I believe that education is an individual unique experience for all students. It is my desire as an educator to help students meet their fullest potential in their mathematics education by providing an environment that supports risk-taking, encourages individuals to think more rigorously, and invites a sharing of ideas. There are three elements that I believe are conducive to establishing such an environment: (1) the teacher acting as a guide, (2) allowing the individual's natural curiosity to direct his/her learning, and (3) making mathematics interesting.? Teacher as a guide. I feel that my main role as an educator is to guide the student's thinking process. By me providing access to information rather than acting as the primary source of information, the students' search for knowledge is met as they learn to find answers to their questions. For students to construct knowledge, they need the opportunity to discover for themselves and practice skills in authentic situations. ?Equally important is providing the opportunity to study things that are meaningful and relevant to one's life and interests. Developing a curriculum around student interests fosters intrinsic motivation and stimulates the passion to learn. In order to help make learning more relevant to a student, I believe that students should be an active part of the dialogue about the lessons and units of study. Given the opportunity for input, students generate ideas and set goals that make for much richer activities than I could have created or imagined myself. When students have ownership in the curriculum, they are motivated to work hard and master the skills necessary to reach their goals. ? Natural curiosity in the classroom. By allowing the students to help guide classroom discussion, you are providing an opportunity for deeper thought. A conversation in the classroom can help to spark an idea that a student can take further. By developing an interest on their own, students take control of their education, and that makes it more important to them. Allowing this natural curiosity to happen helps the students to increase the rigor of a lesson all on their own, with just the educator as a guide. Making math more interesting. I feel that mathematics is an important subject that everyone needs to have an understanding of. One way to help people better understand mathematics and its importance is making math more interesting. I feel that math needs to relate to the lives of the students. We are in a world now where students want to know how to use what they are learning. Learning goes beyond just a process. By connecting math to the real world, students will find it more interesting, and it will promote higher level learning.