Teachers can model what they teach, which is the ultimate example of personalizing teaching. They can model excitement and wonder in science—for example, over the wonders of magnetism. They can model respect and ways of treating students and other staff. They can model puzzlement and confusion before a text so that learners feel free to express their own confusion. Teachers can model being challenged by what they teach.

  • Teachers can examine their body language and make sure they communicate respect by what they do as well as by what they say. They can model serving others by joining in with cooking for the elderly.
  • Teachers can model accepting encouragement around the time of tests by sending a card to a fellow teacher. They can model cooperation by working together in a religion class. They can model affirmation in a grammar lesson on complex sentences.

These examples show a few of the ways in which teachers can personalize teaching through modeling so that students can see that what is taught also is practiced.