10. Students learn better when you try new things, take some risks and "dream big"

Research tells us that students won't remember most of your day-to-day teaching. Some students will forget the details of entire years of schooling. Ask yourself what memories you have of each year of school. Often it's the big things we remember - the big game, the big trip, the big activity. Once you feel you've established yourself as a teacher and that your day-to day work is going well, challenge yourself to try something big with your students.

Large scale activities can be a tremendous amount of work. I've worked on projects that have taken up to six months to put together. On every one of them there's been a time when I've questioned my sanity and vowed, "Never Again!". However, once the project comes together and I see the look of pride on my students' faces I feel good that all the stress and strain was worth it.

I've had classes take almost two months to build a D-Day diorama. I've helped put together a full day Medieval Fair with over two hundred costumed re-enactors, with a three hour evening dinner theatre. I've organizing five day-long "Celtic Heritage Fair" schools program. Such projects can demand a lot of time and generate huge amounts of frustration, but there's a huge pay off when they are successful. Students gain pride, confidence, a strong sense of achievement, as well as a little subject knowledge thrown in on the side. These projects can be a student's single greatest memory of their school year.

Once you feel you've established yourself as a teacher and that your day-to day work is going well, challenge yourself to try something big with your students. Dream big and see where it takes you. Chances are you'll grow as a teacher in ways you never expected. Chances are your students will grow in ways you never expected. It's worth the effort!

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