I tell my students all the time, don't use the words "I can't". In fact, they are essentially banned from being uttered in my classroom. Once spoken, those two words indicate that a student is unwilling to try. And not trying is not an option!

The saying "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink" applies to the academic arena very well.

No matter what wonderful projects, activities or investigation or experiments, teachers plan, if a child does not want to engage in them, it is all for nought.

Regardless of what students come to school with, one of the roles of the educator is to inspire/motivate students to want to do. And this can be challenging.

Throughout the school system, there are educators who transform classrooms into forests, ancient Greek cities or musical lounges — all in an effort to inspire students to want to participate.

But while educators do their parts to inspire, students and parents need "to bring something to the table". And here's where it may get sticky …

Parents need to do their best to create environments that provide solid foundations for learning and academic success. Exposing children to books at an early age fosters a love of reading. Singing songs and counting aloud encourages development of mathematical skills. Talking with children about the value of education helps them to begin thinking about its importance and the consequences of not having a solid educational foundation.

From an early age, students need to begin to think about the direction their lives will take. It is important for students to have goals so that they have something to strive for. It is important that students bring some desire to be a part of the process.

Learning is a process, but everyone has to be active in it.