I attended elementary school in the early 1980s; I had a very typical upbringing for the time, math, English, science, with heavy doses of fear, in the form of the threat of corporal punishment. We sat in a row, not talking, not sharing ideas, just copying from the board into our books; nowadays it would be called a behaviorist teaching model. My classmates, those who didn't fit the norm, had a very lonely and isolated experience; in some cases I know the experience scared them into not learning forever. When I began my practice I knew there had to be a better way to teach all students, and I'm very happy to say there is; Groundwater – Smith, Ewing, and Le Cornu (2007) state that “for education to transcend mere instruction requires that students be recognized as full participants in the learning process” (p.4). So, my reflections, questions and decisions are based on my desire to find a teaching style that places children firmly at the center of learning, that respects and empowers them; from my study I can see that it is these approaches that get the best results for students and allow teachers to be truly effective. I have chosen to discuss in detail some elements of my study that are the basis of effective teaching; knowing and understanding students and how to motivate them, positive and proactive classroom management, constructivist theory and finally behaving in a professional and ethical manner. Deep knowledge and understanding of students is the foundation of effective teaching; it is from this knowledge that teachers can form a relationship, which helps students feel like they belong, and belonging is the key to success and a powerful motivator (Marsh, 2008). I will begin my reflection on this topic by looking...... halfway through the article ...... of your practicum: A guide to better teaching practice (2nd ed.) Social Science Press, Katoomba, NSW. Rand, A. (1964). The virtue of selfishness. New York: Penguin. ISBN 0-451-16393-1. OCLC 28103453, Retrieved April 22, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayn_Rand#CITEREFRand1964Ross & Kyle, 1987Slavin, R. (2002). Evidence-based education policies' in Educational Researcher, 31 (7), pp. 15-21. Whitton, D., Barker, K., Nosworthy, M., Sinclair, C., Nanlohy, P. (2010) Communicating as professionals. South Melbourne: Cengage Learning.Vrasidas, C. (2000). Constructivism versus objectivism: Implications for interaction, course design, and assessment in distance education. International Journal of Telecommunications, Educational Telecommunications, 6(4), 339-362. Retrieved April 22, 2011, from http://www.cardet.org/vrasidas/pubs/continuum.pdf