Standard I: Teachers are committed to students and their learning

My number one priority is my students. They are the most important part of the work that I do as a
teacher. To me, this standard speaks specifically to ones dedication to their profession and how each
teacher supports and guides their students to reach their true potential. My dedication can be seen
through my high standards and expectations, through the positive culture that is built in my classroom,
through the differentiated assignments that I create to reach all of my students, and through the
relationships that I build with each scholar in my classroom.

The first way that I demonstrate my commitment to my students and their learning is through the high
expectations that I set for every student. These expectations are my 4 Bes - Be Respectful, Be
Responsible, Be Ready, and Be Your Best Self (Artifact 1a). These are not just standards that I set for
my students, but also expectations that I set for myself as their teacher. I also teach my students these
important expectations through a creative and fun way that will engage my students in the learning
process- my yearly rap video, this years video aptly titled Everyday Im Learnin (Artifact 1b). Lastly, I
build a community amongst my students by asking them to create their own expectations of themselves
and of me. This can be seen in their beginning of semester Expectation Note Cards (Artifact 1c).
These note cards include a quote or saying that resonates with them and connects to their expectations
of the class. Students are also encouraged to bring their own identity into the classroom by creating a
presentation about their culture (Artifact 1d). Each student presents their background and heritage to
the class, which in turn begins to break down barriers and begins to create a trusting community before
we delve into more rigorous content.

Throughout the school year, students are also asked to create their own academic and personal goals.
This gives both my students and me an opportunity to reflect on their areas of growth and how they are
showing progress. This shows a commitment to their learning because it is a continuous, living
document that we refer back to throughout the semester in order to help each individual achieve his/her
potential (Artifact 1e).

Another way that I demonstrate my commitment to my students and their learning is through my
rigorous and creative lessons and differentiated assignments. First, I always have a daily learning
objective that challenges all students to learn and achieve more. Each daily objective requires students
to reflect on their learning process and the importance of learning the material. Secondly, I always
have a Warm Up in the beginning of class that pushes students to think more about a topic that
connects to the days objective. Students are required to complete this daily objective and warm up
exercise within the first five minutes of class, or as I call it our 5 Minutes of Zen (Artifact 1f). My ability
to bring peace and quiet to the beginning of class supports my students and their learning. It gives
them the opportunity and time to transition to a new class period, which in turn helps them be their best
selves. Lastly, my lessons are organized, engaging, and differentiated for the students that I teach.
Two strong examples of this can be seen in my Semester 1 Common Task that required students to
write a narrative that continued the story of a character in a text, as well as through my Semester 2
Common Task that required students to research and write an essay exploring the complexities of a
controversial issue. For the first common task, students were asked to continue the novel Night by Elie
Wiesel. Their personal narratives required students to write in the perspective of Wiesel about an act of
inhumanity that took place after the Holocaust. This gave students the opportunity to be creative in
their thinking, as well as to put themselves in Elie Wiesels shoes about an act of inhumanity that they
cared about. This assignment not only improved their writing skills, but it taught them a greater lesson
about empathy (Artifact 1g). For the second common task, students were asked to research a
controversial issue that connected specifically to their culture. For this assignment, students not only
learned the complexities of the research process and the skills necessary to find credible sources, but
also the importance of issues that exist in their home countries outside of America (Artifact 1h). Each of
these assignments demonstrates my commitment to my students and their learning, as I am dedicated
to teaching them the necessary skills while also making the work personal and meaningful to each of
them.

Lastly, I demonstrate my commitment to my students and their learning by having an unwavering belief
in the potential of each student and by building positive relationships with each child that enters my
classroom. Being committed to students and their learning is much more than the lessons that I create
and the assignments that I give to students. My deepest commitment to my students is the relationship
that I create with each of them. I constantly check in with them on a daily basis and form a connection
with my students to build that personal bond and trust. This can be seen in multiple ways throughout
this past year - attending the winter choral concert to support my students Red, Brandon, and Shamim;
attending multiple tennis matches to support my student Aarshiya; and welcoming students like Martin
and Chris during lunch and giving them a space to do work, hang out, and joke around. Three students
in particular, Moe, Kevin, and Stella, are strong examples of my commitment and dedication. Maurisio
Sorto, one of my on-level tenth graders, is someone that has failed multiple classes since the 9th
grade. Knowing that he continued to follow this trend during second semester of his tenth grade year, I
decided to meet with him after school to discuss this matter further. Per our conversation, Moe and I
came up with proper action steps that would help him improve his grades (Artifact 1i). I continue to
meet with Moe on a weekly basis to ensure that he is achieving these goals. Kevin Maeda, one of my
EL on-level students, worked hard to pass my class during first semester. Knowing that Kevin was a
former ESOL student and had difficulties with the English language, I worked closely with him in order
to help his writing improve throughout the semester. In the beginning of January, I noticed that Kevin
had missed an extra week of school after winter break. I asked Kevin where he had been, checked in
with him to make sure everything was ok, and proceeded to catch him up on his missing work. He then
turned to me and said, "Mr. Green, I got this for you." After handing me a bracelet that he brought back
from Guatemala, he said, "You're honestly the best teacher that I've ever had." This beautiful act of
generosity meant so much to me and reminded me that you never know what kind of difference you're
making (Artifact 1j). Stella McAleer, one of my tenth grade Honors students, found out that it was my
birthday in the beginning of March. After realizing this, she said to me Mr. Green, what do you want for
your birthday? I told her that I did not need anything, just for her to get an A in my class. The next day,
Stella came into class with a personalized gift for me- a painting of the stars and a spaceship with a
quote on the back saying To Infinity and Beyond, my personal class motto (Artifact 1k). Each of these
examples show my strong dedication and care that I have for my students- as scholars, as learners, as
academic achievers, and especially as human beings.