Effective teachers exemplify the qualities and values they wish to inspire in their students. They are fair, tolerant, and actively respect and appreciate the diversity of culture within their students.

A good teacher is continuously working to expand their own intellectual experience, and models exemplary literary practices. They possess the skills, understanding and professional values which are recognized as necessary due to the great responsibility which accompanies the role of teaching.

As teachers, it is important to recognize the impact we can have on the development and learning of our students, and within the wider community itself. We must continually monitor the effectiveness of our own teaching methods and be able to approach colleagues for advise and skills which we can employ to the benefit of students. Teachers have a huge legal, ethical and moral obligation (as is outlined in the teachers 'code of conduct') in their position, and actively embrace this responsibility.

Involving myself in community activities such as Camp Quality and riding for the disabled are things I have done in the past which are a reflection of my feeling of community spirit and involvement, although this is an area in which I (as could we all ) need to focus on in the future.

I chose to come back to university because I feel I will make a good teacher, and wanted to find a challenging career which I could be proud of, and feel like I was making an important contribution to the community.

Teaching Today: The evolution of Education?

Article by Sharnie Hurford.

I recently read an article in the Western Magazine (p3, Monday October 20, 2003) which I felt reflected the shifting focus of education in recent years. The article itself focused on the participation of students from the Wilcania School in National Water Week learning and activities (October 19th-25th), which was sponsored by DIPNP (the Department of Infastructure, Planning and Natural Resources).

The aim was to provide students with a growing awareness of the environmental issues surrounding the waterways, and those issues specifically relevant to their own locality. This in itself was of enourmous interest to me, as I personally believe that the push for greater environmental education in schools is very important. Students' need to be aware of the impact people can and have had on the environment, the consequences (those that we are dealing with today, and those we may face in the future as a result of our impact on the world) of continued 'abuse' of the environment, and of the things that we as individuals can do to have a positive impact on the state of the environment.

But more particularly, I was interested in the fact that the teaching focus emphasised by organisers and teachers involved was that of "children teaching children". The Wilcania teacher present is cited as saying "...children are the decision-makers of the future, so it's vital they are well informed...".

The concept of peer collaboration, or mentoring illustrates the enourmous shift in teaching pedagogy and practice, and the changing role of teachers in the learning process. Gone is the perspective of the teacher as the dispenser of knowledge, and the belief that children are passive players in their own educational development. Instead, educators are realising that teachers are facilitators of the learning process for students in their ongoing process of learning.

We now recognise the active (and vital!) input students can have in their own educational development, and this recognition is recognised in the changing strategies which teachers employ within classroom practice to achieve the best educational outcomes that they can for the students' in their care.The focus of learning is becomming more directed to the needs of the students. We now recognise the importance of allowing children some input into the direction of the learning process, and teaching practice is changing to reflect this.