I believe that inside of each child that there’s a unique individual that yearns to learn. Each student, no matter their background or prior experience before entering your class, presents a unique challenge. Upon their teacher is bestowed a responsibility given to very few within our society. That responsibility is to provide a secure, caring, inviting, and inspiring environment where youth are given the opportunity to advance in their development toward becoming complete emotionally, intellectually and socially productive adult members of society.
My goal as an educator will be to guide students down a path where they’re learning in an environment that enables them to meet their full potential. My role as a teacher will be to facilitate that development by creating and maintaining a learning environment that encourages the intellectual exchange of ideas. To meet these ends, I’ll act as a guide and role model to my students, to foster curiosity, to encourage students to explore new topics, to broaden their horizons, and to impress upon them that respect for everything around you is an integral part of life.
I believe that a teacher’s role is to provide students with access to the information that is necessary to think critically, solve problems and guide them as they learn to apply that information to various aspects of study and life. For a teacher to succeed, it’s important that they not only give their students the best opportunity to access the information, but also to draw meaningful connections between what’s being learned in the classroom and how it will serve them outside its doors. It is my belief that a teacher has a fundamental responsibility to devise ways in which students can learn the required material while applying the teachings practically.
Getting to know your students and developing aspects of the curriculum that cater to their interests (and various learning styles) is a great way to capture their attention. It also allows them to develop a sense of ownership over what they’re learning. It’s my belief that this will also serve to help the teacher integrate elements of current teen interests into their lesson plans, thus keeping the material both educational and fresh. Education is fundamentally about discovery and it’s my hope that I’ll succeed in exposing students to ideas that peak their curiosity and get them thinking about the world around them in different ways.
I believe that establishing community within the classroom from the outset of the year is one of the most important challenges for any teacher. To establish this type of community, it’s important that teachers make it clear to students that respect is of the utmost importance and that any deviation from this principle rule will not be tolerated. Students must also understand the importance of accountability and learn to take responsibility for their actions and accept the resultant punishment if the rules are broken. Developing a learning community where students feel comfortable expressing themselves is the key to developing a productive scholastic dialogue between the students and the teacher.
I believe that teaching is at its base, an opportunity to play an integral role in the development of a community. Teaching provides the opportunity to be a life-long learner, as it’s important to always strive to improve your craft. Throughout my career, I aspire to take my love of learning and pass that passion on to my students, as I continue to learn everyday alongside them. It’s said that teaching is a vocation rather than simply a job, and it’s my belief that it requires passionate, understanding and dedicated people who long to work with those that will shape the next generation of citizens. Teaching is about making the extra effort to help your students advance themselves on a day-by-day basis.