More than ever, students do not view education as a priority. Today’s children are bombarded with images and messages where academic zeal is “not cool” and education is not a must. Research clearly shows that if education is a priority in a child’s home, he will soar academically. As teachers, it seems like more than half of your battle lies in simply convincing some students that what we offer everyday is the key to personal success. When students come into our classrooms with the belief that education is a priority then the real challenge of instruction can begin! What’s your greatest success story? One day, I was introduced to a new student who was standing outside my classroom door sobbing. Her mother had a stack full of reports that recounted the serious behavioral offenses that she had at her previous school. I will never forget the mother’s words as she left her daughter that day: “Good luck with her, she can’t do a thing.” This little girl was angry, timid and had no self-confi