Passion

Passion definitely has to be the driving factor that leads anyone to choose a career. If it is not, it's just a job, not a career. Passion means to ignite a fire that will give you energy to share your passion and turn it into something. For some of us, that means we have been given the opportunity to teach our passion. I once had a theatre teacher in high school who not only taught theatre, she WAS it. There was a certain magical-ness about her, like anything was possible. Because truly she did make everything possible! She was able to get her students to forget who we were, to become a different person, to "step into character" and make decisions that the character you were portraying would make. We rarely felt embarassed or hesitant because the key thing was that we wanted to enter her world of magic. I experienced this same level of passion another time through my senior year Astronomy teacher. He literally would jump around the room to explain different concepts and ideas because he was so excited. As you can guess, this made us want to be as excited as him. I have been fortunate to have teachers who are generally enthusiastic about what they teach. There have been instances where I've had teachers that haven't been very exciting, let alone passionate about a subject. The important thing that makes a difference though is how you as the student can still be passionate enough about learning to get what you need out of the class, even if the teacher didn't impact you hugely. It's up to you to seek your own passions with the tools you have.

Authenticity

I define authenticity as honesty and truth, as well as originality, that are behind one's actions and decisions. To put a limit on authenticity to me seems rather strange, but expressing it is a different story. Sometimes, when someone is over genuine or authentic it almost seems they are trying too hard, and it becomes fake or inauthentic seeming. The limit is when it no longer feels natural or right. Students can tell inauthenticity as soon as the Teacher seems disinterested, OR to go the other way and the teacher seems gushy or too interested in being cool and fitting in with the Students. I think it's a trend for Students, when faced with a Teacher or authority figure they find inauthentic or fake, to not maximize their learning. The Students don't know to what lengths the teacher will take in an authentic way, so they are unsure of what to trust. When trust levels are down, it's harder to take in information and keep it there. Therefore, authenticity should be established early by the teacher in a genuine way of accepting who you are and presenting it to the class in a positive way. I think positive feedback from Students is guaranteed once this happens.

Compassion

When did the compassion of a teacher make a difference in my life or in the life of my classmate? 

Looking back, I've seen compassion come in and out of my classroom experiences ever since I can remember. I can remember instances where my teachers were very insensitive but I also remember instances where my teachers were extremely understanding, or compassionate. I had a teacher in third grade named Ms. Benz who not only was my teacher, but she also worked for the Vikings football team as a type of manager. She made me feel like we were friends. I don't know how she did it, but I felt special in her eyes. If there was ever a time that I felt I was having a bad day or if I was left out by a group of girls, she would be there giving encouragement. Who knows what kind of lasting affect her compassionate nature has had on me, but it can't have been negative. I look upon her fondly in my memory. It's people like that in our early years that encourage us to be compassionate too, I believe.

Respect

Respect. R-e-s-p-e-c-t! Do we DEFINE respect only by Aretha Franklin's famous song that literally spells it out? Well...you could. But I think there's much more to it than that. I would define the big "R" word as more of a way of life. To make it a verb, to be respectful. Respect is to recognize someone or something else as a functioning entity and to treat and use it kindly and with humbleness. In the classroom, respect must be expected and received by the authority figure, or else nothing can be accomplished or learned. Respect is mirrored from student to teacher. Respect is when the teachers acknowledge the students in a courteous manner and allow them to create work that expresses their intellectual freedom while still maintaining the curriculum. Likewise the students must acknowledge the teacher as the authority figure and allow them to have control of the classroom in a courteous manner. It is established through trust. The teacher, especially the first week, has to show that they are reliable and that the student is going to learn something in their classroom. The teacher must set standards of respect in their class, too. These should be upheld all the time and if broken should be called out and discussed.