Over many years of teaching different subjects to different grades, I have identified what I think are 2 universal truths about teaching.  First, learning is a journey.  I know this sounds cliche, but we as teachers often know the destination, and we have to honour all of the different processes, hurdles and paths students take to get to a place of truly learning (not memorizing) the “stuff” we teach.  This means as teachers it is important to be flexible, open-minded, and willing to experiment with teaching methods, timelines, and assessments.  Secondly, as much as our students learn from us we also learn from them.  The experiences that I have had in the classroom, both positive and negative, have ultimately changed me as an educator.  It is in reflection of these experiences that I continue to shape my teaching in unexpected and most times delightful ways.  In all honesty, after 15 years of teaching at an all girls school, I can say with confidence that my teaching practise still feels like one big work in progress.