As a teacher, it is important for me to have high expectations for my students and help them strive to reach their full potential. It is important to treat each student as a separate individual, and teach them according to their individual needs. I feel the main duties of a teacher are to 1) motivate students, 2) create a productive and safe learning environment, and 3) encourage life-long learning. When a teacher focuses on these responsibilities, the classroom will be held to its highest potential.
Each student is different, and as a teacher I foster and incorporate different techniques into my lessons. This ensures that I teach each individual student in the way that he or she learns best. I am aware of diversity. Each year my classroom is full of different cultures, whether it be ethnic cultures, or just cultures brought in from each home. I am able to integrate these cultures into our own personal classroom culture. I extend this culture to the parents by ensuring that they know the happenings of my classroom, so they feel welcome to visit and volunteer in the classroom. It is important that students feel as though they belong in the classroom so learning can take place.
It is essential to have a safe learning environment. In my classroom, there is zero tolerance for bullying or teasing. My students learn that everyone is different, and they should be celebrated for their differences, not put down. I run a productive classroom. I have signals and procedures in the classroom to help the students know what is expected in my classroom, and to create order within my classroom walls. It is important for students to feel safe in the classroom, and to know what is expected of them.
It is not only important for the students to learn the core curriculum, but also to learn objectives that will help them for the rest of their lives. It is important for students to realize that what they are learning is more than just knowledge that they can only use in their classroom, but knowledge that they can use everyday in or out ofschool. It is important to foster life-long learning in school. Students need to learn the core curriculum, but it is also important for them to gain knowledge of things that are applicable to life outside of the classroom.
