The purposes of education are many, but I feel particularly called as a

teacher to help to shape future generations of lifelong learners. The

task of educating oneself cannot be completed in a mere 12 or 16
years, and I hope to spark curiosity in my students that leads them to a
lifetime of exploration and self-improvement.
As far as the type of teacher I am and strive to be, I find that my
guiding philosophy can be described in three parts.
The core of my teaching, of course, is what happens in my classroom
on a daily basis. I strive to make learning not only relevant and
rigorous, but also fun. My sense of humor and ability to create a strong
rapport with my students is not only essential to who I am as a
teacher, but also supported by research about effective teaching. After
all, I must connect before I can correct. I also have a strong passion
and enthusiasm for teaching English, which extends far beyond my
love of 20th century poetry or contemporary fiction, and even into the
realms of grammar and punctuation. I find that I am also most
effective when I cultivate in my students a growth mindset showing
them that risks, challenges, and mistakes are part of learning, and that
viewing a skill like writing as inherited or innate prevents us from
achieving our potential. Finally, I strive to make all students feel
included in the classroom and school community. I am especially
attuned to the needs of students who have been traditionally
marginalized in educational settings. Providing curriculum that reflects
the diversity of our modern world is key, but also the way I work to
honor and respect all students experiences and paradigms. The study
of literature teaches us empathy for our fellow human beings, and it
should provide all students with mirrors that validate their own
experiences and windows into other worlds and other ways of being.
Secondly, I am passionate about the art and science of teaching. An
effective teacher must not only possess strong interpersonal
communication skills, but also a background in solid pedagogy. Just as
I want to encourage my students to become lifelong learners, I, too,
consider myself a lifelong student of the craft of teaching. I became
aware very early in my teaching career that my undergraduate work
alone would not be enough to support me through a lifetime of
teaching. I have sought many post-graduate development
opportunities, taking courses in everything from teaching diverse
learners to using technology effectively in the classroom. I have read
extensively the works of Paolo Freire, Carol Dweck, John Hattie, Robert
Marzano, Jim Knight, and many of the great minds of educational
theory today. Applying theory to my practice, combined with critical
self-reflection, has helped me to refine my practice and increase
student achievement. This is my lifes work: continuous reflection,
research, and revision of the practice of teaching.

My third guiding principle is of the importance of community. Too long,

teachers have worked in isolation, unwilling to change or share. I
believe that to be the most effective, I must collaborate with members
of my own department, but also teachers in all disciplines and in
schools outside my own. I find myself frequently having conversations
with my colleagues only to find that we are all trying, regardless of our
subject area, to teach the same essential skills. If we work together to
achieve these goals, our effectiveness is multiplied. Collaboration can
be challenging, though. When we put students at the center of our
conversations, as the reason for all our decisions, it is inevitable that
we may have to have difficult conversations about areas where our
practice has become ineffective. These conversations must be highly
professional, and I find that one of my strengths is to take this criticism
seriously, but not personally, to the point that it poisons my
relationships with colleagues. As I often tell my students, the process
of learning is often difficult and uncomfortable, but we must take these
moments as opportunities for true growth.
Teaching is an optimistic endeavor, but I am far from a romantic
idealist. By combining my natural abilities with a desire for constant
improvement, I not only find fulfillment and renewed energy for my
work, but also the ultimate satisfaction of doing what is best for my
students. When I see them learn and grow, I know that I am making
progress toward becoming the kind of teacher I want to be.