(1) Education is like gardening; it has its times of seeding and harvest. A gardener soon discovers that plants do not exist merely for us to impose our will on them. A good teacher, like a gardener, knows how to lead his or her students forward by listening to their inner needs, and bringing them out at the right time. Like flowers, children need the love and careful tending of the devoted gardener. And like the gardener, the teacher plans, studies, prepares the physical environment, and provides the materials to be acted upon by the children. I believe in the Constructivist teaching style in which learners need to build their own understanding of new ideas. I do not feel as though I am the provider of all knowledge, rather that I am in the classroom to facilitate the blossoming of child, to help him/her discover the reservoir of talent within himself/herself, and enjoy the nurturing of this talent. Education is a journey, it is a voyage in which the child and the teacher travel together to discover the joys of the world, the pleasure of learning, the sense of fulfillment derived from knowing something, being able to do something, a sense of aesthetic pleasure. The structure of the learning environment should promote opportunities and events that encourage and support the building of understanding. I believe that each child is a unique individual with his/her own special needs and background, and should be recognized as someone special. In order for each child to grow and learn, he/she must first feel safe, accepted, and competent in an environment that is encouraging, nurturing, supportive and challenging. Children learn at varying paces with spurts, jumps and lulls at different points. Although we group children by "grades", this is more in terms of social-emotional growth than academic skills or readiness. I believe in an indi
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