Personal Statement

I believe that the purpose of education is to prepare children to be successful adults and to
help guide them to be the best version of themselves that they can be. Children are the future
and teachers need to support and guide them in reaching their full and greatest potential. By
helping children further develop their knowledge and skills; I can help shape children into
becoming responsible contributors to their community and the economy. It is very important that
teachers also support childrens mental health. We need to encourage children to always be
themselves and help enhance their social development. According a pbs.org article about social
development, a child will have a strong foundation for later development if he or she can
manage personal feelings, understand others' feelings and needs, and interact positively with
others (PBS, 2014). These social skills will help children become emotional healthy adults who
can successfully connect with people to create meaningful relationships.
In order for children to get the best learning experience in a classroom they need to feel
safe. Children learn best when they feel comfortable because it allows them to express
themselves without feeling like they will be judged, ask questions, and feel like their input is
valued and wanted. Important features of creating a positive learning environment include
teaching students values such as respecting and supporting one another, a safe homey ambience,
consistency, and students knowing what is expected of them. According to Perry (2014) optimal
learning is a driven by curiosity, which leads to exploration, discovery, practice, and mastery.
However, if a child does not feel comfortable in their surroundings they will not be able to focus
and it will interrupt their learning process. By incorporating the features of a positive learning
environment, my students will feel safe and excited about learning in my classroom.
As an educator, I want to ensure that all of my students are given equal access to
learning. I will try my best to minimize any obstacles children may have so that everyone can
participate in the classroom and succeed. I will take certain actions such as collaborating with
special education teachers and using a wide array of co-teaching methods to make sure I have an
inclusive classroom. An article about inclusion by pbs.org (2014) states that, the philosophy of
inclusive education is aimed at helping all children learn, everyone in the class benefits. Children
learn at their own pace and style within a nurturing learning environment. My classroom will
also be rich in culture and diversity so children respect everyone of any culture. Throughout my
college career I have taken many child development classes that have given me many ideas on
how I can teach students about different cultures so they know and accept that everyone looks
different and has different values, but we are all equal human beings. To help teach children
about different cultures I will have a variety of learning tools available such as multicultural
books, musical instruments, art, and photos. There will be different multicultural activities and I
will have guest speakers from different cultures and backgrounds come in to share their story.
All of these learning tools will give my students knowledge about many different cultures and
teach them to respect everyone no matter what they look like or where they come from.
My curriculum will include the common core state standards, but I will teach my students
in a fun, interactive, and engaging way. I do not think that children get the best learning
experience when they are doing lessons from a book or just being lectured for a majority of the
time in the classroom. I believe students learn better with a more interactive and hands on
approach. In order to do this, my classroom needs to be properly managed so we have enough
time to cover every subject and activity we planned on learning for the day. I will help my
students develop their organizational skills so that our classroom will have a good structure and

routine to keep the learning process running effectively. I will also use the integrating curriculum
approach to combine the subject matters I teach. According to Kelly (2014), cross connections
are [very] important to the student's learning experience, and these connections can be found
throughout the curriculum. For example, I can integrate art into a mathematics lesson that will
be a fun and excite them more about learning about math. Most of these activities will also
include group or partner work that can help children develop their social skills and gain new
friendships.
Educators need a lot of positive characteristics to give their students the effective and
optimal learning experience that they deserve. One of the most important traits of a great teacher
is being supportive of all of their students. According to PhD Sara Rimm (2014), improving
students' relationships with teachers has important, positive and long-lasting implications for
students' academic and social development. If a student does not feel like their teacher cares
about them, they will not be fully engaged or motivated to learn. It is essential that teachers
respect their students, make their students feel like they belong, is enthusiastic, fun, and a great
role model for children. Educators should be a professional and skilled leader and constantly
learning new information and strategies to give their students the best education possible.

Work Cited
Kelly, Melissa. "Integrating Curriculum." About Education. About.com, Web. 2014.
<http://712educators.about.com/cs/integratingcurr/a/integrating.htm>.
Parents, PBS. "Creating an Emotionally Safe Classroom & The Benefits of Inclusion Education." Pbs.org. PBS
Parents, Web. 2014.
Perry, Bruce. "Creating an Emotionally Safe Classroom." Teachers: Where Teachers Come First. Scholastic Inc., 1
Jan. 2014. Web. 2014.
Rimm, PhD., Sara. "Improving Students' Relationships with Teachers to Provide Essential Supports for Learning."
American Psychological Association. APA Inc., 1 Jan. 2014. Web.
<http://www.apa.org/education/k12/relationships.aspx>.