After reading this chapter, you should be able to:

1-1 Reflect on your own educational history and how it can affect the type of teacher you become. Examine the importance of reflection, metacognition, and “knowing yourself.”
1-2 Examine the “goodness of fit” between your own personal qualities and the demands of teaching.
1-3 Explain the effect that a committed teacher has on the climate and culture within a school.
1-4 Consider how the era of testing and standardization in the 21st century has affected the way contemporary schools function.