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My experience working with children has taught me that when it comes to making a difference, you just need to make yourself loving and available to the children around you. What a lot of people fail to realize is that children are people. They are individuals who have wants and needs that extend far beyond what adults give them credit for. As a teacher, I am in an authority role to my kids every Monday through Friday. I am fully aware of this authority but I do not make it a public knowledge, nor do I use my position to boss my kids around or go off on a power trip as I have seen some educators do. My teaching style is coupled with a lot of affection and communication. While I am sure many teachers strive to do this, I make it a point to treat my students as people, not as kids who do not know any better. By creating that comfort level I know I am making a difference everyday.

My kids do not go in "time out" when they do something unkind; instead we talk about the situation and solve it right then and there. Not only do we solve the problem for the student who is being unkind, we then communicate it to the rest of the children so they are aware of what is going on and why a certain action can be perceived as unkind of disrespectful. These discussions not only bring us closer together as a class, but we are able to solve problems together so that the next time something similar arises, we can bring up a previous discussion and apply it to the issue.

Hugs and kisses are given out freely in my classroom. As a teacher I want my kids to feel loved and cared for when they are in my class and if they need a hug or a kiss they know where they can find one. Something so simple as a hug can be the best medicine. I know everything I do as an adult and as a teacher in the presence of children is being absorbed and stored away to be processed later. I want my students to absorb words and actions that will be helpful to them as they learn and grow.

Laughter in the classroom is another thing that makes the difference. I want my kids to be able to laugh and enjoy themselves. If it gets out of control during a lesson, we discuss it. The constant open discussion in our room really brings us together as a classroom family. I truly believe I am extending myself beyond what a teacher needs to do so that my students will feel comfortable extending themselves beyond what they need to do as a student. That's the difference I strive for.

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