I believe that teaching is truly one of the
most important callings a person can have, we have the chance to look into the
eyes of the future generation, to tell them that they are important, and to
help shape them academically and emotionally to go out into the world and do
great things.
I believe that teaching is more than an 8
to 5 job; teaching is a full time commitment not only physically, but also
emotionally. I believe that teaching is a two-way street in which we not only
teach our students, but we are also constantly learning from them as well. I
believe that as teachers we have the commitment to know and understand our
content, but more importantly to know and understand our students as
individuals.
I believe that children do not do the
majority of their learning through rote paper and pencil drills, but rather
through their day to day experiences and interactions with others. With this in
mind, I most certainly do not believe that learning should be a drudgery or a
chore for students, but rather something that they learn to love and
appreciate, thus encouraging a lifelong pattern of learning. Their younger
years are the time to encourage children to be creative: creative in their
actions, creative in their thinking, and most importantly creative in their
learning.
I believe that a classroom should not only
be a place of safety, but also a place of happiness. Amid their learning,
children should be able to be children and to laugh, and to play, and to learn
as such. Students, through the use of active learning, technology, hands on
projects, and group work, not only have the opportunity to learn the necessary
content, but also to explore the world around them in fun, engaging, and ever
changing ways.