VISION STATEMENT

Stephanie Dunlap
Dr. Becker
EDUC 3320-090
October 20, 2015

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Vision Statement
Benjamin Franklin, one the United States founding fathers once said, Tell me and I
forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn
(http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/b/benjaminfr383997.html). I believe that Benjamin
Franklins statement is tremendously true for learners, especially children. As a future teacher,
my goal is to create lifelong learners. I would not want my students to take the information I
have given them and drop it as they leave my room. I want my students to take the information
from a lesson and own it. Owning information will help students recall information long after the
lesson was taught. When I become an educator, a goal is to incorporate movement within my
classroom lessons. Also, I will keep in mind the student grouping arrangements, and create
meaningful relationships with them.
Incorporating movement in the classroom has many positive effects on student learning.
Movement can be an effective cognitive strategy to (1) strengthen learning, (2) improve
memory and retrieval, and (3) enhance learner motivation and morale (Jensen, 2008, p. 60).
Every teachers goal, including mine, is to create lifelong learners. Adding movement within a
lesson creates a domino effect that helps students in the learning environment. There are many
simple ways to involve movement in the classroom that I will incorporate. I will create hand
movements that represent key points in a lesson so that students can easily retrieve the
information by imaging the movement. A common system for paring partners is numbering the
students or pairing them with their shoulder partner, in other words the person to their right or
left. Instead, will ask the students to move around the room as in musical chairs, and when I tell
them to stop, the person they are standing next to will be their designated partner for the task.
This strategy always will allow students to work with someone one different in the classroom.

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The students will be able to reach outside their normal group. Students also will have the chance
to socialize while moving around the room.
What many people enjoy the most is socializing with their peers. One way to allow
students to socialize while learning from each other, develop social and life skills, and build
relationships in the classroom is creating learning teams (Kagan & Kagan, 2009). Learning give
allow students a chance to interact with each other and learn, its a win-win for the student and
teacher. Allowing the students to engage in cooperative learning helps students get a better
understanding of the material by seeing the information from the different perspective of peers. It
also helps students develop a stronger understanding about a portion of information they might
have not understood when instruction was given. Usually, students are willing to help their
neighbors with tasks which, in time, builds relationships in the classroom. Developing strong
bonds in the classroom will create a safe learning atmosphere.
To create a safe learning atmosphere, it is important not only for the students to build
relationships but it is particularly important for the teacher to build relationships with the
students as well. Creating a trusting and safe environment where students to feel free to make
mistakes is part of the seven critical factors in the learning process (Jensen, 2008). I have learned
that having a relationship with the students is critical while I was attending grade school.
When I was in the third grade, I had a teacher named Ms. Hobbs, who had a very strong
personality that scared me. One day, when we were taking a timed multiplication quiz on our
sevens and eights, I could not answer majority of the questions on the quiz. I studied days in
advance, but I could not recall the answers, even if my life depended on it. When time was up,
we passed our papers to our group leader. As usual, Ms. Hobbs took the papers up and checked
whether everyone put their name on them. Suddenly, my name was called, although I was

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shocked because I knew for a fact my name was on my quiz. I looked at Ms. Hobbs and she told
me to go outside the classroom. Confused and scared, I went out the portables door while Ms.
Hobbs followed.
Ms. Hobbs was furious that I did not finish the quiz. She yelled and questioned whether I
thought I didnt need to study. I kept my head down until out the corner of my eye I saw students
lined up, quietly listening and watching as Ms. Hobbs scolded me. I was so embarrassed and
ashamed that tears rolled down my face while I hoped it would all end.
Students should never feel like I did after I was ridiculed by Ms. Hobbs. The brain has three
choices when confronted with overwhelming threat: We can fight, try to escape, or freeze
(Jensen, 2008, p. 72). After the unfortunate situation with Ms. Hobbs, I rebelled. I refused to
learn my multiplication tables and was discouraged, thinking I was not good at math so there was
no point in trying. Students should be encouraged by their teachers and never feel less than their
best and in order to accomplish this is to create strong, trusting relationships with the educator.
As an educator, my main focus with my students will be encouraging them to never stop
asking questions and never stop learning. I will guide and their young, fragile minds through a
safe learning atmosphere. They will not only learn from the teacher, but learn from each other
with team activities and movement in the classroom. With this, they never will be afraid to own
the information and become lifelong learners.

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Bibliography
Jensen, E. (2008). Teaching with the brain in mind 2nd edition.
Kagan, D. S., & Kagan, M. (2009). Kagen Cooperative Learning. San Clemente: Kagan
Publishing.