The Newton quote (on the shoulders of giants) does hit home with me. It may sound pandering to whoever reads this, but I think about this quote every week as I am delivering my math lessons. I feel the honor and gratitude in teaching these cumulative courses. I think about the people, collaboration, time, and refinement in mathematics; in the practice of teaching it is not different. My hours of watching, filtering, creating, recreating, borrowing, and leading in the classroom all contributes to make me teacher worthy of the best that I’ve seen and worked with. As for my own quotes over the years that I have placed in my room, I do like to remind students/people that You don’t have to be great to begin, but you do have to begin to become great. Everyone was a beginner once, and even new ideas take time to process and master.
