What Education Means to Me

The aim of education should be to teach us rather how to think, than what to think - rather to improve our minds, so as to enable us to think for ourselves, than to load the memory with thoughts of other men. ~Bill Beattie

 

"You have brains in your head..."

 

This is one of my absolute favorite books.  Each page is filled with a tremendous amount of color, encouraging words, and rhymes.  Every time a student would move on to a new school or a new "adventure" in his or her life, I would give them this book with a special note from Miss Amber at the end.  I had a little girl in my class that was fostered by her aunts.  She dealt with a lot in her transition to experiencing a "normal" household that held love, warmth, education, and safety.  Very abruptly, the courts decided to place her back with her biological parents.  I was heartbroken.  When she came to my class she couldn't recognize any letters in her name, when she left suddenly, she was reading sight words!  She was amazing.  I wanted her to remember how special she was, how smart she was, how much potential she held and I remembered this book.  I read it to her on her last day and cried the whole time I read it.  I hope she was able to take something, anything from what I read to her. 

Since that day, I make sure to give my students this book, and read it to them.  I remind them that I think they can do great things; even when the roads are rough, I will believe in them.