This is a task that is most enjoyable. My most effective teacher was Dr. Laura Ashcroft. She is one of those kinds of people who make you want to learn, want to please her with your work and want to be successful as a teacher. She is first and foremost an encourager. She encourages her students to succeed and enables them to succeed by giving them powerful tools to work with kids, teaches her students about real life experiences and gives insights that helps students prepare for the best and worst that can happen in a classroom. Dr. Laura studies and knows her students so she is aware of their strengths, their gifts, and their weaknesses. She can tell you what your strengths are and where you need to improve. She can also tell where your gifts are and lead you in a positive direction. Having a heart of compassion, caring but yet having a tough skin to deal with the realities of teaching is the key to her success.