Coming from a low income background has taught me many things, and is what sparked my interest in teaching. Up to my junior year in high school, I did not think going to college was a possibility for me. However, thanks to a teacher who showed me that with hard work and a growth mindset anything is possible, I was able to believe in myself and get to UT Austin. Thanks to my past experiences, I hope to take what I learned to create an equitable classroom environment where a growth mindset is fostered. I believe that by doing this, all students can succeed.
The hard thing about teaching is that no one student is the same as another. They all bring into the classrooms different experiences and cultural backgrounds and as teachers we must be aware of this. One can only create an equitable learning experience by understanding where our students come from. All the great teachers I have met have had one thing in common, they were aware of the cultural barriers brought by students. They worked hard to understand what knowledge their students brought from home, and what knowledge may be lacking. I believe that by understanding where my students come from, I can better design lessons that can be relatable to students while encouraging them to continue learning.
It is also important to foster a growth mindset in my students. Growth mindset is shaped by experiences. By challenging students through coursework I hope to help them see that their abilities can be developed and are not fixed. I want them to see that anything is possible with hard work, and help students have a positive outlook to what they can accomplish. This can help them not only in their school career, but also in their life outside of school.
I am also a strong believer that the classroom should not only teach students content, but also have students think about their possibilities after high school. I realize that many students, as myself in high school, may not be aware of the opportunities available to them to continue their education after high school. I hope to serve as a role model for students and encourage them to continue into higher education if that is their wish. This could be done by providing resources such as lists of scholarships for all kids of students and information on programs available to them.
As a STEM teacher, I am also committed to use all the previous tools to make students confident about their place in the science field. Science can be overwhelming at all school levels, and can keep students from feeling encouraged to pursue STEM majors after high school. Through my classroom I want students to gain critical thinking skills and apply those in every assignment so that they can see themselves as future scientists.