Jodi Brown

EDUC 3320
November 8, 2015
Vision Statement
Nelson Mandela said, Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to
change the world. I want to empower my students to create that change, but to do that, they will
have to survive countless battles throughout their lives. It is my hope that as a teacher I can
provide my students the opportunity to gain the tools they will need to ultimately win the war
and change the world.
Every student regardless of background should be given the opportunity to learn. I was
once told that becoming a teacher is pointless because a lot of the students I will teach will be
just like their worthless parents and never amount to anything. This is exactly the belief that I
hope to fight against. Students from tough backgrounds could face a most difficult battle ahead
of them as they fight to survive the education system as well as people who are quick to discount
their worth. Albus Dumbledore said, it matters not what someone is born, but what they
grow to be (Rowling, 2000, p. 708). I hope to instill in my students the belief that they can do
anything they dream of doing and are not limited. I will respect and appreciate individual
differences that exist in my students and will work to encourage acceptance in the classroom
(Texas Teacher Proficiencies, 1994). All students deserve the opportunity to have someone on
their side to provide them with the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful in life.
In order to help students to be successful, I will employ a variety of instructional styles in
my teaching. Adults should have no more than twenty minutes of direct instruction, so in a
classroom of young students, it should be limited to even less than that (Jensen, 2005, p. 37).

Because every student learns differently, each needs to be provided the information in a variety
of ways. I plan to use different individual and group activities and incorporate technology at
appropriate times to facilitate learning (Texas Teacher Proficiencies, 1994). To effectively
implement this, I will strive to stay up-to-date with research and current practices related to my
teaching (Texas Teacher Proficiencies, 1994). An army would not be sent to fight a battle
without first practicing the skills they have learned in real-world situations. Likewise, I will not
send my students out into the world to apply skills that they have not had any experience with
other than on a sheet of paper.
However, a battle is not won simply with skill alone. I do not want students to leave my
classroom with only factual knowledge. Not every problem in life will be answered with
something learned from a textbook, so I hope to provide my students with the tools they need to
become problem solvers and thinkers, capable of creating individual ideas (Texas Teacher
Proficiencies, 1994). Some of the most important skills I hope to teach my students are social
skills. In national surveys, the most important skills employers are looking for in employees are
the ability to work well with others, interpersonal skills, and traditional virtues like honesty,
integrity, initiative, and a strong work ethic (Kagan, 2009, p. 2.7). In order for students to be
successful both in the classroom and in the real world, they need to have strong social skills.
Through modeling and collaborative work, I hope to develop these skills in my students.
Just as an army would not be sent to war without the necessary skills and supplies, it is
my hope that my students do not leave the classroom without some of the tools that will help
them to be successful individuals throughout their lives. I will provide my students with an
equal opportunity to learn in a variety of ways and become individual thinkers. Together, we
will learn about the world and each other in an effort to create change in the world.

References
Jensen, E. (2005). Teaching with the brain in mind (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Kagan, S., & Kagan, M. (2009). Kagan cooperative learning. San Clemente, CA: Kagan
Publishing.
Rowling, J.K. (2002). Harry Potter and the goblet of fire. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.
Texas teacher proficiencies. (1994). Austin, TX: State Board of Education.