Ms. Sarah Burgess is a great model of virtues for our kids. She is showing by her own example the value of being organized, hard work, kindness and empathy. She has an individual approach to every student in the class - everybody feels welcome and equally valued. Teaching is her mission and joy, and students can feel it. Her approach is not just instructional, but it is deeply relational - Ms. Burgess is celebrating with students, discovering with them, and when they struggle she is there for them. Students are motivated not just by some visible rewards and tokens (even though there are many and the path to get them is clear) but by the relationship of mutual trust with the teacher. For me, Ms. Burgess is trying to implement the principles of dr Janusz Korczak approach (even though he might not be well known in the USA) - Janusz Korczak was a Polish-Jewish pediatrician, educator, author, and children’s rights advocate who perished with his orphans during the 2nd World War. His idea was that children can be partners in the process of educating them and having deep respect for them and curiosity and sense of wonder is the greatest motivating force.