We need to educate students so they can succeed in a world that is constantly changing.  Students must be problem solvers and be ready to try new approaches, experiment, and constantly revise.  Understanding something doesn’t simply mean having it memorized.  Understanding means being able to use what you know to make connections.  Rather than memorizing a definition or a piece of factual information, students need to take that knowledge and apply it to the world around them.  As educators, we need to take big ideas from our classrooms and make them big ideas in the minds of our students.

Swiss mountaineering legend Ueli Steck has said about his climbing career -  “Progressing is what life is all about.  You want to keep having progress in your life”.  I feel the same about the educational experience.  I believe that all students have the capacity to learn.  With that said, educational progress may not come easily for everyone.  Learning may be challenging – and that should be seen as o.k.  We must have systems in place to ensure that all students can be successful in their quest for progress. 

Finally, we must be willing to change.  As the world around us is changing rapidly, the educational process must be able to change as well.  Simply because something worked well twenty years ago, or even 2 years ago for that matter, doesn’t mean that it is what’s best now.  Similarly, what works for one child may not work for another.  As I progress as an educator, I need to be willing to try new approaches, experiment, and constantly revise – just as I expect from my students.