Star Teacher

   So, last week I was nominated by my colleagues to represent Greener Grass Elementary as the Star Teacher this year. I had to answer a question on my philosophy of teachings.

   The points I had to convey in my double-spaced, 2 page essay were: describe personal feeling and beliefs about teaching, describe the rewards I find in teaching, describe how my beliefs about teaching are demonstrated in my teaching style, and how do my beliefs inspire excellence every day in adults and children alike.

   Here's my response. Please tell me if I was completely off base with my answer....Thanks!

The Celebrity of Teaching

Who would have thought becoming a teacher would lead to the lifestyle of a celebrity? Every year, walking into my classroom is like the beginning of my journey to being discovered. A new group of students become my paparazzi and challenge me to produce an award winning performance.

What is it about teaching that makes me love it so? The ability to invoke thunderous applause on demand? Being quoted to families and imitated during play time? The challenge of awakening and fostering a child’s desire to learn? I think it is all of that and the opportunity to witness the moment a student takes an “I can’t do it” attitude and turns it into a “what can’t I do?” mantra!

Everyday, my goal is to be interesting and infectious. I want to show them that they are only limited by how much effort they put into their learning. Because I give them the opportunity to find their natural brilliance and grow their confidence, they put forth all their effort to reach beyond my expectations. I show my students I believe they can do big things and they do them. There is nothing more detrimental than underestimating a student. They will surprise you every time!

Through my teaching, I model for my students how to be active participants in life. When I am silly, they know it; when I mess up, they know it; when I am sad, they feel it. When it comes to learning, I hold nothing back. I believe in not being afraid to fail big because that is when you learn the most.

There are those times during the year that things seem beyond challenging. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, by any means. Things I have experienced while teaching have made me think, “if this child can find their bit of bliss in the challenges they face each and every day, so can I. For my students, I make the effort to take my best and make it better. They come to me with all their fears, excitement, dreams, aspirations and heartaches and it is my pleasure to help them embrace or change what they are feeling at any given moment. It’s my job and their expectation of me as their teacher.

There are plenty of perks to being a celebrity…I mean educator. Students hang on my every action and word, pay me in smiles, high fives and hugs and make me want to give autographs when we see each other around town! The things I have learned in my six-year production in the primary grades have allowed me to established solid beliefs about teaching and learning.

To be able to hang onto a little bit of my innocence because I surround myself with little people who provide me with many lessons on life is insurmountable! To learn, laugh, sing and dance are all part of the lifestyle.

My students make me feel like I can accomplish anything because my being their teacher is the proverbial pebble being tossed into their ocean of life, therefore creating an infinite amount of ripples. I cannot help but think that something I taught them will spark inspiration for years to come. What I do today not only impacts my students, but also has the potential to reach a limitless number of people throughout a lifetime. To me, that is an Oscar winning performance for best supporting actress.

I am absolutely okay with that kind of celebrity…