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I believe that an education is the most valuable thing a person can have.
It is the key to success in many different areas of life, not just in a career. It empowers an individual to overcome nearly every obstacle. Because of this belief, I will show my students real life situations where an education in history, government, and in the other social sciences will be invaluable to their personal success. I will show my students the connection between the then and now and how it will be beneficial for them to understand these connections.
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I believe every single student can learn, but that each and every student learns in a different way.
Because of this belief I will teach in many different styles, using many different tools. These styles and tools might include lectures, note-taking, activities, projects, research papers, field trips, guest speakers, interviews, videos, journals, presentations, and reenactments. It is my desire that my students be active in their learning, and these are the ways I hope to partner with each student to help them reach their full potential. I will do this by constantly looking for ways to individualize their learning experience and making modifications to my lessons to best fit each class.
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I believe that each student deserves a safe space in which to learn.
Therefore I will respect, value, and care for each one of my students. I want to meet my students where they are and get to know them as a person. I will build relationships with my students and make myself available to them to aid them in any way I can. I will support my students and do my best to guide them through not only the learning that takes place within my classroom, but also through the learning experiences they might face outside these four walls and this facility.
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I believe that education is a community responsibility.
I believe that in order for our school system to best meet the needs of each student, constant communication among teachers, parents, community members and the administration is imperative. Therefore, I will have a weekly newsletter that will be available on a class blog for parents and students to view. I will also continuously be available to parents via text and to students through email. I will openly collaborate with other faculty members at my school and be an active participant in Professional Development. I will also make every attempt to connect my students to our community by showcasing the community's history when possible. Also, I will take advantage of the valuable living history that is our older generation of community members by asking them to participate in interviews, one-on-one meetings with students for research, and as guest speakers within the classroom.
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I believe that learning NEVER, EVER, EVER STOPS.
Therefore, I will constantly be looking for new ways in which to enhance student's learning environment and my teaching abilities. I will learn about the most up-to-date, research-based teaching strategies and strive to implement them into my classroom. Especially in the social sciences, new information is always coming to light, thus I will attempt to always be learning this new information and challenging myself to become well-rounded in my own education.