Another year is coming to a close and I can’t help but think of all the amazing things I have learned and applied in my classroom this year. After last year, I felt overwhelmed at the amount of training elements that I was introduced to. At times, I wondered how I would learn and implement all of these wonderful concepts into my teaching. More than once I thought I had gotten in over my head.

This year, all the pieces of the puzzle seem to have fit together to allow me to feel comfortable with eMINTS and what it has to offer to my students and me. I have grown greatly in my teaching and have applied my knowledge to transform my classroom into a very technology/inquiry-based friendly place.
Students have led the way in this process. They have been very receptive of the new approaches and have grown greatly by taking these inquired-based elements and gone farther than I could ever have imagined.

As a teacher, I feel a sense of renewal and comfort in how the eMINTS approach has opened up new avenues of learning. The cooperative learning has been very beneficial for students. They have grown in their social skills and applied them to become more comfortable with others and themselves.
The concepts I have learned in eMINTS have made me a more effective teacher. It has also made my students more knowledgeable and has opened up more productive ways of learning and connecting with life. eMINTS has provided ways for my students to become life long learners and made them more accountable in their own learning.

I realize there is still a lot of room to improve the learning environment I offer my students. eMINTS training and implementation has offered a solid foundation to make my classroom a place where students feel comfortable enough to take risks. The inquiry-based model of learning provides students with the incentive to go further in their learning without fear of failure. It gives them the tools to be successful in life and to gain more knowledge about life.

This year has been a year of awakening for me. I have become more efficient in my approach to teaching and also comfortable enough to think “outside the box.” Students have become risk takers and have exceeded my expectations for them.

I am proud to say I have developed a website that portrays the best of me and is an invaluable resource for parents, students and other teachers. The WebQuests have been exciting for students to participate in. They have learned to rely on each others’ expertise and to work collaboratively to make a finished product that they are very proud of. These inquiry-based lessons have provided students with attainable goals, reflective feedback and background to spark their imaginations.

It is hard to believe that the last two years have gone by so quickly. Even though the training will end soon, the lifelong benefits my students and I have gained will be felt for many years to come.

David Hendrickson
Third Grade Teacher
East Elementary
Jefferson City, MO Public Schools