Each Child is Wired Differently Mel Levine

As an educator, my goal is to prepare each and every student for the challenges that they will face in a
globalized and technology-savvy world. My role as an educator, then, is to become a mentor who facilitates
learning, fosters critical thinking, and encourages academic and personal growth through the creation of
rigorous reading and writing assignments that engage students to learn. Each student is "wired differently" and
needs both a strong individual education as well as a working foundation for collaboration with their peers
through small group interaction. In response to these fundamental student needs, I use a multi-media and
multi-modal technique within my classroom which has been highly effective in engaging students. As a
passionate and driven person who loves writing, literature, and learning, I will continuously strive to make sure
that today's young adults are prepared for the future.
Education is the most vital part of an individual's personal achievement because it allows every student,
regardless of life circumstances or previous social positioning, to have an active role in their own future.
Teaching opens doors and expands minds. My classroom incorporates strategies in problem solving and
critical thinking that allow students to access these doors and process information throughout their lives. In
addition to cognitive development, a high focus is placed on the social epistemic, which helps students to think
deeply about the world that I am preparing them for. This philosophy also lines up with that of Mike Rose, in
his study of cultural connectivity in the classroom. By allowing students to relate classroom instruction with
their own life experience, I create a classroom environment that is safe, non-judgmental, and personally
effective. This, in turn, helps students to make moral and ethical decisions both in and out of the classroom,
regarding both their lives and the lives of others.
As a teacher, I employ many different modes of evaluation to accurately assess performance and pinpoint
areas in need of improvement. Through the combined use of holistic, atomistic, rubric-based, terminal
commentary, and porfolio assessments, I gain a strong insight into both the capabilities and needs of my
students. I also highly emphasize teaching "above the bar" and beyond the achievement of standard, as I
believe that every student has the capability to challenge their own personal best and achieve anything if given
the proper motivation, practice, and encouragement. My teaching stratagem includes guiding students through
lessons that incorporate teacher modeling, peer review, and self-assessment. However, I also work closely
with the students' writing craft while they are in the process of completing assignments and creative products
that show their mastery of a given subject or unit of study. I lead by example, establishing myself not only as a
teacher, but also as a lifelong learner, both academically and within my personal life. I am deeply involved as
a productive member of society, with a personal interest in writing, musical performance and composition, and
literary analysis. I value community service in such areas as tutoring and musical therapy and I push all of my
students to strive for the same level of involvement, in order to "be the change that they would like to see in
the world" (Ghandi).
Finally, I am highly motivated, well-disciplined, and diversely cultured. I place a strong focus on the arts
and hold an honorable work ethic. But most importantly, I care about our students' successes. I am always
looking for ways to communicate information more effectively, and I involve myself in a constant process of
reflection and revision, along with professional development, in order to reach each student population more
successfully. My goal is to help each student fulfill their lives' dreams and ambitions.