Know Your Dogs

One of my education professors in college told us a parable that led to her motto for teaching.

The story is about a boy.  The boy had a scruffy, little dog and the dog performed many tricks.  People who saw them were always amazed at this young boy and his amazing, trick-performing dog.  It happened frequently, but one man in particular asked about this dog and his tricks, "Little boy, how did you manage to teach this dog all of those tricks?"  The little boy replied, "Oh, it wasn't so hard.  I knew what I wanted him to do and I know my dog, so I just taught him."

And so it is, a teacher who knows her dogs can teach them anything.