Becoming a teacher has been my dream since I was a young child. Whenever I was asked what I want to be, the answer was always a teacher even when my peers answered things like “hero,” “fireman,” or “princess.” Why has this always been my dream? I want to help people. I know that teachers make a difference in the lives of their students. I also happen to be pretty good at teaching, too.

 

As for my pedagogical beliefs, I very much lean toward a project-based approach. I am very fortunate to work in a place that has offered me training in Project Based Learning (PBL) which shifts the focus from teacher to students. I help guide students on a path toward an end product and they take more responsibility for their learning. Through PBL, students are learning multiple standards at the same time in a more “real world” way. This approach has also fit in well with technology integration. I have adopted a blended classroom setup that allows students to work at their own pace and have access to a ton of resources.

 

I also believe that a teacher must be flexible. This means flexible with content schedules and with students. I have learned very quickly that things come up that disrupt the plans for the day. For example, I know that long division can be tricky for students, so I might have to stretch that lesson out for a day or two more than I planned. This is because the students’ needs come first, and I have to be flexible enough to push back the next concept until students have a firm grasp on the current concept. Flexibility is also required for students because they are all individual humans with their own needs. I don’t believe my classroom could function at all if I treated every student the same. Some students will need me to be firmer and more structured than others. Sometimes students just need to take a break before they get to work. People’s needs must be considered for optimal learning to take place.

 

In my classroom, I put relationships with my students first. I think it’s incredibly important to remember that, at the end of the day, they are just kids. I teach them so much more than math or reading. I have made it a priority to get to know my students and have conversations with them that have nothing to do with school or assignments. What I have found by doing this is that my classroom culture improves, and students perform better on content. Feeling safe and loved is what a child really needs. If they constantly feel stressed or on edge, what I’m teaching them won’t register. I also let students know limited information about myself so that they can feel connected to me. They have to spend seven hours a day with me after all. If a student accidentally calls me “mom,” I consider it a success because they are trusting me and becoming more comfortable asking me things.

 

At the end of each day, I measure the success of my classroom by the growth of my students and the way they are talking about school. Of course, I conduct formative and summative assessments to track students’ growth, but I also formatively assess the social interactions and success of our classroom. A great deal can be learned from a short conversation with students at recess.

 

I love teaching and I’m looking forward to being in the field long enough for my students to come back and tell me about their goals and progress.