Teaching is like riding a bike. The roads upon which I ride my bike have many hills and valleys to deal with, but they are never too tall or too deep to overcome. Students and I will have good and bad days, but no problem will be so great that we cannot overcome. The wind can be a friend by pushing me from behind to make the journey easy, or it can be an enemy by pushing against me to hold me back. The distance is the same, but the effort is much greater when there is a head wind. Students will receive an education, but for some it will not come as easily as it will for others. I, as a teacher, will try to make the education the student receives feel like a tailwind. My bike is a tool that enables me to cover great distances over the duration of the day. Sometimes my bike runs smoothly if the chain is well lubricated and the wheels spin true. Sometimes my bike is sluggish when the chain is dry or dirty and the wheels are out of round. The students and I will have to work with the resources we are given. I will make their education the best it can be with those resources. Many days the students will be riding uphill against a headwind, and many days the students will be riding downhill with a tailwind. The students will realize that not all days will be difficult and not all days will be easy. The goal of my bike rides is never the destination but rather the journey itself. Perseverance to overcome the weather, the terrain and condition of the road, and the condition of my bike is what is gratifying. I, as a teacher, must persevere above the resources I have been given, the differences among the individuals, and my own capabilities to give the students the education they deserve. Students will understand that receiving an education is a journey that will never end.