The education of younger generations is critical in shaping how our society will behave in the future. I chose to focus my teaching on environmental education becauseI feel that education about your local environment is the foundation of caring about important environmental issues. I believe effective teaching should work to redefine traditional classroom power dynamics and create a unique learning experience that allows students to think for themselves and ask stimulating questions in a safe environment. This concept is critical in early childhood development and becomes a very useful tool for later in life. Developing self-awareness is an extremely important part of my teaching approach, because it sets my students up to become active problem solvers and question the world around them, rather than relying on other people to tell them the “right” answer. By creating an efficient balance between authority and following students’ natural curiosities, the kids I work with are able to learn about subjects that interest them within a larger framework of state mandated science learning objectives that were woven into my curriculum. Shifting to student-based teaching can be achieved through engaged learning that focuses on sensory awareness, sense of place, incorporation of multiple intelligences, and celebration of diversity.