Sarah Wynns

Vision Statement
Teachers might be the only stable adults in a childs life. One in which they see everyday

and have the ability to make an impact on their lives. Maya Angelou states, This is the value of

the teacher, who looks at a face and says there's something behind that and I want to reach that

person I want to call out that person who is behind that face, behind that color I believe you

can do it, (Tucker & Strong, 2005). As a teacher, I want to touch the lives of my students by

utilizing my skills as a teacher, representing myself in a professional way, and incorporating

strategies and lesson essentials into my classroom to make it a productive environment.

Skills a Teacher Should Possess: As a teacher, there are several different qualities I should

uphold to make my classroom a productive learning environment such as communication,

professional development, and encouragement. I strive to make sure my students know what I

expect of them from the first day, along with their parents. Because the teacher is a compelling

communicator, students begin to appreciate the importance of expressing their views clearly,

this allows for intellectual discussion and clearly stated opinions in the classroom. (Texas

Teacher Proficiencies, 1997). Furthermore, I should uphold professional development by

engaging in an exchange of ideas with my colleagues and encouraging feedback from them

(Texas Teacher Proficiencies, 1997). This will help me grow into a more effective educator.

Lastly, I want my students to be encouraged from the moment they step foot into my classroom.

As the facilitator of learning, the teacher models and encourages appreciation for students

cultural heritage, unique endowments, learning styles, interests, and needs, (Texas Teacher

Proficiencies, 1997). Welcoming differences and encouraging the use of my students skills and

talents will create a positive environment and allow the students to grow as a class.

Classroom Strategies: According to Kagan, there are seven keys to successful cooperative

learning, (2009, pg. 5.2). As a teacher, I strive to implement each of these into my classroom in
 Sarah Wynns

order to create the best possible learning environment. There are three main keys that will be

included in my day-to-day activities. The first is the implementations of structures throughout

my teaching that are, content-free, repeatable instruction sequences that organize the

interaction of students to implement the basic principles of cooperative learning, (Kagan, 2009,

pg 5.3). Ensuring that I utilize these structures, my classroom will have organized interaction

focused on the content. The next key I find important is social skills. This key is used anywhere

in the world for a job, buying items, or even in the students house. In my class, I want my

students to break out of my structured social skills and learn to interact with each other in a

productive manner. The last key I will promote are the basic principles of PIES. I believe these

are important because When these four principles are in place, all students cooperate, take

responsibility for their own learning, pull for their teammates, become actively engaged in the

learning process, participate often and about equally, and accelerate their rate of academic

achievement, (Kagan, 2009, pg. 5.9).

Lesson Essentials: As a teacher, I believe there are several aspects of a lesson you should think

about when lesson planning. The first is the role of physical activity in the classroom. According

to Jensen, research found that exercise improves classroom behavior and academic

performance (2005, pg. 72). This proves my statement that, even if for just a few minutes

between lessons, an effective teacher finds ways to incorporate movement and exercise into the

students days. The last quality I believe every classroom should have is organization. In some

childrens lives, the school is the only stable environment they have and keeping your lessons,

papers, and general classroom neat can help create a positive and professional environment. A

messy classroom leaves room for chaotic students to leave their items everywhere, and this

distracts them from learning.

 Sarah Wynns

In conclusion, there are several crucial factors I will consider when developing myself as

a teacher, my classroom, and lesson plans. Teachers should possess qualities such as,

communication, encouragement, and professionalism in order to create an effective learning

environment and impact the students. The students should acquire skills I help them build as a

whole such as, structures, social skills, and PIES. Lastly, my classroom should be neat and

organized while including movement to engage the students on another level.

 Sarah Wynns

References
Jensen, E. (2005). Teaching with the brain in mind (2nd ed.). Virginia: ASCD.
Kagan, S., & Kagan, M. (2009). Kagan cooperative learning. San Clemente, CA: Kagan.
Learner-Centered Schools for Texas, A Vision of Texas educators. (1997). SBEC publication.
Tucker, P. D., & Stronge, J. H. (2005). Chapter 1. The Power of an Effective Teacher and Why

We Should Assess It. Retrieved February 26, 2017, from

http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/104136/chapters/The-Power-of-an-Effective-

Teacher-and-Why-We-Should-Assess-It.aspx