I believe that the ultimate purpose of school is for students to reach independence.

It is
teachers responsibility to ensure that their students no longer need them by the time they are
ready to graduate. Teaching students how to read, write, speak, solve math problems, etc. are all
basic skills that are preparing students for the real world. Subjects that are taught in school,
especially English and Math, are essential skills for living and surviving in this worlds economy.
I also believe that incorporating technology into lessons is crucial for preparing students in the
21st century. Now that jobs are sparse, students need to learn how to think creatively and
originally in order to achieve secured jobs that will still be there in the future. These jobs are
facilitated with the use of technology, which is why technology fluency is an essential skill for
students to develop. It is my duty as my students teacher to build these skills in ways that my
students will understand and are relatable to their own lives.
I strongly believe in the concept of challenging students. Challenging students at the
realm of their instructional level is crucial at fostering student learning and maintaining
motivation. It will be necessary for me to gather baseline data and use both formal and informal
assessments to discover where each of my students instructional level exists. I will use this data
to set goals that are challenging, yet are still within the students capability. Expectations that are
set too high may frustrate students and decrease their motivation.
I think teacher-modeling is an extremely effective strategy of teaching content to
students. Many students need more assistance than solely being given directions or told an
explanation. Examples help students see things clearer (either visually or mentally) and are
beneficial when something is difficult to express into words. As models are something that
personally helps me learn better, I will be sure to include them as a regular facilitator of my
instruction. I also find the use of manipulatives and using creativity to encourage student interest
in subjects by teaching something old in a new way is an important value of teaching. This
may include using music, illustrations, poetry, etc. into lesson plans. It may also involve using
technology elementssuch as GoogleDocs, blogging, podcasting, video-making, and connecting
with people around the world. Technology provides an immense, never-ending source of
information that can be accessed in a fraction amount of time compared to other means. I also
believe in supporting the values of Howard Garners multiple intelligences theory. All students
vary in their area of intellect and impose their own strengths and weaknesses. Students will be
given various opportunities to apply their own personal area, or areas, of strength. This includes

giving students choices, which will not only motivate students, but also works toward the goal of
students reaching independence. As their teacher, I will recognize and celebrate the many areas
of talent that my students exhibit and will value their uniqueness.
I believe it is very important to use multiple means of assessment to ensure validity and
reliability. I understand that some students are not the best test takers and benefit from being
given alternative assessments to express what they know. For example, I have witnessed one
student during an assessment circle all happy faces to make true statements just because he
seemed to like smiley faces. This was not an accurate measure of the students knowledge of the
content and he would have benefited from an alternate assessment. These assessments could
include a written response with a rubric, drawings, or making an audiotape or video. These kinds
of assessments are especially beneficial to English Language Learners and students with
disabilities, and will be utilizing their strengths for efficiency.
I desire that school is a positive place where students feel comfortable and dont arrive
every morning with the attitude that they only come because they have to. I want to do
everything I possibly can to make learning enjoyable and valuable in their everyday lives. One
thing I really want to encourage in my classroom is journal writing, either on paper or through
blogging. Writing is a crucial skill that every student must learn to master, and in much of high
school and college years writing is spent writing bland research papers and persuasive essays.
Before this happens, I want my students to hold an optimistic attitude about writing and
emphasize creativity. I think journal writing is a good way to introduce this because it exercises
writing skills, helps students reflect on the days events, opens communication between student
and teacher, and can be therapeutic. Another way I want to foster a positive learning
environment is to help my students become aware of the cultural diversity and/or disabilities that
may exist in or outside of school. It is important for students to be educated about these
differences so less biases and discrimination persist, and will influence their attitudes when they
are older. One of my goals as an educator is to teach my students to be accepting of one another
and I think the first step is to address the diversity. I will educate students more about it and
remind students that everyone has differences that contributes to their identity and makes them
who they are. My Culture/Language Diversity class has strongly influenced my belief in this.
One of the factors that come with teaching is reflection. Learning about teaching is an
ever-going process; there are always ways to modify a lesson to make it more effective. My goal

as a teacher will be to constantly gather my thoughts and evidence that I have received from
teaching a lesson and analyze my approaches. Even the most experienced of teachers still learn
something new about teaching, so as a new teacher I will be prepared to have a lot of thoughts
and data to collect and reflect upon.
Obtaining a strong education is one of the most important characteristics that will affect
students in their future. As the saying goes, you can lead a horse to water but you cant make
them drink, students must develop their own motivation in order to succeed in school. They
will ultimately decide their fate, but it is my duty as a teacher to foster that motivation and
encourage them to take the most out of learning in school.