As a teacher, I feel that it is my responsibility to create a classroom environment that is positive, welcoming, safe, fun, and respectful. A classroom in which the learning is centered around the student is essential. If you walked into my classroom, you would see students working with one another and achieving learning goals through individualized methods. You would hear me asking students questions that begin with the words “how” and “why”.  When you would walk into my classroom you would feel a sense of community that is welcoming to all.

Building relationships with my students and their families was something that was very important to me when I started my long-term substitute position in the middle of the school year. My goal was to have ongoing, clear lines of communication from the beginning in order to avoid misunderstandings with parents. I kept time informed about classroom news and included them in school happening so that they felt like a part of the team. I would send pictures to each parent/guardian through dojo of things that their child was doing in class, I sent home weekly newsletters and also would send home positive notes. I quickly realized that I gained the trust of parents and they were very supportive and understanding as time went on. If there was ever a problem or if a parent wanted to discuss a serious matter I always made sure that there was a phone call or a professional email sent.