As a future educator and child life specialist, I believe the development of strong relationships with children and their families are imperative for optimal communication.  I believe that parents should be the child’s primary teachers.  Educators and child life specialists can enhance and promote what is being in the home environment with effective communication and collaboration.

            Effective communication is necessary for student’s success. It is a must to have open and honest communication with the parents. I feel that I can be an effective communicator, in my classroom, by using a variety of approaches. I intend to make phone calls to parents and send home notes to discuss a student’s progress/successes or areas of important or concern. For example, I will make a phone call to every parent in the first week to give positive feedback about their child.  Another example is sending positive notes home throughout the year. This newsletter will provide updates on the various classroom happenings, as well as, information about any upcoming events. An example might be, parent volunteers are need ed to help with the Halloween party. I believe that this is a good start and will take communication to another level. Parents are likely to help out and be more receptive when they already heard from me in a positive manner.  I will have a resource center in my classroom for my students, and their parents. I n my classroom I will have pamphlets on everything: local area food banks, tips on head lice, abuse hotlines, clothes, mittens, jackets t is important f

            My second goal is to promote diversity in the classroom. This includes everything from religious preferences, cultural traditions, multiethnic groups, and disabilities. Diversity has a special place in my heart. I was born with multiple birth defects, and always considered “different.”  Children in elementary school and even in upper elementary school would tease me because I wasn’t exactly like them. I had scars that were visible and I was in a way an outcast.  In regard to religious and ethnic differences, I will celebrate and educate multicultural my students on a variety of holidays: Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Martin Luther King Day.  I will ask one student per week to bring in an article in relationship to their heritage and explain it to his/her peers.  I want my students to be proud of who they are, and where they came from. I will invite a speaker or parents of the students of other religious backgrounds to speak.

            I want to foster an environment where students are encouraged to speak, and share their ideas. I will encourage my students to believe in themselves and make steps forward to pursue their dreams by point out their positive attributes rather their mishaps. My Johnson, my 1^st grade teacher was very supportive and inspiring.  She was a teacher who helped raise my self –esteem and inspiring confidence by her warm smile and caring hug.

            In think it is important for students to work with all other students in their classroom. The “lower” kid shouldn’t always be “grouped” together rather than on ability mixture would benefit all students. Also, mixing gender groups can benefit students because they are exposed to other student’s thoughts and ideas.  The golden will (Please treat other kids the way You want to be treated) will be apparent in my classroom through posters, and skits. It is important that I have a trusting relationship with my students. I want students to feel like they can open up to me about any situation that they may be facing, whether at home or at school. If I think that a child has a problem, I will deal with it accordingly in a sensitive and compassionate way.  As an educator and child life specialist I will help children reach their utmost potential in life.

Children learn by example.  Much of their behavior by copying others and having role models upon whom to base the way they behave. While watching T.V., listening to radio, and watching aggressive adults as they encounter many negative role models. Adult role models can be a powerful, positive influence upon a child as it learns to socialize and to behave responsibly. If they see the adults behaving aggressively they learn that it is acceptable to be aggressive.  As teachers, we should be positive role models to our students every day. They watch us and form opinions about us. The way we speak with our colleagues, the way we dress, whether we are punctual to class, etc. Children observe how we handle aggression, calm the tension and respond under threat. Being role models to our students is something that we can do something about. Working with other teachers and other professionals towards this goal builds a great relationship for everyone! Being a good role model to the families is essential because it promotes respect, trust, sensitivity, and honesty.

Thoughts of Ms. Finch are what come to mind when I think of second grade. That year was a long stale year. We changed seats, and had the same routine every single day. She was the teacher that should of retired thirty years ago. She stuck by the same notes every year, and was not creative in her teaching style.  For that reason, I did not feel motivated to learn as much as other years.

Teachers can encourage creativity in many ways. Teachers need to set a clear purpose for student’s work. Teachers should look for opportunities to promote creative responses in your existing methods of work and lesson plans.  Teachers should to be clear about students freedoms. Teachers should express a range of learning styles, from experimentation and problem solving, role-playing, visual materials such as diagrams and cartoons, small group discussion and most of all collaboration. Most of all, teachers inspire students imagination through other learning experiences. They use stimulating starting points such as artifacts, problems, stories with human interest, topical events, and also have them bring in their personal stories. Also, provide students to be able to work with creative people. This is were the collaboration comes into play teachers should tap into the creativity of other teachers, staff, parents and the local community

Ms. Triplet, the most  spunky, upbeat, creative, favorite teacher my lifetime.  Remembering when all my fellow peers received a hundred percent on their spelling test, Ms. T would stand on her head!!!  She brought learning to a new level, a spark of fire she of creativity into our imagination daily!

Teaching is an art of reflection.  As a teacher it is of greatest importance that we scrutinize and manage our utmost efforts, as well as adapt and revise our mistakes.  In order to meet the demanding needs of students, teachers must have deep seated knowledge in their areas and be willing to modify their practice.  It is vital to collaborate and ask for reflection from fellow teachers. I also believe that great teachers should passionately uphold perspective in the face of challenge, operate with a positive attitude and a sense of possibility, exhibit self-awareness and compassion to others.