Dear Parents,

I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Yajaira Martinez and I will be your childs teacher for the 2013-2014 school year. I have a Bachelor in Elementary Education from the University of Utah. Although, I have taken many classes at the university to prepare I have also acquire most of my learning through volunteering in classrooms.

I am very passionate about teaching. I value the differences in abilities that your children will bring to my classroom. I look forward in helping each child reach his or her full potential. I personally believe that every child should be given, and have the opportunity to learn and succeed. This year we will all work together to maintain a learning environment in which children and their ideas are valued. I will also teach students to support and respect each other.

My role as a teacher is to first get to know each and every child in my classroom and let them know that I welcome and respect diversity in my classroom. My role is to empower students so that they become interested in what they will be learning and to understand how the materials they learn are applicable to them in the real world. As a teacher my role is to find the strengths that each student brings into my classroom and help them develop those strengths. I will educate students through hands on activities, collaborating with peers and explicit instruction. My job is to find ways to engage and motivate students about their own learning. I will be assessing students throughout formals and informal testing. Students will be taken mandatory test, but I will also be assessing in a formative way, such as portfolios, observations and school work. My role as a teacher is to help my students set goals and give them the appropriate tools to reach their goals. I believe that each student, regardless of ability of background has something valuable to contribute to our classroom.

Parents, I wanted you all to know that I completely understand the importance parents play in childrens education. As a parent myself, I understand that we want to be aware of our childs progress, behavior and how I can be involved in my childs education. This is why I want to take this time to express to you that I truly believe that the more collaboration and participation we have from the families, the more successful we will be. I look forward to working with you and your child to achieve in their education.