As a teacher and a person, I see myself as a life-long learner. My goal as an educator is to help students position themselves as life-long learners, too. I believe that all students possess valuable knowledge and experience that their teachers and peers can learn from. This belief is why cultivating a classroom environment that challenges students to be active leaders and learners is a priority for me. My teaching is centered on the idea that we are all works in progress who have great potential for growth. During my time as a student teacher, I discovered that there must be trust and vulnerability in order for students to take on these roles as active leaders and learners. Strong relationships between students and teachers depend on trust and vulnerability.

     To effectively build trust and create a safe space for vulnerability, I work at letting my students know I am invested in them, their education, and their development. I value my students and their contributions. I take the risk of being vulnerable with them first and becoming more and more acquainted with the student and their goals. Practically speaking, this looks like learning names early and using them often. This looks like providing a platform to students to share their goals and interests so I can tailor my teaching to what they want to learn and what they care about. This also looks like being honest and real with my students about challenges I have faced as a student and a teacher. I am eager to work alongside them and share my writing and ideas. When students see their teacher display a willingness to share themselves with their students, they will recognize the classroom as a place they can be vulnerable, make mistakes, and grow. They will embrace challenges head-on. This is critical in any classroom, but especially an English Language Arts classroom where students are encouraged and expected to share their personal writing, discuss their ideas, and defend their interpretations. 

     I believe effective teaching values student choice. When students are given a voice and a choice in the classroom, they have the opportunity to take ownership over their education and develop as leaders and learners. One way choice can be extended to students is through providing options on assignments and assessments. Another form that student choice takes is having students participate in the formation of classroom norms. These are all applicable methods of engaging students in a learning environment that gives them the freedom to pursue an education that is personally meaningful to them. 

     As students navigate their development, I believe it is of the utmost importance to support them through the promotion of a growth mindset and a strengths-based approach to classroom leadership. It is inevitable that students will encounter hurdles personally and academically and their responses to those hurdles shape who they become. My role as their teacher is to help them confront the roadblocks by creating an atmosphere that celebrates students’ progress just as much as the product of their work. I desire to demonstrate to students that the richest learning happens when we embrace the struggle. 

     Part of that struggle occurs not only in the learning of our content, but in our personal interactions as well. In moments when students make poor decisions, my goal is to encourage them in separating their negative choices from their identity and show them that they are more than the mistakes they make. I believe this approach gives students the ability to see themselves as capable of making new and better decisions that reflect who they truly are and who they want to become. The journey my students take to become active leaders and learners is incredibly important to me. This is ultimately why I teach-to play the role of encourager, supporter, and challenger in the lives of adolescents by allowing my classroom to be a place for students to try and fail, explore and grow.