A large part of everyday teaching is making decisions. Whether a decision needs to be made over a few weeks or in the matter of seconds, decisions permeate every moment in a classroom. The best teachers are ones who are knowledgeable, anticipate problems and have a wealth of information stored for when these decisions need to be made to maximize student learning within the classroom. Teaching practices have evolved greatly over the years. We, as a society of educators, know more now about educating young minds than ever before. The abundance of information on teaching is useful only if educators tap into the developments and find the best way to implement them with their students. Ms. Mitchell's pedagogy is saturated with research-based practices that have and continue to be studied for maximizing student success. The subpages entitled Child Development, Academic Success and Classroom Management all include research that has influenced her philosophy of education.