We were all children once, and as an educator I never allow myself to forget this. As we march through our education, it’s easy to lose the empathy that was once so easy to give to a fellow classmate about the late homework assignments or chattiness that could land them in trouble. In acknowledging the importance of empathy with my students, I’ve been able to create classroom communities where students feel valued as equals and where conversations are founded on mutual respect in both my student teaching and substitute work.
Prior to beginning my master’s program, I set goals for myself regarding my growth as an educator dedicated to collaboration, equity, and curiosity, which are detailed below. These goals, which I created during the application process to the program, served as a foundation for my graduate studies and continue to evolve as I gain new insights from my coursework and classroom experiences.
Goal 1: Encouraging Curiosity. In my classroom, missing assignments are not punished with increases in workload, and energetic students are not reprimanded with indoor recess. To me, learning is not a score on a statewide test nor a letter or a grade on a packet sent home; learning is the dynamic process in which we continue to comprehend and make sense of the world around us, and establishing a joy of learning is one of the most significant lessons to teach.
Goal 2: Instilling Equity. I position myself in the classroom as an equal in the process of learning, choosing to frame my lessons as inquiries in which the class collaborates to generate a collective understanding of the material being covered. While I am the teacher, this does not mean I am not also a learner. To my students, I make this clear: “I teach you and you teach me; you learn from me and I learn from you.” I ensure all students feel they are making valuable contributions to the classroom’s learning experience and adding to the environment, as well as establish a universal understanding among all members of the classroom that every person belongs and has something to teach all of us. Dismantling power dynamics in the classroom is extremely important to me, as well as upholding justice standards based on race, religion, gender, and any other identities my students hold.
Goal 3: Cultivating a Collaborative Environment. In my classroom, collaboration is not only prioritizing group assignments or whole-class conversations. Collaboration is essential to building a classroom culture where learning takes place everywhere and learning takes place together. Creating opportunities for students to recognize the strength present in collective knowledge and recognize that each voice matters is incredibly important to me. In nurturing this collaborative environment, I aim to prepare my students not only to succeed academically but also to become empathetic and cooperative individuals who understand the power of working together to address challenges in and outside of the classroom.
Over time, the core of these goals has remained steady, but my understanding of how to achieve them has deepened. Through my experiences in the master’s program, I have learned to apply these principles more intentionally and with greater awareness of each student’s individuality. While my goals of curiosity, equity, and collaboration still define my teaching philosophy, I now view them as dynamic processes that require continual reflection and adaptation. These goals were not instantly met and checked off at a specific point in my studies- they are goals I will have to continually adapt, redefine, and reach for throughout my career. I’ve shifted my understanding of these goals as less of a checklist to complete and more an ongoing practice standard that I hope to meet and exceed.