I believe that teaching is the most important profession in the world. How else can we continue to develop in such a technical world, or any other way, for that matter? Without the transfer of knowledge to young minds, we will stagnate and wither as a world. Teaching is the hope for a better and more successful future. Learning is the hope of becoming a better individual, gaining intelligence, and implementing practical experiences in our future. Because we always tell our children that they should plan for their future and work to achieve those goals, the teaching profession should “practice what it preaches” by helping young people achieve those goals. Teaching reading for the past five years has been rewarding beyond anything I could have imagined. I've seen non-readers become readers, I've seen student scores and confidence improve, and I've been part of that change. What a reward! Staying current with professional development is critical in our rapidly changing world. In my teaching career, I doubt I have invented a method of teaching reading that has not previously been used in some way by someone else, but I have done many of the same things in the reading courses that are currently taught to new reading teachers. Today. Despite this, I have tried to learn new techniques in my area, especially in the last five years. I took all the in-service courses and attended as many professional conferences as I could without sacrificing due time with my students. Of course, the most recent focus in education has been reading, and of course, a language arts teacher must focus on reading to help his or her students become well-rounded communicators. Learning to implement new ways of making tea... middle of paper... I'm in line to check out some titles. They are truly enjoying that quiet, rich time they have each day to simply read for their own enjoyment and understanding. I am less of a dictator of information and activity and more of a facilitator than ever. This doesn't necessarily make my job easier, but it makes it a lot more enjoyable. What teacher doesn't want to be able to say what I'm saying right now? That my work has been a joy and a pleasure… that I wake up every morning knowing that I am fulfilling my destiny… that I teach because I love learning… that I am doing what I love to do, teaching children. If I can continue to pass on my passion for learning, especially my love of reading, to others and see them make progress, then I will know that I have achieved a great victory in the fight to help others become proficient readers. What a reward!