My goal for teaching is simple. Every student is capable of learning. If students are given a healthy environment and presented with multiple modalities in which to grasp information they will be able to interpret the information that is being given to them, and expand upon it. It is also my belief that positivity is a culture that can create intrinsic characteristics in students promoting growth from inward. As a first-year teacher, I wish to develop life altering relationships with my students that will leave lifelong impressions on their lives. I hope to develop critical thinkers through creative curriculum that allows them to be able to compete in the global society. I have committed myself to this responsibility by ensuring that learning is fun, practicing what I preach, and keeping high expectations of every student that I come in contact with. I will make learning fun by tapping into students’ interest, and expanding upon those interests. Long after the final exams I wish for my students to have the ability, knowledge and attitudes to become active participants in their learning. It is my hope that they would be able to regulate their emotions, communicate effectively and develop healthy social and professional relationships.
If all of my students don’t understand something then I feel like it’s not beneficial to any of us to move on. They haven’t learned the skill either because they couldn’t grasp or I need to find another method to teach it. This is important to me as a teacher but not only that as a human. Often times, lessons haven’t been learned and people move on because that’s what they’re told to do. I refuse to be that teacher that isn’t giving my students what they need because the district feels they need to learn a million things in 9 months. When I have my small groups, I know that I am able to push my agenda further by focusing on those skills that I know my students are lacking and those are the basic foundational skills. I know that students can’t get further in anything if they don’t understand the basics. They’ll only end up even more lost.
My approach to classroom management will be proactive. Beginning on day one, I will lay everything out on the table so that my students were aware of my expectations. When students have a clear understanding of what is expected there is little room for error. When issues do arise, I will always revert back to those initial expectations, and reinforce the area in which the issue occurred. It is my belief that all students want to do the right thing, and when they know exactly what is expected they strive to achieve those expectations. They don’t want to let down the people that they care for. I am a person that they care for because from day one I showed them that I cared about them. Overall, my teaching goal-summed up is to give students the best possible chance to become who they are capable of becoming using the humanistic approach as an avenue to achieve that vision for themselves.
