“Professors gravitate to the bright, well-prepared students. They are easier to teach, and they appear to profit most from instruction, which may simply mean they are most like the professors. But in the increasing pluralism and decreasing professionalism of colleges and universities in the next decades, the master teacher is likely to be the one who can provide context for many kinds of students.” Kenneth E. Eble, The Craft of Teaching (1976).

My personal philosophy of teaching surrounds this idea that no two students will ever be exactly the same. Individuality should not only be held highly within education, but also taken as a challenge by all to encounter it, so that we as educators might be able to create a space where every student feels safe and welcome. It is easy to take the path that seemed most clear, the path of engaging with only those who wish to be engaged, but that is not what makes education. We as teachers must acknowledge our role as caretakers as well as role-models. If we wish to help build up students who have empathy for others, we must also seek to show and demonstrate it in our every-day.