As a kid, I have always been the one that wanted to play house and school. I would be the one that would be the teacher and try to come up with games and activities that my classmates would do when we played. I was the one to volunteer to hand out the papers or walk something to the office or anything that the teacher needed. I think that this came from the fact that my mom was a teacher and always taught me to help others whenever I could, and always do it with a smile on my face. I think that the lessons that she taught me when I was younger, have brought me to where I am today and why I have chosen to be a teacher. Helping someone understand a problem and organizing activities and events is something that I find a lot of joy in doing. I know that I was meant to help people and to work with people, especially the youth. Child development is so important in their youth ages and to be able to help kids develop and teach them how to become caring, independent, and intelligent adults will be the best reward of teaching. I know that if I am able to help at least one child in my teaching career, I will be satisfied. I know that I will do everything that I can to create a fun and safe learning environment for all the students that will come through my classroom. I think that everyone deserves to be heard and loved and I have so much care in my heart for any child that decides that they want to come to me with anything.
Putting the kids first and believing in them is the reason I will be an effective teacher. The essential characteristics of an effective teacher, according to Melissa Wells and Courtney Clayton in the Foundations of American Education: A Critical Lens, are that we admit our mistakes, respect students, and be prepared. These are very important when it comes to teaching a group of kids because they deserve your full attention and effort during the school day. Wells and Clayton also mention that as a teacher, we are expected to be role models within and beyond the classroom. This means doing more for the kids than just teaching them reading and writing, but understanding them and building relationships to make every kid feel that they are seen and special. I think that my strengths as an educator will be that I care for kids very much and that I am able to create a positive and fun environment for everyone. I want to get to know every individual child and know their needs and how I can keep them comfortable in my classroom.
I know that I am able to be positive, fair, and compassionate, and cultivate a sense of belonging no matter what. I know that it will not be easy to admit when I have made a mistake, but it will come with time. It is important to be vulnerable and teach your students that it is okay to be vulnerable. This is how to create a positive environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing in and taking risks. I know that some days will be better than others and more positive than other days, but that is when you learn and challenge yourself to create some energy for your class. That type of energy will be very difficult to create and maintain throughout the day and how to not carry that with you into the next class.
Going along with creating a safe environment for students and getting to know them is how you become a culturally relevant teacher. Being a culturally relevant teacher means that you teach through and to the students and realize that every student brings a deficient experience and they all have a different background. This is how you will create a feeling of community in your classroom. Using inclusive language and basing material on real-life experiences and situations can also be an example of being a culturally relevant teacher. The importance of knowing your classroom culture and the demographics of your classroom helps you create your plans and topics of discussion. If you know that your students celebrate Hanukkah and not Christmas then when it is the holiday season, be sure to include books and materials that display both Christmas and Hanukkah. The students will feel loved and that they are being seen and celebrated for their culture and it points out that not everyone is the same and that is okay. Being a culturally relevant teacher is one of the most important things that you can do to make an impact on a child’s life. I hope to soon touch the heart of at least one student in my years of teaching and know that I can make a difference in someone’s life.
