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uurlng my graduaLe sLudles, l researched vygoLsky, lageL, Sousa, 8andura, Cardner, Coleman, 1omllnson, noddlngs, and many
oLher phllosophers of educaLlon. Learnlng abouL Lhelr ldeas has equlpped me wlLh Lhe knowledge Lo make beLLer cholces as a
Leacher.
lrom my sLudles and experlence, l have come Lo reallze LhaL Leachlng ls boLh an arL and a sclence. We learn abouL all Lhe dlfferenL
chlld developmenL Lheorles, Lhe neurosclence behlnd how Lhe braln funcLlons, effecLlve sLraLegles, eLc. 1hls knowledge ls lndeed
valuable. 8eyond Lhe sclence, Lhere ls also Lhe arLlsLlc slde of Lhe professlon. ln my oplnlon, Lhe arL" of Leachlng deals more wlLh
emoLlons. ln oLher words, how a Leacher connecLs aL an emoLlonal level wlLh hls or her sLudenLs. Worklng wlLh sLudenLs on a
personal level ls more of an arL Lhan a sclence, lL lncludes creaLlvlLy, lncorporaLlng muslc, arL, laughLer, undersLandlng sLudenLs on
an emoLlonal level, and flndlng ways Lo maklng learnlng fun.
l belleve ln Lhe consLrucLlvlsL model of lnsLrucLlon. l supporL an lnqulry-based learnlng model. l flrmly belleve LhaL when chlldren
are acLlvely lnvolved ln Lhelr learnlng experlence, Lhey are more lnLeresLed and moLlvaLed, whlch allows Lhem Lo consLrucL a deeper
knowledge of Lhe Loplc. l lnLend Lo creaLe meanlngful and relevanL conLenL as well as uLlllze Lechnology ln Lhe classroom. l am an
avld proponenL of Lechnology ln Lhe classroom and l undersLand Lhe lmporLance of Leachlng dlglLal clLlzenshlp.
l wlll sLrlve Lo creaLe a classroom envlronmenL LhaL celebraLes mulLlculLurallsm, where all members feel safe, respecL each oLher,
accepL each oLher's dlfferences, and feel a freedom for expresslon. We solve confllcLs Lhrough communlcaLlon. Lach sLudenL ls a
valuable conLrlbuLor Lo Lhe classroom. l wanL Lhe sLudenLs Lo undersLand LhaL lL's perfecLly accepLable Lo make mlsLakes. 8oLh
errors and accompllshmenLs are naLural parLs of learnlng.
An effecLlve Leacher ls one LhaL Lakes Lhe Llme Lo undersLand Lhe learnlng needs of all hls/her sLudenLs whlle he/she presenLs
conLenL ln a varleLy of ways Lo meeL Lhe dlfferenL needs of each learner. ulfferenLlaLed lnsLrucLlon ls noL an opLlon buL a musL.
undersLandlng LhaL each sLudenL may have one or more mulLlple lnLelllgences ls key.
l undersLand LhaL chlldren Lhrlve on sLrucLure and rouLlnes. 1hls ls especlally Lrue for chlldren wlLh speclal needs. lL keeps Lhem
calm and focused. lL also glves Lhem a sense of securlLy. l belleve lL ls lmporLanL Lo seL clear expecLaLlons. When sLudenLs know
whaL Lo expecL, Lhey can focus on belng successful. SeLLlng hlgh expecLaLlons (noL Loo hlgh such LhaL Lhey are unaLLalnable) buL
hlgh enough such LhaL each sLudenL needs Lo sLreLch Lo geL Lhere. l supporL Lhe concepL of Leachlng up" - LhaL ls, sLudenLs should
be worklng aL a level one up from Lhelr comforL level.
l belleve LhaL beyond Lhe cognlLlve lnLelllgence, Leachers need Lo help chlldren develop emoLlonal lnLelllgence. 8esearch has shown
LhaL emoLlonal lnLelllgence can be learned. l wlll sLrlve Lo Leach core values such as empaLhy, lnLegrlLy, respecL, and Lolerance.
When l flrsL sLarLed worklng aL Lhe school a few years ago, a colleague sald, llrsL, Lhey learn Lo read, Lhen Lhey read Lo learn". 1hls
message sLuck wlLh me. lL made me reallze Lhe lmporLance of readlng and how lL ls a fundamenLal sklll young chlldren need Lo
learn. l wanL Lo lnsLlll a love for readlng ln my sLudenLs. 8eadlng aloud Lo young chlldren ls so valuable and l wlll make sure lL ls
someLhlng l do for my sLudenLs everyday.
l wanL Lo help my sLudenLs focus on Lhelr sLrengLhs and posslblllLles, raLher Lhan Lhe seLbacks along Lhe way. l wanL Lo Leach Lhem
Lo have a vlslon from Lhe sLarL - a vlslon LhaL wlll gulde Lhem Lo reach Lhelr goals. l wlll encourage Lhem Lo Lhlnk abouL Lhe person
Lhey'd llke Lo become and where Lhey would llke Lo go. 8ulldlng Lhe self-awareness and self-efflcacy ls one of Lhe hlghesL forms of
educaLlon.
l also belleve LhaL opLlmal sLudenL achlevemenL lnvolves an lnLeracLlon amongsL Leacher, sLudenL, and parenL. 1eacher and parenL
communlcaLlon ls vlLal. arenL lnvolvemenL ls essenLlal. Learnlng lsn'L resLrlcLed Lo Lhe boundarles seL by Lhe school walls, buL
raLher by places ouLslde Lhe school walls. arenLs should encourage chlldren Lo make connecLlons from Lhlngs Lhey have learned ln
school Lo everyday llfe.
l belleve LhaL Leachlng ls a professlon LhaL provldes an unllmlLed opporLunlLy for conLlnual learnlng and growLh. l undersLand Lhe
lmporLance of self-reflecLlon. lL serves as a Lool for self-dlrecLed lmprovemenL LhaL wlll gulde my lnsLrucLlonal declslons every day. l
wlll always have a growLh mlndseL and wlll commlL Lo maklng every efforL Lo become beLLer aL whaL l do. l came across Lhe
followlng quoLe ln an arLlcle l recenLly read: 8ecomlng an experL Leacher ls noL a glfL besLowed on a chosen few.buL a [ourney
Lhrough a challenglng, Lhorny paLhway LhaL requlres consLanL prunlng." l'm ready for Lhe challenge lndeed!
LasLly, l don'L wanL Lo be [usL a good Leacher, lnsLead, l wanL Lo be Lhe klnd of Leacher LhaL sLudenLs never forgeL. l wanL Lo be Lhe
klnd LhaL leaves a permanenL and poslLlve lmprlnL on my sLudenLs. My ulLlmaLe goal as an educaLor would be Lo lmplanL a love for
learnlng ln my sLudenLs, Leach Lhem Lo have a lmmense hearL, moLlvaLe Lhem Lo dream blg, and focus on Lhelr sLrengLhs unLll Lhey
Lhemselves belleve ln Lhelr poLenLlal.