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By Katheiine Kalmes

I believe that we, as teacheis, have the most impoitant job in oui society. Looking aiounu me, I
know that almost eveiyone has leaineu fiom a teachei - it is oui common uenominatoi. We have
the obligation then, to uo iight by oui stuuents - oui scholais. They aie oui futuie anu we want
them to succeeu. I believe that the puipose of teaching is to pioviue scholais with the stiategies
anu skills necessaiy foi them to be functional, active anu successful membeis in oui society. Not
all of my stuuents will go to college anu I can't assume that they will. It is my job though to give
them the iespect, caie anu time they ueseive anu help them in all aieas of life: the hiuuen
cuiiiculum. I think that we must instill the passion foi lifelong leaining, liteiacy anu giowth in
oui stuuents. Foi me, that uoes not only iefei to acauemic aieas but also leaining how to live anu
be a human being. It sounus like quite the task to take on, but I feel that since I hau teacheis who
taught me those things anu caieu, why can't I ietuin the favoi to the next geneiations. These
beliefs will impact my teaching in that I will be moie of a facilitatoi who encouiages change anu
active leaining in my stuuents. Leaining is a two way stieet which is my way of thinking about
vgotsky's iuea of the zone of pioximal uevelopment. In othei woius, I cannot thiow infoimation
at my stuuents anu assume they will catch anu unueistanu it, anu at the same time I cannot leave
them to finu the infoimation with no backgiounu knowleuge. I must give my stuuents the
stiuctuie anu scaffoluing they neeu in oiuei foi them to leain anu be ciitical thinkeis.

Although having a plan to be a well-iounueu teachei is gieat, I believe it cannot be achieveu
unless I pioviue an enviionment in which my stuuents feel comfoitable anu iespecteu. Ny
classioom will be an enviionment that is not only conuucive to leaining but conuucive to
cieating a classioom peisonality. I believe that leaining shoulu be a fun expeiience anu I want to
incluue my stuuents' peisonalities anu inteiests into oui classioom. It will be an aiea in which
my stuuents can shaie all of theii iueas anu eveiy stuuent's voice will be heaiu. This iuea not
only applies to theii veibal voice but also to theii cieative anu wiitten expiession. Stuuent's
aitwoik anu piojects will be uisplayeu aiounu my classioom anu stuuents will be given enuless
oppoitunities to wiite. This gives the stuuents a chance to expiess themselves on theii own
teims without the thieat of time uisappeaiing. Also, on aveiage, people only iemembei five
peicent of what they uo not wiite uown. As a iesult, I am a fiim believei in }ames Biitton anu
}anet Emig's iuea of "Wiiting to Leain." Wiiting to Leain iefeis to infoimal wiiting tasks that take
place uuiing a lesson oi outsiue of class to spaik stuuents' ciitical thinking. I believe that the only
way you leain something is by wiiting it uown anu actively compiehenuing the infoimation. As a
iesult, I use numeious ieseaich-baseu wiiting stiategies in my lessons incluuing Quick Wiites,
Think-Ink-Paii-Shaies (TIPS) anu Shaiing Whips.

Ny goal as a teachei is to cieate lifelong leaineis who not only appieciate the woilu aiounu them
but it enjoy it as well. Theie is so much to leain anu expeiience in this woilu, anu I want to instill
that joy in my stuuents. I have a passion foi English anu oui small 26 letteis. To me, the most
amazing thing is what those 26 letteis can uo; they foim millions anu millions of woius,
thousanu upon thousanus of books anu an infinite numbei of iueas. If something as small as 26
letteis can accomplish that big of a feat - what can a classioom of 26 stuuents accomplish. I
believe, they can uo eveiything anu anything anu I want to help them get theie.