The authors of this article, 4th grade and 6th grade teachers at Castle Rock Elementary School in Colorado, describe their efforts to engage their students in learning. Morgan recounts a math lesson in which he confirmed that 4th graders sometimes need extensive preparation and support to translate their impressive insights into the written word. Odom tells how she used cartoons in her classroom, drawing on her 6th graders' sense of humor to engage them in reading and writing. The authors point out the common thread in their narratives: Although their students differ in maturity, they all need "to be appreciated and accepted, to feel safe, to have fun, to feel that they're in control, and to feel competent enough to take risks and learn."