DEDICATION TO EXCELLENCE

My classroom will be dedicated to excellence. Excellence to me isn't straight A's. It is understanding what had been taught and applying it to the world. Excellence is trying your best, even if your best will never be an A. My students will know that I wont except anything other that their best. I want my students to leave my class having a great work ethic and a great attitude towards any kind of work. A dedication to excellence means setting a standard, or something t strive for everyday.

UNDERSTANDING

I think that what people seek most out of life is to be understood. In my classroom, understanding and compassion will play a big role. I will not allow any bullying or aggressive behavior. I will have strict rules and punishments for students who don't show teachers and fellow students the understanding that they deserve. I will never raise my voice at a student, there are better ways to handle things. I believe that fairness and understanding go hand and hand. If a teacher doesn't display fairness in everything they do, students notice and they will say something. I want to understand my student's backgrounds and to understand what makes them who they are today.

SMARTBOARDS

I love the Smartboard and so do children! A Smartboard provides an interactive learning experience for children of all ages. Smartboards are white boards that are touch sensitive and connect to the internet. There are free learning games found on the internet specifically intended for the use with a Smartboard. I visited Brazier Elementary in Eight Mile, Alabama and their classrooms had Smartboard technology. I could tell that the children counted down the hours until it was time to use it. I can't wait to use one in my classroom. They are way better than chalkboards!!!

CULTURAL ACCURACY

When I say 'cultural accuracy' I mean that I am going to get to know my students and teach them in the way that is best for them. I am going to make visits to their houses and get to know them and their cultures. Students shouldn't have to learn from their teacher's background, they should learn from their own. I am also going to analyze the curriculum that I am given to teach. There are institutional practices in place that actually keep some people from learning. I am going to make sure that I am not teaching from the dominant perspective. Cultural accuracy means more than celebrating Cinco de Mayo or the Chinese New Year. It is about including your students culture in every part of the curriculum.

COMMUNICATION

Communication is a vital part of a great learning environment. I believe that it is a teacher's job to stay in constant communication with their students, parents, faculty, and administration. One way a teacher could do this is to start a classroom blog. Here they can make posts about what is going on for the week, the main topics the students will be learning, and any notifications or school bulletins. A class blog will keep everyone informed. I believe that communication in the classroom is key also. I will always left students ask questions and go over concepts or directions that they are unclear about. Personally, I love blogs. They can be interactive and show creativity. Blogs have no age limit. I am going to encourage each of my students to blog!

RESPECT

I think that respect should be the number one priority of all teachers for their classrooms. It really is true that you have to give respect to get respect. I am going to show my students that I respect them as people and as a part of our learning community. I students to not only respect me, but also their fellow classmates. I don't want anyone's learning to be affected negatively by their classmates. I will come up with a set of rules for our community that will enforce each student's individual rights.