"Building classroom communities, teaching students to work together, changing the world – what an impressive (and overwhelming) set of tasks. Where can we begin?  We can begin by doing the same things for ourselves as teachers that we try to do for our students: Establish a strong community, develop a solid and reliable support system, set reasonable goals, and celebrate each achievement, no matter how (seemingly) small.  We can continually remind ourselves that small steps do count and that even small seemingly insignificant changes in our classroom practices can make a big difference in children’s lives.”

            Mara Sapon-Shevin, Because We Can Change the World