It has been my experience that each student I encounter is a mystery. They come with individual thoughts, beliefs, experiences, ideas and needs. Sometimes, those needs are not academic. First and foremost, my philosophy of education is to take care of the whole child and not just the academic side. I am firm in my belief that "you can't do the Bloom's stuff, until you take care of the Maslow's stuff."

As a teacher, I need to accommodate all of their needs including individual learning styles, interests, readiness levels, and talents by giving them the opportunity and choice to fulfill their own individual learning. While learning does take place in a whole group setting in most cases, I believe creating opportunities to help students learn in their own way creates a more meaningful experience than just rote memorization. If there are ways for me to implement student led learning, I will.

I believe that students learn best when they are able to ask their own questions, find answers to their questions, and demonstrate what they have learned using their preferred learning style and interest. Empowering students to take ownership of their own learning is the best thing that we can do for them. Our world is changing and just like Sherlock did, we need students to think differently, critically and creatively to solve tomorrow's problems. The only way to prepare our students for their future is by creating authentic learning opportunities for them to construct their own meaning and apply their learning and understanding to their world.