Brianna Walsh Educ3320-040

Vision Statement
What does it take to be a good teacher? That is a very important question because there
are so many answers. Everybody has their own opinions of what makes a teacher great including
me. To me a teacher is passionate and a role model, which are a few reasons I aspire to be an
educator. Starting out I never enjoyed math, I did not understand it nor did I have a teacher who
cared enough to help me. That is until 8th grade when I met the most amazing woman I have
ever met, Mrs. Lawskowski. It was her first year teaching and she had the passion and drive to
make sure each and every one of us learned the information. And for once in my life, instead of
being the dumb one, she actually helped me realize my potential. Unfortunately, after her class I
went back into the same pattern of having teachers who didnt have the passion or drive to make
sure everyone was understanding the material. I dont want my students to go through school
without learning and reaching their full potential. When I decided that I would take this path, I
swore to myself that I am going to be there for my students and do whatever means necessary to
help them succeed.
Upon arriving at Tarleton State University, I realized that math is my true calling and to
teach it has become my dream. I want to be that person to all of my students, the one that allows
them to discover their potential and their drive to accomplish their goals. I do not want my
students to have that same experience I had because it was not that I was bad at math, it was that
the majority of my classes were not learner-centered. I plan to make that difference in my
classroom. It is extremely important that we make school all about the students, since they are
our future. When we let them down, we are letting ourselves down as well. We as teachers are
always learning, we will forever be students just as the ones we are teaching in the classroom. As
found in the Texas Administrative Code of Ethics, it states The educator shall be of good moral
character and be worthy to instruct or supervise the youth of this state. We must remember it is
possible that we could be the only role model in their lives or one of many, either way we still
must always strive to be our best. We can do that by continuously learning and growing with
help from our students. I truly believe that, though I have learned a lot going through school
there is still so much we can still learn from them. We can make our students better but they will
also make us better people also.
Among being a good person and being passionate we must also have the necessary skills
to be able to lead a classroom full of students. One of the many skills we must have in our
toolbox is the ability to use technology. In a time where the majority of people are now attached
to their phones, computers and gaming consoles we must now learn to use these different tools to
better our classrooms. It will help the students stay engaged and focused on the lesson, while also
giving them a break from the normal notes and worksheets. Another skill we need is to be
organized, being organized allows for us to keep up with all the paperwork and things that we
accumulate over time. If teachers were not organized, we would not accomplish very much. In
addition, with these two skills, we must also exhibit a strong working knowledge of subject
matter and enable students to better understand patterns of thinking specific to a discipline
(Texas Education Agency1994). That is why it is vital for a teacher to possess these skills along
with numerous others.

Brianna Walsh Educ3320-040

Lastly throughout this statement I have touched base on the idea that it is important to
always be learner-centered. After all, like I stated earlier, our students are the future of our
country. With the change in technology and science we must be able to continuously grow to
make sure our students are remaining engaged and focused in the classroom. Being learnercentered means that we will be able to optimize the learning capabilities of our students. All of
these skills, qualities, and ideas help make up what a good teacher should be composed of. We as
teachers will always have to be on our toes and never stop learning and changing because we
cannot allow our students to also fall into a pattern and give up or lose interest in the things that
are important. Your experiences and the actions you take can lead to changes in your brain.
These changes, in turn, change you (Jensen 2005).

Brianna Walsh Educ3320-040

References
Agency, T. E. (1994). Learner-Centered Schools for Texas: A vision of Texas Educators.
Retrieved from http://www4.esc13.net/uploads/pdas/docs/LearnerCenteredSchools.pdf
Jensen, E. (2005). Teaching with the brain in mind. Alexandria: Association for supervision and
curriculm development.
State, T. S. (2010). Texas administrative code of ethics and standard practices for Texas
educators. Retrieved from http://info.sos.state.tx.us/pls/pub/readtac$ext.TacPage?
sl=R&app=9&p_dir=&p_rloc=&p_tloc=&p_ploc=&pg=1&p_tac=&ti=19&pt=7&ch=247&rl=
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