The interwoven passions I have for education, social justice, and mental health shape my philosophy of education, which is rooted in relationships, understanding, and open-mindedness. I believe that students can learn to their potential if they feel welcomed, supported, and loved, and I am strongly committed to creating these spaces and places so that I can help my students not only master curriculum material but grow as people outside the four walls of my classroom as well. I will work hard to define a positive school experience for my young students and I hope to inspire and instill a love for learning in them that will last a lifetime. I think it is so important that I build strong relationships with every single one of my students and create a family-like environment where students feel confident to try new things and ask questions. I intend to do this by setting firm expectations and encouraging students to be kind, caring, and thoughtful to one another. I will lead by example while still learning and growing with my students every day. My goal is to engage my students every day and challenge mainstream pedagogy by introducing new ways of knowing, being, and doing. I believe in educating students about critical social justice and I hope to introduce my students to guest speakers and role models of many different representations. At such a young age, creating these frameworks will pave a path for students to be open-minded changemakers who can stand up for what they believe in. In my classroom, I will prioritize equity and I will take the time to learn about the needs of my students so that they can reach their full potential. I hope to instill a growth mindset in my student’s minds and facilitate a learning environment where they feel “failure” is a part of the process. I think that every single student brings something special and unique to the classroom and that as a teacher, I can learn something from each of them. As I move forward to becoming an educator, I recognize that I am in a position to change childrens’ lives, and in turn, change the world. I will not take this responsibility lightly and I will be open to learning and growing every day.
