Education can be best described as the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction or the theory and practice of teaching (Merriam-Webster, 2011). Education can happen at any time and at any place. It could be institutionalized as places for higher learning, or it could be as casual as a conversation at a coffee shop.

            I believe the purposes of education are to acquire knowledge and then pass and share that knowledge to others. Education is the spreading of information and ideas which advance the mind and thought process already existing in a person. Daniel Boorstin once said, “Education is learning what you didn’t even know you didn’t know.”  For teachers, they have gone through extra studies to reach where there are know and by having that extra form of education, hold an obligation to their future students to apply what they have learned and share it with their student, and they must also be able to expand the horizons of their students and lead them to new discoveries and inquiries on a daily basis.

            I believe that the best way for students to learn is by teaching them under certain conditions and in certain ways. This could include the environmental setting and the methods and strategies of teaching that the teacher uses. I believe that the best conditions for a student to learn is in a classroom where he or she has a teacher who wants their students to learn, provides support and direction, and passes their knowledge of a content area to their students.

            The teacher should have a classroom furnished to properly function for the students. Furnishing that should be standard includes desks or table and chair sets to be utilized as working spaces for the students, a blackboard or whiteboard, equipment to keep the room at a cool, workable temperature (such as fans or air conditioners), and enough textbooks for each student to use throughout the course. In addition, a well-equipped classroom may also include computers, other reference or course material, supplies for projects, and other items that will continue to enhance the positive learning environment. It should meet health standards of the area in which it is located and should promote positive citizenship to the entire student body.

            Some of the features of a good learning environment include, making sure that your students can see the board (the front of the class) from their seats, strategically placing your furniture and using the space you have in an efficient manner, and eliminating barriers and leaving yourself ample room in the aisles for easy student access. Remove barriers and eliminate congestion in high traffic areas so that you and the students can move freely and easily throughout the classroom when needed. Arrange your room so that you and your students are comfortable, keeping in mind the various small-group and whole class activities you would like to have your students engage in. You want to make sure they can all see you and that you can monitor their work (Kellough & Carjuzaa, 2009).

            For me, an ideal classroom would have both a white and black (chalk and dry erase) board, big enough to see throughout the class, properly maintained desks and chairs, a projector and projector screen or T.V. that can be used as a monitor, enough textbooks for each student, a working resource area with at least two computers and displays and reference material for the students’ to use, proper cooling systems, and educational decorations relative to the subject that will invite a student into the classroom and inspire them to learn.  I would set myself up in the front of the class with my two boards side by side, having the students sit in rows similar to that of college courses so they can see the boards and me, as well as interact comfortably with one another.

            The other element in which a student can learn best is the method in which they are being taught. As a student studying to be a teacher, and not actually a teacher yet, I have learned that the best way to teach a student is to be positive. No matter what you are doing or what the situation, being positive will never negative effect what is happening. If a student is not doing so well in class, remaining positive and providing positive reinforcement will help your student to improve. For the struggling student, try to use comments that have positive connotations and not put them down or hurt their feelings. Try to mention that you noticed that they put effort in doing their homework rather than saying they did their homework wrong.

            Being positive works both ways though. If a student is excelling in class, remaining positive and providing the positive reinforcement will keep a student on track and waiting to reach more goals. Letting them know that they are doing a good job but they must continue to work hard to maintain their success will build a student’s confidence, but remind them that the journey is not over.

            In a classroom, there should exist a curriculum that includes certain “basics” that will contribute to students’ social, emotional, intellectual, and physical development. Some of these basics are; to be able to prepare a paper/essay with a chain of developed and organized thoughts on subject matter relative to the lessons as well as understanding the basics of a rubric used to grade the paper/essay, participate in group assignments, discussions, and presentations, prepare and conduct individual presentations, partake in tests, which will assess their knowledge of the subject and also be totaled and counted toward a certain percentage of the student’s overall grade, and prepare an end-of-the-year portfolio highlighting their journey through the course.

            In addition to the classroom setting and setting a curriculum for learning, students have basic needs that must be met if they are to grow and learn. These needs are students’ need for arousal, need for competence, need for self-determination, and need for relatedness. All of these needs deal with how a student functions. The students’ need for arousal deals with the idea of stimulating their minds and senses that may include physical activity or be cognitive in nature. With the need for competence, he or she will function more effectively if they believe that they have mastered certain aspects of the subject. In self-determination, a student will function more effectively when they feel they have some autonomy or self-direction regarding the things they choose to do or what direction their lives are headed in. The need for relatedness deals with a student functioning more effectively when they feel they share a social connection with others and believe that they have the respect and affection of them (Pearson Education, 2010).

            With the classroom, curriculum, and needs of a student cover, a teacher should be well prepared to take on his class and perpetuate his students forward in their educational careers. With that said, a teacher should possess certain qualities and are expected to behave in certain ways. I think that some of the important qualities for a teacher are being confident without being cocky or arrogant, and if a teacher does not know an answer, he or she must admit to it, but also offer to find an answer and stick to that promise. The behavior of a teacher relies a lot on presentation. The way you look, the way you carry yourself in class, your preparedness, whether or not you’re late and your management of time, and your overall personality as a member of the classroom all affect you as a teacher, so a teacher must be prepared with their appearance and presentation.

            As a teacher, I will present myself to my students as their guide through the subject. They would have to understand that I am the law when it comes to the class and that I am the overseeing body. I want my students to feel welcomed into my classroom by having both an environment that they want to be in and that induces their learning, and a positive attitude that will continue to encourage them to always do better and work hard. I would make myself available to them should they need extra help or attention. It will be my responsibility to prepare activities and lessons that will stimulate them and assess their needs as students as well as meet the needs of the learning styles for the population of the class. I will provide them with resources and information they can use in their assignments and overall increase their knowledge about the subject.

            The teacher is someone the students look up to and serves as the authoritative figure in the classroom. They must maintain professional behavior in and out of the classroom setting. This is to include language, attire, behavior, and almost any little thing in between. The teacher must be a respectable figure of education even in their personal lives or in the eye of the public.

            Combing all the elements of a good teacher, a good classroom, and   good curriculum, would lead to the success of both the teacher and the students. This will positively reflect on the school, the parents, and everyone who got involved somehow during the course of your class. As a future teacher, I hope to accomplish everything I have discussed and will be using them to set goals for me to reach once I enter the classroom setting.