The Rights

I see you are brave enough to join the revolution. Your bravery will be rewarded.

As promised, here are the 10 most important rights that need to be implemented to foster the best education available to students.

1. I will remember that my students are individuals deserving of a quality education. This means taking the time to learn about all of my students and accepting them as individuals. This includes their background, family life, beliefs, customs, and language.

2. I will create lessons that are relevant to the lives of my students. When the material is relevant students take an interest in the lesson. When students are engaged with the material they are motivated to learn, understand, and share their knowledge. Only then can real learning can take place.

3. I will use multiple modes of teaching to foster the most beneficial learning environment for all students.

4. I will incorporate modern technology in my classroom in order to allow students the ability to use prior knowledge and to hone the skills that will be necessary to my students in the future while they attempt to thrive in a technology driven world.

5. I will encourage my students to take pride in themselves, their beliefs, their families, their customs, and their language as well as anything else they think makes them a unique individual. In the same regard, I will teach them about code switching in order to help them best adapt to an outside world that isn't always so accepting of individuality.

6. I will not teach for a test. A test does not show real learning. It simply shows that students are able to retain information and regurgitate it on paper. I will be certain that students are learning the concepts necessary in order to perform well not only on these tests, but in the real world. They will become thinkers with an active voice and a valid opinion.

7. I will help students whose first language is not English to use their primary language as a means of developing competency in English and to use this competency in all curricular areas.

8. I will incorporate materials into the classroom that do not perpetuate the stereotypes of any individual or group whether it be race, gender, religion, etc.

9. All students have the ability to learn and should be granted the opportunity to do so.

10. I will use my position in the culture of power to allow those without access the information necessary to thrive in modern society.