An academically challenging environment is one that pushes students to explore the content that is discussed in the classroom. It encourages the students to take risks in their learning and make connections to the content. The assignments and activities that create this environment are engaging and encourage active participation from all students. It is an important factor in a classroom to have an academically challenging environment. With this environment students are pushed to do their best, make deeper and better understandings of the content. I feel that I could do better in this standard. Biology is a challenging class as it is, and I feel as though I dumb the content down a little too much at times. There are many processes in biology that are very intricate and can be hard to understand. I think that I have dumbed down these processes at times, but I do try to have students make understandings beyond what I teach them and connect the content to the real world and do research. I feel as though I have done well in this aspect that students research and use that to make products that show what they have learned. I feel that having students make a product of their learning, which I usually have hung out in the hallway, encourages students to be sure that their work is quality and drive them to make good understandings of the content so the information on their product is correct. I plan to find a way to incorporate more project-based learning into my teaching. I feel this style of learning helps push students to make more in-depth understandings and connections between the content and real life. I also feel that this style of learning is more engaging and encourages participation from all students.