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Phia Harris

SED 464

Anthony

9/3/2020

As an educator, I am responsible for raising the children of the future. I cannot and do not

take on this task alone; I belong to a community that involves administrators, parents,

counselors, other teachers, and other essential resources. It is through this community that I teach

students the necessary skills to not only do well in school, but to be successful and thrive in their

future lives.

School is for much more than just learning how to read and write, what students learn in

school can and should be applied outside of the classroom. The purpose of education is to

prepare students to be functioning, contributing members of society. Through the lessons I teach

and the activities I create, students develop critical thinking and interpersonal skills. These are

necessary skills students need to progress through life. Critical thinking and interpersonal skills

are especially important in the globally connected world that we now live in.

It is my responsibility to help my students develop the essential life skills previously

mentioned. I do this by creating a classroom environment that is inspiring and facilitates

learning. To create an inspiring classroom environment, I develop caring relationships with my

students; I make them feel valued. I recognize that each and every student that walks into my

classroom is an individual that needs to be supported, listened to, and entertained. I tell them that

failure is okay and I celebrate every attempt they make when learning.

The most important role of a student in education is to be themself. A student should not

have to hide or be ashamed of who they are, especially in the environment where they learn. If a
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student has a disability, I will provide accommodations for them and will listen when they tell

me what they need. As someone who has anxiety, I am especially sensitive to students who have

trouble with speaking in front of the class. I know from personal experience that these kids need

to become more familiar with presenting and take small steps to overcome their anxiety. Anxiety

comes from the unknown, so practicing and gaining experiences is the key to surviving and

thriving with anxiety. I acknowledge the diversity of my classroom and work to incorporate the

various identities of my students into my lessons. I want students to learn about the people in

history that look like them and have accomplished great things. No matter what students look

like, think like, or act like, I want to show them that they can achieve their goals. I want students

to walk into my classroom and feel like their identities are something to be celebrated!

I collaborate with my surrounding community to help my students develop the necessary

skills to be successful, in whatever way is meaningful to them. I work with my fellow educators

to learn more about my students and develop more effective ways of engaging and supporting

them. I bring the community into the classroom by having guest speakers when appropriate. I

have a list of resources that my students can access independently, without having to tell

anybody. Students may fear judgement and not seek help because of this fear. This list contains

community resources that will guide students to the place where they can address the issue they

are facing.

Education is a team effort. No one is alone when learning. The student is supported by

the teacher and the teacher is supported by the community. To be successful, I need to be open-

minded, empathetic, commanding, and caring. These are the skills I use, along with my

community connections, to teach my students how to thrive.