I embrace teaching as an opportunity to inspire and empower my students. I use the passion that I have for educating young children, and the genuine love I have for all of my students to inspire them to continue learning, to become educated and to embrace the concept of learning. Ideally, I would like to change the lives of my students. I want them to leave my classroom with the necessary knowledge to build on the basic concepts that they will learn in my class. I want my students to feel good about their education. I do not want any student to feel left behind, or to feel like they cannot do it and feel like giving up. I want every student in my classroom to feel that they have the ability to become anything that they want to be. I want to motivate my students to work together and to take responsibility of their learning; I emphasize the importance of group work, of asking each other questions and, most importantly, learning from one another. I believe that every student has the capacity to learn, as long as they are taught in an environment that suits them— it is important that I embrace the diversities of my students and allow them to ask each other questions about each other’s differences in order for them to understand. I want my students to leave my classroom with open hearts and minds and an accepting attitude of other’s differences. It is important to me to look at the education of my students through a sociological lens; I understand that children have different education experiences due to their race, gender, or socioeconomic status and that I must modify my teaching to fit their needs.

            I believe that it is crucial to understand the importance of not only teaching your students, but learning from them as well. I go into every classroom with an open mind about the completely new set of students. I choose to take an active role in getting to know my students on a personal level, and allow them to get to know me on a personal level. I believe that this makes it easier to relate to my student’s lives, and it allows my students to relate to me, as I relate to them. I find that when students recognize that I am only human, they begin to respect me on an entirely different level. I gain respect for my students from learning about their life; their past experiences, their families, their group of friends, and what they do outside of schools. I make myself emotionally available to my students, making it clear that I not only care about their learning, but for them as human beings.

            I think that it is important for myself and fellow teachers to understand the responsibility of our occupation. Teaching is a privileged position that demands humility as much as respect. It is crucial that teachers recognize the power inherent in their role and are self-reflective about their actions. I believe that teachers must realize the impact they are having on their student’s lives, especially when teaching elementary school. I strive to give my student’s the tools to become successful learners throughout their entire lives.