Seventh-grade language arts, Edythe J. Hayes Middle School

Our world is changing fast and so are our students. My guiding principle is about connectness and how that lends itself to great education. Teachers need to connect with students and build caring relationships with high levels of expectation and accountability. My students and I are connected as a team, and that respect and responsibility run both ways.

Students need to feel connected in time and place to the content, and I feel my job is to facilitate that relationship with reading, writing, observing, speaking and listening. We need to find multiple ways of connecting to promote inclusion, rather than enhancing differences, which fosters exclusion. We are connected to our school, our peers and colleagues, our parents and community -- making us all a part of each student's experience.