Mrs.

Lamp’s Promises to Students

I promise to respect and value all that you bring to the classroom (in the form of languages, cultures,
interests, hobbies, personal backgrounds/stories, etc.).

 In order to do this, I will try to get to know you so I can learn about your stories and try to relate
your life and funds of knowledge into the lessons/content.
 Valuing and respecting student’s funds of knowledge are top priorities of mine and are
supported by the research of Hall, et al. (2017) and Paris (2012).

I promise to be real with you by giving you all the knowledge and advice I have to offer, while also
being honest when I do not know something.

 In order to do this, I will teach you in ways that suit your learning needs and answer all
questions even if my answer is “I don’t know, but I can try to find out!”
 Being real with students is an important part of facilitating learning and is support by the works
of Philip (2019) and Studer (2019).

I promise to provide you with resources and materials that will help to support you, whether school
related or not.

 In order to do this, I will be here to talk, email, or video chat when you reach out to me, whether
it is about something personal, my own class, or a different class; I am here to be a trusting
mentor for you throughout your high school years.
 Providing a variety of resources can greatly benefit students and show that I care, as supported
by Eisner (1985).

I promise to encourage you to think critically, articulate questions, and reach conclusions on your
own.

 In order to do this, I will prompt you first with guiding questions and background information to
get you thinking critically so you can formulate questions of your own to reach your conclusions.
 Encouraging higher order thinking is a crucial aspect of educating youth and is supported by the
research of Wiggins & McTighe (2005).

I promise to put the time and effort into lesson plans to make the topics fun and engaging.

 In order to do this, I will assess all that you bring to the classroom to make our classes fun, by
means of material that is relatable and useful to you.
 Lesson planning with funds of knowledge in mind is a great strategy that should be implemented
in every lesson, which can be inferred from the works of Kumashiro (2015).

I promise to uphold the same rules and expectations that I have of you.

 In order to do this, I will follow the same guidelines that I have laid out within the syllabus and
model my expectations I have of you.
 Modeling expected behavior is a strong ideal I have as both a parent and an educator and can be
supported from Taylor & Nolan (2008).
I promise to keep learning how to better teach you and this course.

 In order to do this, I will not only assess how you’re learning but also how I am teaching you, as
well as check in with you on the tools or strategies that are working well and the ones that
aren’t.
 Continually learning and assessing myself as a teacher is of major importance to me and is
backed by the findings of García (2008) and Picower (2011).

I promise to care about you.

 In order to do this, I will check in often about your lives both inside and outside of school to see
how was your big event/visit with family/etc., and be there physically to support you and cheer
you on when you take part in school functions.
 Caring about my students is a major priority that I plan to actively demonstrate and can be
backed by the work of Studer (2019).

I promise to always believe in you.

 In order to do this, I will strive to ensure that in addition to being cared for, you all feel like you
belong and that you can do anything you put your minds to.
 Believing in my students is critical to fostering a welcoming classroom community and
facilitating students to learn & succeed in an anti-oppressive/anti-racist environment, as
supported in the findings from Paris (2012).