Description

In this article I describe some of the greatest joys I experience teaching upper elementary grade students. Typically, children of this age possess enthusiasm for learning and will contribute energy and invest themselves completely in worthwhile projects, are ready to engage in and embrace higher-level challenges, work with a greater sense of future purpose, and can develop enduring habits of mind and habits of character. I also explain that these positive characteristics can only manifest themselves in classrooms where teachers nurture children’s intrinsic motivation to learn and grow.