"Approachable" Teaching

After graduation, I plan to use the latest technology in my classroom when teaching history to middle school students. But most importantly, I want to be an "approachable" teacher. As an "approachable" teacher, I will not avoid answering a question, just because I may not know the answer. I feel that if you readily admit to the class that you do not know the answer, it opens the door for your students, and yourself, to find the answer. It also allows them see that as a teacher you are not perfect, and therefore, do not expect them to be either.

Also, being an "approachable" teacher also means making yourself available for your students to come and talk with you about anything. Middle school students in particular are at a critical period in their lives. They are going through puberty, face daily peer pressure, and the stress can be overwhelming at times. Teachers need to have an open-door policy in their classroom. Those are the teachers that I have never forgotten. It shows that you really listen, and more importantly, that you really CARE.