Every child has the potential to succeed. It is our job as educators to tap into this potential and encourage and promote student’s success. Each child arrives at a school in a different package with an assortment of ingredients hidden beneath their cover. To ensure success we must adapt, differentiate and encourage each individual to acknowledge their strengths and to develop goals that will ensure that they have the skills to be successful adults. A child is a product of a community of people who cares for him/her and encourages their growth on an academic, social, physical, and spiritual level. A teacher is one of the essential members of that community team and in order to be successful they must be flexible and open minded.
Education in the school is evolving. Collaboration and technology are key ingredients to education in today’s world. Teachers working in Professional Learning Communities are able to solve classroom problems, ensure professional development and better meet their students’ needs by collaboration in their schools and on line. Collaboration theory is also essential among students: as the develop skills that make them independent problem solvers, collaborators and experienced communicators. With the students ZPD it is easier to scaffold their schemas through this type of learning environment, where students’ also work as teacher and use their knowledge to arrive at mastery of a concept.
It’s an exciting time in education as technology is constantly changing. Technology is used as a resource, communicator and to develop creative and critical thinking. As technology advances, educators must be willing to embrace a constantly changing world, one that is often student led as students experiment and take risks.
Teaching is not just my chosen career, it will be my way of life. As an educator, you are more than the just a teacher. You must be a optimistic, positive, loving individual who is not only their to teach the children academically but to learn about these children listen to their stories and support their endeavors. The child that walks through the door each day must be nurtured, guided and supported to make the right choices despite all the outside influences that control him outside the school environment.
As an educator, I believe I will be given an opportunity to open up new worlds for our children. As a believer in the constructivist model, I see the educator as a facilitator, who aids students through the learning process. Education is a lifestyle choice, which can be very rewarding for anyone who chooses the field. Everyday you will be rewarded with different experiences that are often unseen. How you react and move forward upon meeting these challenges will be the measure of your success.
