The best teachers treat students with consideration and prepare them for the future while creating a comfortable learning environment. These core values are becoming scarce among educators today but they deeply resonate with the kind of teacher that I want to be.

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       Learning is naturally accompanied with failure. Students can become so discouraged by this feeling of failure that they don’t apply their full potential and lose the motivation to learn. A teacher must create a classroom where students can comfortably make mistakes so learning can take precedence. It is also important that students gain valuable social skills during their formative years by interacting with others in the classroom. A safe environment will make students feel comfortable enough to make mistakes, ask for help, and let their personalities shine. A teacher can create this bond with their students by getting to know them personally, encouraging their efforts, and welcoming mistakes.

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       Constructivist theory has changed the face of teaching with knowledge building and creation. Students have more control over their own learning as it starts to involve interactive activities. They become the ones to make connections in their own knowledge with engaging activities instead of lectures or textbook readings. It extends past the memorization of vocabulary so information is embedded and retained better. Students learn best when they are exercising their cognitive abilities by figuring concepts out themselves and making connections.

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       This theory is in line with the 5E Instruction Model, which is intended to promote active learning. Engagement is crucial in connecting new concepts to students’ prior knowledge. It is very necessary, especially in math, where students easily become discouraged at a young age and don’t understand how it connects with their everyday lives. Connecting a new concept to a familiar one will capture student interest and prevent them from being overwhelmed by a strange new topic. Exploration allows students to take the lead in their own learning with hands-on activities. This mental stimulation and engaging activity is more beneficial to students than traditional teaching methods, as explained by Constructivist theory. Evaluation is important from a teacher’s standpoint because it generates feedback on student understanding. This helps teachers pinpoint what changes need to be made to their teaching or lesson plan. A teacher must be willing to make changes and admit their mistakes instead of continuing with the curriculum when students fail. It is their job to learn alongside their students and strive to be better.

       

       Students have different personalities, backgrounds, and learning styles so they all have different needs. Culturally-relevant teaching acknowledges that students come from different cultures and advocates that diversity should be celebrated. Classrooms have not gone untouched from racial biases throughout history. While there have been changes made to eradicate it, the effects still exist today so teachers must take that into account and accommodate every student. 

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       These principles have made clear what it takes to be an effective teacher to me. I want students to feel comfortable in approaching me, to feel empowered and capable of anything, and to feel accepted and proud of themselves. That is the teacher I hope to be.