My first teaching experience at Beattie was a whirlwind of fun and excitement. We used the first Wonderlab as an opportunity to get to know our students better and vice versa. We introduced ourselves and our artwork and asked students to create sketchbook covers that told us something about them or their imaginations. Students loved both of the activities and were eager to tell us something about themselves. This experience reminds me of the importance we have learned about relationship building, classroom climate and culture as well as trust building. When students feel a sense of comfort, acceptance and trust with their teachers and peers alike they are able to focus on learning. It also creates a climate of empathy, when students receive empathy they are also learning to be more empathetic. This is crucial in classroom settings where students are socializing with classmates and learning from one another. Personally I have always seen relationship building as crucial. My best experiences in school were always with those teachers I felt I could talk to and had a good relationship with. I wanted to listen to them, I was intrigued by them and their lessons made long lasting impressions on me! I believe that this is the foundation for a classroom where deep learning occurs. I know that in the future I will always put relationship building at the forefront of my classroom climate and culture because of the many positive impacts it has in teaching and learning. For my piece I chose to paint a hummingbird and a flower, a symbiotic relationship where both need one another. Just like the relationship between student and teacher!