An exemplary teacher will make learning likely, not just possible.

"Although most would see them only as an ocean of small faces,  as teachers we see them as the waves that propel us." Robert John Meehan
 
"If real learning is to take place, our classrooms must be dependent on the collaboration of its learners, not solely on the knowledge of its teachers." Robert John Meehan

"Due to recent budget cuts, the 'light at the end of the tunnel' has been turned off for far too many of our students currently needing the most assistance." Robert John Meehan

"An exemplary teacher will make learning likely, not just possible." Robert John Meehan

"Every time I hear another hedge fund manager talk about school reform, I worry even more about the direction education reform is taking." Robert John Meehan

"Don't struggle to be a better teacher than everybody else. Simply be a better teacher than you ever thought you could be." Robert John Meehan

                            
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Be diligent in believing that what we do in the classroom...

"Although most would see our students only as an ocean of small faces, as teachers we see them as the waves that propel us."- Robert John Meehan

"If your actions in the classroom inspire children to achieve more, question more, and dream more, you are indeed worthy of the title "Teacher." - Robert John Meehan

"Demanding that students test well in the absence of appropriate resources is disheartening for teachers and disastrous for students."- Robert John Meehan

"A really great teacher will make learning likely, not just possible."- Robert John Meehan

An exemplary teacher will not just Enlighten the student, but will also Empower the student..

"Our teaching should always be artfully crafted. It should impart something that is in itself sacred to the senses of our students."  Robert John Meehan
 
"Better teaching never comes from a political mandate...it comes from the heart of a prepared and caring teacher." Robert John Meehan
 
"The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other. Without collaboration our growth is limited to our own perspectives." Robert John Meehan

 "Teach with a renewed appreciation of its consequences and you will never cease to realize the infinite possibilities within your reach." Robert John Meehan
 
"Almost every student you meet may be fighting a battle you know nothing about. Stop, think, then make your response accordingly." Robert John Meehan

"As a teacher you have to be committed to learning for a lifetime first before you can lead your students down that path."Robert John Meehan

" An exemplary teacher will not just Enlighten the student, but will also Empower the student." Robert John Meehan

"Although most would see them only as an ocean of small faces,  as teachers we see them as the waves that propel us." Robert John Meehan

Better teaching never comes from a political mandate...

"Better teaching never comes from a political mandate...it comes from the heart of a prepared and caring teacher." Robert John Meehan

 "Teach with a renewed appreciation of its consequences and you will never cease to realize the infinite possibilities within your reach." Robert John Meehan

"Although most would see them only as an ocean of small faces,  as teachers we see them as the waves that propel us." Robert John Meehan

"Due to recent budget cuts, the 'light at the end of the tunnel' has been turned off for far too many of our students currently needing the most assistance." Robert John Meehan

"Every time I hear another hedge fund manager talk about school reform, I worry even more about the direction education reform is taking." Robert John Meehan

"Don't struggle to be a better teacher than everybody else. Simply be a better teacher than you ever thought you could be." Robert John Meehan

"Be diligent in believing that what we do in the classroom could possibly echo for a lifetime in the heart of a student." Robert John Meehan

"Mediocre teachers tend to talk mostly about teaching. Exemplary teachers talk almost exclusively about learning." Robert John Meehan

"Too many students don’t know what success feels like, thus repeated failure is no longer scary or painful, it’s become the norm. Help create a new norm." Robert John Meehan

"If real learning is to take place, our classrooms must be dependent on the collaboration of its learners...

“Every day that you teach you have two options: be focused, passionate and caring, or to be focused, passionate and caring.” Robert John Meehan

"Teaching often requires risk, acceptance of novelty, rejection of any form of discrimination and always requires a critical reflection of its current practices." Robert John Meehan

"If real learning is to take place, our classrooms must be dependent on the collaboration of its learners, not solely on the knowledge of its teachers." Robert John Meehan

 “When I observed my students... I could often predict which ones were probably going to fulfill their dreams later in life. It wasn't necessarily the ones who failed the least. It was the students who failed, but kept at it until they got it.”  Robert John Meehan

 "As teachers, we believe that we are called to teach and that this calling, though often times requiring personal sacrifice, must be fulfilled to the most prodigious benefit of our students."  Robert John Meehan

"We need to trust ourselves enough to recognize that how we are teaching now, though it worked for a while, may no longer be as effective." Robert John Meehan

   "Did you have a favorite teacher because he or she was able to prepare you for a multiple choice test or because he/she inspired you?" Robert John Meehan

 "A gifted teacher is not only prepared to meet the needs of today's child, but is also prepared to foresee the hopes and dreams in every child's future." Robert John Meehan

"Becoming an exemplary teacher is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of the choices we make; it is not something that simply comes with experience, it is something that must be purposefully achieved." Robert John Meehan

A Teacher's Pledge

In Memoriam (Chicago) A Tribute to the children of Chicago

A Tribute to the children of Chicago

In Memoriam (Chicago) A Tribute to the children of Chicago

Robert John Meehan

A desk lies empty

A missing face to find

A child soon missed by some

Another life consumed by one

A classmate questioned

A missing child to find

While a desk lies empty

A hope dwindles with time

As a child's life once abound

A child's fate is now found

While a desk lies empty

A lifeless child is found

As questions of why arise

A time for tears to flow

While a desk lies empty

A prayer for a missed child we know

A quiet voice to miss

A child missed we know

While a desk lies empty

A question of why to know

A future now not to be

A tragic loss we are told

While a desk lies empty

An answer of why yet untold

A myriad of lives changed

Another youthful innocent lost

While a desk lies empty

At a life's innocence cost

A society believed so rich

And yet a life's worth so poor

While a desk lies empty

Another child's life's no more

A time to ponder a commitment

A life's question to answer

While a desk lies empty... 

First published in 1993. When will it ever change?

The entire being of any Teacher is within our own hearts...

 "The entire being of any Teacher is within our own hearts. Although an education prepares us to teach, it is the love of learning that sustains us." Robert John Meehan

"It is shortsighted to believe that better education comes from setting up schools that exclude the very children needing the most help." Robert John Meehan

"I choose to believe that teaching the least desired children is the most noble choice of all." Robert John Meehan

"Critical Thinking: The purposeful reflective judgment concerning what to believe or what to do. Is this a lost art?" Robert John Meehan

"Becoming an exemplary teacher is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of the choices we make; it is not something that simply comes with experience, it is something that must be purposefully achieved." Robert John Meehan

 "The current reformers do not realize that learning is different from winning. Teachers can have the best game plan but they can't pick their teams." Robert John Meehan

"Republicans fear caps on CEO pay and bonuses will drain talent from those jobs. Shouldn't they have the same fears about slashing teacher comp and pay?" Robert John Meehan

There is no challenge too great for a teacher who has the will, the desire and heart ...

"The highest respect should go to those teachers who let their actions rise above other teachers' excuses." Robert John Meehan

"There is no challenge too great for a teacher who has the will, the desire and heart to make it happen." Robert John Meehan

"The strength of our teaching lies in the depth of our convictions and the integrity of our goals." Robert John Meehan

"A successful teacher can create a never ending legacy for generations to come." Robert John Meehan

"The highest level of success in the classroom is only reached with a continuous commitment to excellence." Robert John Meehan
 
"Effective teaching involves a highly distinctive set of human interactions and skills that are not measurable by multiple choice tests alone." Robert John Meehan

"Educate': educere. Essentially 'to educe', to draw forth from. The true work of a teacher:not putting in, but drawing out." Robert John Meehan

"Great schools are nurtured with the cooperation of many teachers with a common vision working toward a common goal of extraordinary student achievement." Robert John Meehan

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