TO LEARN: The main goal of any school is for their students to learn. Parents send their children to school to gain more knowledge and teachers learn the curriculum themselves in order to turn around and teach the information. Yes, I work day in and day out so that my students learn to read more complicated text, write creative stories, and be able to work their way through math problems that challenge them. I spend countless hours planning lessons that engage my students, differentiate their assignments so that each child is learning at their level, and reflect on their assessments to figure out what I can do to reach them better. There is no doubt that learning is an important part of my teaching. But for me, the learning doesn’t stop at the academics.

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In my classroom, we learn to be compassionate, we learn to be kind, we learn to be respectful, we learn to be empathetic, we learn to be friendly, we learn to be helpful, and most importantly, we learn to be good people. When my students leave my classroom, not only do I care that their knowledge has grown throughout the school year, but I am equally as passionate that they have become better people along the way. My goal is to make a difference in this world, and I truly believe that difference begins with the children in our classrooms, the people that they are now and what they may grow up to become.

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TO LAUGH: One of my passions in life is having fun. I love to make people laugh, and I love to be around those that make me laugh so hard that I can’t breathe. The silly personality that I have in my every day life spills over into my classroom. I make jokes, speak in funny voices, and play games with my students. I do not want them to think that learning is a boring, daunting task. I want school, and especially my classroom, to be a place that my students want to come to everyday. My goal is for them to wake up everyday and be excited to come to school because they know that they will enjoy learning and the tasks ahead. I truly believe that if kids are having fun, then they will learn. I also truly believe that if kids are having fun, then they will like being around you. It is important that I am likeable to my students because as Rita Pierson says in her TED Talk, “Kids don’t learn from people they don’t like.”

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TO LEAD: The mission of the school that I currently teach at is “Growing Great Leaders”. The culture of my school is one that guides students to do the right thing without being told. This is something that I strongly believe in as well. I don’t view a leader as someone that necessarily is in charge of a group of people. I more so see it as someone that does what is right, whether someone is there to see it or not. I instill in my students that any positive choice, big or small, makes you a leader. Whether a student decides to pick up trash off of the ground, help a friend in need, or do something huge and world-changing, they all can make choices that would classify them as a leader. I am passionate about teaching children to be a leader, in order to make a positive impact on those around them. Whether that is their friends, their family, their classmates, or even something bigger than they can imagine, I want to instill the confidence in themselves that they are capable of doing what is right.

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TO LOVE: Above all other things, I want my students to know that they are loved. I want them to come to school, knowing that there is someone that will greet them with a smile and is glad that they are here. I want them to know that there is someone that is constantly cheering them on and wanting the best for them. I want them to know that there is someone that will give them a big hug if they are having a rough day, or a pep talk if they are feeling unsure of themselves.

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On the last day of school every year, moments before leaving my classroom for the summer, I tell my students that even though they will no longer be in my class and I may not see them every day, that I am always rooting them on. I tell them that if they ever need anything at all, whether it is next year, five years from now, or ten years from now, that I am here for them. I still make sure that I greet former students with a huge smile and a tight hug. I know that above the math and reading, above the laughter, above doing the right thing, what they will remember most is that their teacher saw them and cared about them. That is what matters most of all.