I believe that education should be approached one child at a time in small, personalized settings, with the goal of creating self-actualized, lifelong learners. To do so, teachers must begin by building relationships within the classroom, school, and surrounding community. Students must be presented with relevant material, work, and projects, using authentic assessments to measure learning. Learning should be rigorous, in the sense that students strive for excellence in all they do.
I believe that, within this educational philosophy, it is the teacher’s duty to be a mentor, an active facilitator of learning, and to encourage student growth and independence, both within and outside of the classroom. Students should be made responsible for their learning and their work.
I believe that, to create a relevant and rigorous curriculum, teachers must know their students and must draw from a variety of interdisciplinary resources. Students should be actively engaged in a variety of learning tasks, including group work and discussion, and should be given work that is meaningful and real.
I believe that, as an educator, it is my duty to help students realize their full potential as self-actualized, lifelong learners. In doing so, relationships, relevance, and rigor come together to create a learning environment in which students can not only succeed, but excel.
