1. Rhonda Gaon Kennedy Thoughts on Rita Pierson’s talk

2. I can relate... I can completely relate to what Rita says in her talk. The things she talks about relate to motivation and confidence in learners. Both motivation and confidence are intertwined in a learner and are important qualities a learner must have in order to make progress (however fast or slow). The relationships, we as teachers develop with our learners can have and should have a positive influence on our learners and in turn on their motivation and confidence.

3. Ideas... I don’t think that Rita’s talk gave me any new thoughts or ideas in relationship to my role as a teacher. It did however, provide a kind of inspiration/reminder of the significance our roles as teachers play in the lives of our learners. This in a way gives me a bit of a ‘battery charge’.

4. Heros? Yes, I think that there are some teachers who are heros. They are the teachers that managed to effect a change in the path their learners take. They in some way aided in building motivation and confidence in their learners, which the learner can take forward in his/her life.