Quotes from Chapters 3 and 4 of Fulfilling the Promise

2. Share 3 (three) exact quotes that are meaningful to you (from across these two chapters), and explain why they matter to you.

Page 26. "They are remarkable says Meier, because they live what they believe." I thought this was very powerful especially as a soon-to-be teacher. Because of school and my observations I have several ideas, beliefs, and visions of how a class should be run. Now I must find a way to incorporate all of those into my future classroom and actually put them into practice. I need to find the time to practice those attributes and not get too distracted from them.
I think that there are many teachers who want to teach with more "differentiation", but get so caught up in routine and distractions that they do not end up teaching that way. They may feel that is how they want to teach, but find excuses for why they can't do it. Obviously, it is so important to teach what and how you believe is best. If the teacher teaches what they believe they will be more invested in their lessons and the success of their students.

Page 26. "I want to be a leader in creating a place where each of you becomes more keenly aware of the possibilities in yourself, the people around you, and the power of knowledge."
Ooooh, that gives me goosebumps! What a fabulous quote! That is the attitude and atmosphere I want to bring to my future students! That pretty much sums it up! I want my students to see that I value each one of them, and I want them to value themselves and each other. I want them to see their potential and know that they can be successful. I also want them to truly grasp the importance and the power of knowledge. This way they are excited to learn more and see the reason for it, and have a desire to go far with their education.

Page 40: "When a room contains color, interesting things to look at, and evidence of the personality of teacher, students, and class as a whole, ther is a sense that many kinds of people make contributions to the room."
I liked this quote a lot because it really got me thinking about how much the decorations, furniture, and placement of both tells a lot about a classroom. Is the teacher's desk and class supplies easily accessable? Are desks arranged so everyone has a good view of the front of the room? Are the desks put together in tables? Are there a lot of colors, the alphabet, words on the walls? Is student work proudly presented for all to see? When "designing" my classroom I need to keep this in mind and make sure that my classroom depicts the type of community I want for my students.

Other quotes:
Page 30: "We don't just keep them busy. We're giving them an opportunity."
Page 31: "invested teachers are personally engaged in what they ask the students to do."
Page 32: "Different is not a synonym for deficient."
Page 32: "When a student is "missing the mark," the persistent teacher does not assume the student cannot learn, but rather assumes the student is not learning in the way he is currently being taught. The persistent teacher will find another way. In the eyes of that teacher, when a student fails, the teacher fails."
Page 33: "There was always a way that would work, if I just kept looking."
Page 33: "Failure is not an option."
Page 35: "To establish ties with a student, we must come to see how each student is unlike every other--and to see that, we must form ties with that student."
Page 41: "One teacher made it a point to call the parents of several students each week to share something positive that had taken place with their child in the classroom..."
Page 43: "working for a bingo." -teacher asks students if their particular work is a "bingo", meaning they had done everything they could to achieve excellence.
Page 46: "Fair is ensuring all learners get what they need to succeed."