I expect my job as a teacher to be both difficult and rewarding.

When I step into the

classroom, I will proudly and dutifully remember that I have one of the most important jobs in
the world. I will remember the vulnerable adolescent mind that I once experienced and the subtle
gestures that can make a world of difference in a students life. Not only do I have an
opportunity to inspire students, but I also have the opportunity to let students inspire themselves.
Students are eagerly waiting for a moment to shine; and, although these moments may appear in
many different formats, my goal is to give each of my students the opportunity to delve out of
their comfort zones and to realize their unique potential to grow. Accordingly, I will challenge
my students, maintaining the use of academic scaffolding to make them realize that persistent,
directed work allows for success.
I believe that students want and need their teachers to be energetic and engaging,
sensitive and empathetic, warm and strict. Therefore, I will try to encompass these characteristics
every day in my classroom. I will gauge the needs, interests, and successes of students by
provoking constant, meaningful reflections. Students will produce written reflections based on
how they see themselves in the literature they are reading, how they are evolving in their writing,
and how I, as an English teacher, can use their interests as a springboard to encourage
participation. I will take their reflections into consideration as I sculpt out each day in the
classroom.
I believe in establishing unit plans based on statewide standards in a backwards
approachthat is, filtering through established standards and developing essential
questions/understandings to drive the implementation of performance tasks and assessments in
my classroom. Therefore, my classroom lesson plans will be objective based and standard
rooted, allowing me to visualize the direction and structure that will lead to optimal student

achievement. Unit plans and lessons will be geared towards emphasizing a variety of the
Common Core English Language Art Standardsintegrating reading, writing,
speaking/listening, and language into every day tasks. Unit objectives will be clear to students
and lesson plans will reinforce these objectives by providing students with the skills they need to
complete specific intellectual tasks.
I believe in establishing a positive class environment, where students feel safe and
welcome to share their thoughts in a non-demeaning way. This environment will be essential for
students to excel in both their speaking and listening skills. To reinsure students comfort, I will
make sure that each class is aware of an established (and visible) set of procedures. These
procedures will encourage peer active listening, I messages, and respect for the opinions and
differences of others. Only through maintaining this positive classroom environment can students
begin to grasp understanding by way of classroom discussions.
I believe that in order to further implement a positive classroom environment, I must be
attentive to classroom management techniques. I will be cognizant of all that goes on inside and
outside of my classroom. I will use elements such as physical classroom space, entry routines,
and material checks to ensure that students know the standards they are held to, both
organizationally and behaviorally. I will constantly assert the importance of these routines and
consequences as a means to establishing behaviors that will be critical to higher education or
entering the workforce.
I believe that group collaboration is essential to both student understanding and
preparation for life outside of school. Therefore, I will set aside time every day for productive
and monitored group practice and discussion. I will allow and encourage students to bounce
ideas off of each other and to try to defend the meanings that they gather from the texts. I will

also encourage the sharing of writing in a group setting or writers workshop, where writers can
learn to strengthen their analysis by receiving feedback (both positive and constructive) and
adjusting accordingly.
I believe that students should be familiar with major, well known texts as well as texts
written by authors who essentially fell through the cracks of their time due to particular social
circumstances. Therefore, my class will learn just as much from the classic works of
Shakespeare, Poe, and Steinbeck as they will from lesser-known authors like Kate Chopin, Ralph
Ellison, and Oscar Wilde. I believe that the choice of text is an important aspect to promote and
engage student interest as well as to establish student autonomy in their education. Therefore, in
my class I will provide the opportunity for students to choose their own texts. This will lend
itself to literature circles, where students can choose texts and meet in groups to discuss them
throughout their reading process.
I believe that students learn in many different ways, shapes, and forms. Therefore, I will
keep in mind that there is no such thing as a cookie-cutter lesson. I will then, through constant
self-reflection and research into theoretically valid teaching approaches, provide a variety of
different strategies in the classroom. Upon assessment of student knowledge and understandings,
I will continue to keep in mind that different learners respond to assessments in different ways.
By having a varied assessment approach that allows students to demonstrate understandings in
different ways (whether it be orally, through writing and analysis, or by means of a traditional
test), I will see to it that students can thoroughly and competently express their understandings.
I believe that there are gaps in student knowledge and understandings within each class. I
will try and fill these gaps by reviewing and bridging understandings from previous school years.
By starting with active review and pointed simplicity, I will attempt to engage students who may

constantly feel bombarded with information and behind the curve. As I nourish
misunderstandings, students who already have understandings can form connections to
cumulative information and students who do not have understandings can start fresh and look
forward. As I continue to carry out the unit plan, I will build complexity and allow for
differentiation.
I believe that creativity is essential to critical thinking and problem solving. Therefore, in
the classroom, I will always be open to new ways of thinking. I will encourage students to step
out of their comfort zones, focusing on empathy and perspective as lenses into discovery. I will
build their confidence in critical thinking and problem solving by providing writing prompts that
cannot be answered simply by looking at a textbook. I will provide activities that will take
students outside of the classroomgiving them an opportunity to see how English is
applicable to the real world.
I believe that, as a teacher, I myself have the responsibility to continue to grow, both
intellectually and in the support of my students. Therefore, I will constantly be researching,
writing, and reading in order to enhance my own English understandings and to ensure that my
instruction falls in line with whatever the current, relevant standards are. To help effectively
support my students, I will always work to co-construct meaning with themwhether it be
through actively listening to their problems or encouraging them in their events, in and out of
school.
I am learning and will continue to learn that there will be challenges in translating my
written philosophy to my actions in the classroom. Indeed, the sheer number of tasks and things
to remember as a teacher can seem daunting. To overcome this, I will try to remember that I
must take things day by day. I must also remember that I have good intentions and that my

students will most likely recognize my intentions through my energy and preparation. Also, I am
continuing to realize that experience is the best practice. I may want to be a perfect teacher on
day one; however, I know that this will not be the case. I expect to spend a lifetime trying to
learn about myself, my students, and how I can best foster their love of learning.
Overall, I want to be a channel of hope for students and to create a classroom that, for at
least ninety minutes of a day, students can sit down and feel comfortable, challenged, and
valued. If I see any hints of passion in my studentswhether it be an aha moment, a smile of
achievement, or an application of some literary element to their own life, I will know that I am
beginning to successfully implement my beliefs about teaching. Of course, test scores and grades
will always remain as a numeric indicator of success. However, I want my students to see
beyond the test and beyond the grade. I want them to dive readily into a world of learning where
they can swim freely and bravely, assuredly knowing that there is ultimately a lifeguard to guide
and oversee them.