self-improvement in all of us.  We strive to reach and achieve the certain level of success we see in our role models.  When role models are active influences in our lives, they make the most immediate impact.  For our nation’s youth, teachers have the unique opportunity of engaging with young people on a day to day basis.

Especially in the field of Education, I believe these models of behavior are very important in developing successful patterns of learning.  If someone that a student cares about exhibits patterns of regular reading and writing both academically and for enjoyment, students are much more likely to exhibit these behaviors.

However, we must always be aware that not all students have these models in their lives.  As teachers, modeling effective reading and writing strategies in our students is essential.  This can be as simple as keeping a leisure reading book on the top of your desk to keeping an active journal to write alongside your students.  Often times modeling effective behaviors in Education is as simple as practicing what you preach.  In order to make the most impact on student’s study and reading habits, it is important for teachers to demonstrate to their students’ successful behavior.  In return, student will exhibit these effective learning behaviors and become positive influences in the lives of others.  

This I believe.