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I believe that education is built on an unwavering mutual respect for all students. The teacher's primary role is to instill a lifelong love for learning. Students in my class will see learning as fun and as something in which they can be successful. Students' thoughts will be valued, their differences celebrated, and their learning individualized. Students will find me to be enthusiastic, fair, and interested in their learning.
The classroom environment will foster social and academic growth. The classroom should be a safe place, which allows students to be self-managers. Students will feel free to take risks without the fear of being wrong or looking foolish. The classroom should have systems in place that helps to micro-manage the students. Students should have access to the technology and learning materials that will best help connect them with our topic.
In order for students to put forth their best effort, they have to feel good about themselves. Developing self-esteem helps students develop the mindset that they are capable of being successful in this classroom. Each student has strengths, which the teacher should recognize and capitalize on.
The teacher needs to be enthusiastic and nurturing, so the students feel encouraged and confident. Positive management systems will help students stay within acceptable limits and follow classroom procedures. The student's role is to be an engaged, responsible, and active learner.
A classroom rich in diversity is a small-scale model of the world in which we live. All personalities, cultures, and ability levels contain something which will contribute positively to the whole group. Students will work in groups to learn cooperation. Students should be able to respect and learn from cultures and beliefs that may differ from their own. All topics in the class will be presented phenomenologically, in which students will be presented data without the teacher's bias or judgment.
Parents are the essential component of the collaborative team that is assembled to help a child successfully go through the educational process. Children learn their values from the people they respect and love. If parents take education seriously, the child will too. To help parents maximize their role, it is the teacher's task to keep the parents informed and involved. Links of communication must be constructed without interference. E-mail, phone calls, mailed documents, conferences, and assignment calendars are all useful tools to effectively stay in contact. A parent's input and expertise with their child is invaluable to the teacher's ability to make a connection.
A multitude of evaluation tools should be used by the teacher to assess a student. Some students thrive at group projects, yet do poorly at tests. By using a variety, a teacher is sure to access the learning style that is most comfortable for any one student. I've found students to make fair and valid evaluations of their learning. The result is a more accurate assessment derived from many sources. A teacher's strength is dependent on the connection they make with the student and parent. Only by working cooperatively is potential realized.