It is my belief that all children have the potential to learn.

All children are unique

and have different learning styles. I want to be able to reach out to each and every one of
my students to ensure they walk away from my classroom having learned something that
will stay with them permanently. I want to be able to do more with my students then just
have them rely on rote memorization to pass a test. How will I do this? As Charlotte
Danielson says, A good teacher or an effective teacher must determine the purpose of
the instruction. The teacher should also have a deep understanding of the content in
order to find ways to engage students in that content. My vision is to know the content
Im teaching extremely well so that I may effectively deliver to my class. I would have an
extensive range of strategies and activities planned to address all types of learners. For
any grade level I would be teaching, I would find ways to bring lessons to life to help
make the content relevant to what they know. I would explain the content clearly and
provide detailed directions for any activity. If I noticed my directions werent clear or the
students seem lost with the directions, I would find a different approach to clarify the
concept. Teachers need to find ways to make the content challenging and more rigorous.
My lessons will be prepared and presented to meet the diverse learners in my classroom. I
will have a clear goal for the instructional purpose of the lesson. The student learning
objectives will be clearly explained to my class. The instruction would have to be clearly
and accurately communicated to achieve the desired outcome. I would incorporate
questions and have discussions that would engage students in a higher level of thinking
that would go beyond what we learned in class. It is not enough to tell the students what
they will do during the lesson. They also must know what they will learn as the result of
the activity or task planned to meet the instructional purpose.
Communication between teachers and students helps to establish the type of
student-teacher relationship that is expected in the classroom and beyond. The teacher
has to communicate the rules with the students so they are aware of what is expected of
them. Students must be able to feel safe in school at all times. When a child feels safe
they will be able to contribute to the learning process. The ideal teacher should create a
safe learning environment for risk taking. Teachers can create a safe learning
environment for risk taking by letting all students speak and allowing them to ask
questions without fear of being ridiculed by the teacher or other students. Teachers have
to be passionate towards all their students and treat them all in a fair manner. All of my
students will be treated as people. All children have to know they are respected and they
must also know they have to give respect in return. I hope that if I have a student in my
class that doesnt show respect towards others, and myself, I can be that teacher that
guides this child in the right direction. I want to be able to provide a lasting, learning
experience for all my students. I think this will begin with my respect towards my
students and their return respect towards myself. It is crucial for a child to be able to trust
his or her teacher. I want to be that teacher the students feel comfortable with
approaching and trust that I am there to help them be successful. It is also important to be
very supportive of the students while challenging them to learn through exploration of
creating new ways to solve problems. I hope to always be there for my students to
encourage and motivate them to be high achievers. I want to be able to help my students
discover their strengths and inspire them to take challenges. The teacher cannot let
children slip through the cracks. We have to be there for them and support and challenge
them to master the concepts. We can never give up. Students must be encouraged to have
perseverance when learning gets tough to achieve mastery. The teacher must encourage
the learning potential of all students. When we prove our confidence to our students they
can become confident in themselves and will take pride in their accomplishments. We
have to offer praise and even reteach sometimes. I want to be the teacher that helps all
children find ways to learn and master the concepts to be successful.
A teacher must possess strong classroom management skills. The teacher has to
create rules and establish routines that will be followed on a daily basis to ensure
organization. These rules and procedures should be thoroughly explained on the first day
of class. The procedures of the classroom must be explained at the beginning of the year.
They would have to know how to behave during transitions. This would be evident in the
classroom rules. The teacher might have to remind students of what is expected on
occasion to eliminate chaos. When the rules and procedures are clearly communicated
there is less chance of instructional time being lost. Students take an active role in the
operation by following the rules. Students should be provided with clear guidelines to
know how they will work independently or in groups without constant supervision. They
follow the rules because they understand the consequences of what might happen if utter
chaos occurred during the instruction. The directions must be clearly explained to
eliminate confusion. When passing out papers, the students should know that doesnt
mean its time to talk. When collecting materials the students need to know where to
place the materials and how to do so in an orderly fashion. Students have to be given
clear directions for completing activities or learning will not occur. Students cannot learn
in a chaotic environment. The students can be involved with making the rules. This will
ensure they understand the rules and consequences of what will happen if they do not
comply. There are times where the entire class might suffer the consequences of the class
breaking the rules. To eliminate this, students work together to make sure everyone
follows the rules. The physical environment of the classroom should be considered to
enhance learning experiences. I would want to consider how I arrange the furniture in my
room. If I plan to do a lot of group work, I would set the desks up so the students are
facing each other. I would want to maintain a neat, clean, and organized classroom. I
would also include bright colorful welcoming posters. I believe the classroom should be
set up in a positive manner that the kids find to be fun and are eager to learn. I want to
spend my time teaching and less time figuring out how to deal with disruptions.
Students have to be engaged in the process of learning to make it meaningful. It is
not enough to just lecture and expect a child to learn something. The child has to be able
to do something with that learning. It has to be more than a worksheet. They have to be
using their brain to be intellectually engaged. They should be able to make connections
from what they are learning. The lesson has to be structured in a way that the student
does more than just listen. Higher level of thinking requires the student to create
something new with what they know or have learned. Perhaps the lesson might have the
students engaged by thinking of a hypothesis then sharing with the class or writing an
essay. In order for them to be engaged intellectually there has to be a focus. We have to
find ways to spark the curiosity of the students to increase engagement. This might even
be done through offering them a choice on a topic they will further explore. One of the
trends in education today is a lot more group work. Through group discussions students
can explain their hypothesis to each group member. These discussions can lead to a
deeper understanding and begin to challenge students to explain their thinking or question
others thinking. A good way to have students begin to think about their thinking is to
share their ideas among each other. An effective teacher will find strategies that require
students to think deeper than what they already know or have been taught. The teacher
should touch upon the surface keeping it relevant to the topic, but provide the students
with rigorous tasks and activities that go beyond the basics. When the teacher has the
student take charge of the learning it challenges them to think about their learning and
keeps them intellectually engaged.
The teacher needs to be aware of the differences in learning styles with the
students. All children learn differently. It is important to get to know your students early
on so you will know how to effectively teach. An effective teacher will find a way to
meet the diverse learning needs of each student through a form of assessment. The
teacher should use informal assessments as well as formative assessments frequently to
make sure the students are on track. Through this approach the teacher can determine if
they need to reteach a lesson, change the pace, differentiate instruction of the lesson, or
make it more challenging. The teacher should provide timely feedback to the students to
help them know if they are on track or what they need to improve. Teachers should not
wait until the end of a unit or lesson to ensure learning. This will never give the child
ample time to receive feedback to give them room for improvement. Teachers can use
exit tickets to check for understanding at the end of the day or lesson. We can have
students keep track of their own learning by maintaining a data notebook. This way they
can document what they learn as they learn it. Furthermore, they are able to identify their
own strengths and recognize their own learning needs by monitoring their own learning.
Students should also be encouraged to provide each other with feedback. Often times
students can learn more from their peers because they are able to break it down more on
their own level. Peer feedback is helpful because students typically value each others
opinions and ideas. Effective teachers have to make modifications as necessary to
enhance student success. It is my goal to always monitor my class for understanding and
make changes as needed. I might have to modify my lesson for one student, a few
students, or half the class. Whatever the case may be, I will make sure that I can make the
necessary modifications to ensure all my students are learning. Some may need extra time
to complete an activity, a different book, or some may have fewer items to complete. I
might even need to change the way I teach my lesson. This might be done through using
technology or providing the information one on one to the student. If all else fails, it
would be wise to involve the parents in the process. Parents know their child better than
anyone. Getting them involved can help provide ideas to effectively teach their child.
Every child is capable of learning. It is up to the teacher to provide the necessary
resources to ensure all students are successful learners. When designing the lesson, the
teacher must consider the diversity of learners in the classroom. The only way the lesson
can be delivered successfully is to have a way to include all students in the learning
process.
Teachers often become involved in the professional community in one way or
another. The teacher might engage in the professional community in the school by
attending school board meetings regularly and speaking about issues of the school. Some
teachers are part of the parent teacher organization. Other teachers take leadership roles
in sporting activities such as soccer, basketball, baseball, and football. Teachers are often
on some sort of a committee within the school, district, or outside of the school. Some
teachers take on leadership roles to make education improvements. They see firsthand
what happens in the school and classrooms and can offer input for improvement. In the
elementary schools, teachers often communicate with members of the community for
educational purposes. They might set up field trips such as to the local fire department,
museum, or zoo. By becoming more involved with the professional community, the
teacher can better understand and address students needs more. Effective teachers must
be able to work together and contribute to the school. The main focus is on the students.
Collaboration is so important when working with other teachers. You can share practices
with one another. They can also discuss ways to improve their teaching skills to help
students maximize their achievement. Teachers must collaborate for the benefit of the
students and to provide support to the school. Learning does not stop when a teacher
earns his or her degree. The teaching world changes constantly. An effective teacher
should attend conferences as often as possible or join professional organizations to stay
up to date with changes and find new ways to teach. Teachers have to remain active
learners to bring in new ideas to the classroom. Taking additional classes to help stay on
top of things is another way to stay informed. The teacher should always have the
students best interest in mind. We must support and guide them to achieve their full
learning potential. Students look up to their teachers. We should always offer them
positive encouragement and be a good role model. We must always present ourselves in a
professional manner inside and outside of school.