Think about a student like Kim or Jon whom you've had. Devise an assignment in your subject that would play on that kid's strengths and bring out his or her best potential for engagement and learning. Look at the sections devoted to the origins of the Common School. This section looks at the philosophical and practical underpinnings of public schools at the time of their origins. Horace Mann believed schools must be open to everyone, for the benefit of every individual and society.
Kids have to learn to be part of a community.
This is an idea that John Dewey also emphasized. This statement suggests a kind of missionary impulse at the heart of teaching. Think about your own school and your role in your classroom, with the groups you teach and with individual students. Describe a situation in which you felt you did fulfill the role Mann envisioned for teachers and schools.