I was very lucky to be raised by teachers — both of my maternal grandparents were teachers in the Worcester Public Schools, and I would never have become the person that I am today were it not for my grandfather’s patient assistance with everything from my math homework to my development as an individual.  As I grew older and discovered that I wanted to follow in my grandparents’ footsteps and work in the world of education, I began to think critically about my grandparents, their influence, and by extension, the type of teacher I wanted to be.  Out of this introspection rose the three major tenets of my teaching philosophy; as a teacher, I aim to help students learn the means to express themselves creatively, I work to establish a classroom community that is based on strong individual relationships with each of my students, and I hope to bridge curriculum with reality by engaging in culturally sustaining teaching and engaging students with important current events through open-ended inquiry.

Though I began this MAT year with some salient ideas about my teaching style and philosophy, I never expected to remain the same educator that I was when I began the program.  In late summer, shortly before my first day of school, I journaled that throughout the year, “I expect to be torn to teeny little pieces and then rebuilt into a better teacher.  I’m looking forward to riding this wave and seeing how I come out on the other side.”  Now, I am nearly on the other side, and I can say that my predictions were not far off reality.  I feel fundamentally changed as an educator because of my experiences in this program.  Throughout this past year, I have analyzed my commitment to creative expression and determined what supports are necessary to implement my vision, I have committed to establishing consistent routines and high expectations, and I have developed greater focus during the lesson planning process.

While this year has opened my eyes to many strategies and important components of developing an effective teaching style, the core values that I hold as a teacher remain the same.  In educating, I will always strive to provide my students with a voice, and help them cultivate that voice and the power of their minds in order to achieve their goals.  My students will know that they are respected and that their voices deserve to be heard, both within our classroom and out in the world around them.  When students leave my classroom, I hope they know that their self-expression is their greatest weapon for positive change in their community.