My name is Dawn Moore.  I just completed my 20th year of teaching 5th grade.  I knew by the age of 6 that God had called me to be a teacher.  As a child, I really was not a fan of school.  I liked the teachers, students, socializing and such, but when it came to learning, it did not come easy for me.  It took me forever to learn to read and even longer to comprehend what I read.  Math was a little easier, but it proved to be difficult as well due to my inability to stay focused during class.  I was later diagnosed with ADHD, Anxiety and Dyslexia.   In those times, there was little understanding of these disabilities and even less when it came to treatments.  All of my teachers taught in the same way, which I would have described as boring.  I missed a lot of information, and the learning gaps became bigger each year.  I worked hard in college and started teaching myself coping mechanisms and I created little ways to make my learning more applicable to my own life, experiences and learning style.  I quickly found that I was able to understand the material better and learning was much more enjoyable.  I have now been teaching 5th grade for over 20 years and have helped many students see learning in a whole new way.  I do believe that what one would consider my disabilities or weakness, actually became my strengths.  I strongly believe that EVERY child deserves a quality education and I also believe that a quality education for some is not a quality education for others.  Children need to be met right where they are while being encouraged, accepted and valued.  Differences not only need to be accepted, but they also need to be embraced. When children start believing in themselves, the trajectory of their lives will change in a truly amazing way. I am blessed to be a part of this magical transformation on a daily basis.