In reading Schmid chapter two I learned that "Eptness is a combination of capacities and meaningful activity. It resides in potential in all students, but it's unleashed through the deliberate efforts of their teacher."
I also learned that as a teacher that I can’t always be just the teacher but I also need to be the learner. In my classroom I want my students to know that they aren’t the only ones learning in the classroom. I want to be able to grow as a learner through each period of my life. Being in a middle school classroom, I see the importance of using real world knowledge and skills in the classroom. In math, I have the students using change and dollars so that they can see that math can affect your life outside school as well.
In my reading

In my reading, I learned many things about behaviors. If I had to choose three they would be: encouragement, feedback, and never being too late. Being in a special education classroom, many of my students have grown up with people telling them that they can’t succeed. I have seen students who have struggled with being confident in the class. It shows by way they answer questions I ask. I want to make sure that I am always encouraging my students and that they know they are in a safe environment to learn and that it is never too late to try again. I want them to know that it is ok if they don’t get something on the first try, as long as they do not give up.