Children come to teachers hoping to gain the knowledge they need for life.  These children are individuals with unique characteristics.  It is because children are different that adults need to be flexible and clear when presenting the information for life.  Enthusiasm, knowledge, instructional strategies and motivation techniques will help students enjoy their learning experience.  Throughout the year I will employ a variety of activities, groupings, and learning assessments to engage my students.

Students learn best when they are intrinsically motivated.  This can be brought to the surface by engaging the students in different activities and preparing lessons in which they have an interest.  Students do not need to be told what to learn, they have the amazing ability to discover their learning.  I will use extrinsic rewards to help students learn my expectations and gradually lessen these and incorporate more intrinsic, non tangible rewards, to model real-world situations.

Parents are an integral part of the learning process. Students need the support and interest of their parents, which teachers must help foster by  including parents in the process.  Communication is essential for students to be successful in their learning.  Parents can become active participants, direct supporters, or guest teachers in the classroom.  I will foster communication with all parents by: checking my email daily and responding within 24 hours, keeping my website updated, using the student agenda, creating newsletters, posting student grades weekly, being available for meetings during my prep time, before school, and after school, also contacting parents when a situation merits it.  I expect parents to also make communication a high priority and contact the teacher as soon as they see a situation that needs to be addressed.  By working together, and using the communication tools above, we can help students achieve success.

Students need to feel accepted as they are, before they can truly enjoy the discovery of learning.  They need to know they are safe and can feel relaxed when they come to school.  Students need to learn: academic and social skills, citizenship, problem solving, decision-making and the ability to function in society.  I believe education must encompass all of these characteristics.  To do this I want the students to feel: trusted, cared for, listened to, important, capable, and believed in.  These must be apparent or the learning will never begin.  In my classroom I will model acceptable behavior and manners.  I will have high expectations for myself and my students.  I will listen, encourage, cheer, redirect, and laugh  with my students.

Education is about students, teachers, and parents.