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I believe that being a teacher activist is... 

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I believe that being a teacher activist is... 

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I believe that being a teacher activist is important for your job, community, school, and for your students. Being a teacher activist means you have to pay attention to the world around your class and are un-willing to ignore the issues within the community. Just like in the article from Re-Thinkning Schools, How One Elementary School Sparked A Citywide Movement To Make Black Students' Lives Matter. The teachers went out of their way to make sure that the Black Lives Matter movement was inside their schools so that each child would know they had a voice and that they do matter. In the article the school was able to make a difference by implementing restorative justice rather than relying on zero-tolerance policies. I believe that being a teacher activist is exactly that, making changes to better your system.I also noticed that in school systems we have teachers who have been teaching a long time and do not want to change the norms that they are comfortable to. This could mean having to convince colleges about your positions and why they matter to your students. I believe that being a teacher activist is doing what is right, which means doing what is not always easy.

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I believe Community/ Family is an environment we create in our classroom and include in our classroom. We create a sense of community and family within the classroom but as a teacher I need to realize that to incorporate the children community and family into my classroom. In a re-thinking school article that talked about restorative justice the class example was about a classroom where two children had a fist fight and broke a lamp in the classroom. The teacher took her time to address a situation that would be uncomfortable in her community that she created. She talked through the situation with all of the students making sure each child was heard. I really liked this idea of a community, this is a time in a Childs life where things should be easier to them, they should have an opportunity to witness what is just and unjust in their community/classroom and feel safe to bring these things up for discussion. I also believe in the importance of bringing in family into the classroom. In our books For White Folks Who Teach In The Hood the book talked about making sure that all of the diverse students are heard "My point is to identify and acknowledge the collective oppression both groups experienced in the shared space they inhabit as a result of their authentic selves being deemed invisible." I feel like this quote directly relates to the environment that can be created in my classroom. Incorporating family traditions, authentic talk, community and quite honestly being present I can create a community within my classroom where each child feels as if he or she has a chance to be heard.

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I believe my students learn best when I... 

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I believe my students learn best when I... 

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I believe my students learn best when I am in the classroom for them. This means advocating for my students and listening to their needs but most importantly my students will learn best when I give them meaningful assignments and include their family and culture. In the article from rethinking schools entitled Reinventing Schools That Keep Teachers Teaching it states that when students are failing then the question becomes who is accountable, when the real question is what else could be done. When teachers incorporate families and the community around them the class then becomes a place for the child.

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I believe students learn best when they...

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I believe students learn best when they...

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I believe students learn best when they are in an environment that is comfortable to them, engaged with the lesson, and have their basic needs met.
I believe that I need to provide an environment that is comfortable. This means I need to set the tone for how I expect my children to interact. I also believe that a classroom needs to be viewed as a community. We had articles about restorative justice and I believe that is an interracial part in a community. I believe that by making the environment safe and open then children will feel more empowered to participate in discussion and sharing their emotions.
I understand that developing a culturally relevant classroom means that I need to know about my students. This does not stop at know a child's name, instead it extends to knowing their family culture, their favorite t.v show. Understanding a child and their culture can help the teacher connect what each student likes to the lesson. For example If a teacher knows that a child's favorite t.v. show is Paw Patrol maybe a math question incorporates those characters. Creating a culturally relevant classroom is also about the atmosphere from the way the desks are set up to the tone and expectations set in class. Students will learn best in a positive atmosphere.
I know we didn't really talk about the basic needs in class however through sociology I believe that basic needs such as food and cleanliness is important to a child's growth and learning habits. I also believe that this goes into a culturally relevant classroom by knowing the needs of the students. I believe in a terminology of tunnel vision where if a basic need is not met like food a brain will solely focus on the thing they lack. I know that Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs need to be met if a child will be comfortable and ready to learn in a school setting. I have seen examples of teachers holding morning meetings as a time where they would address those needs as a class, breakfast or even giving kids time to brush their teeth can be enough to set their day off right. As I have mentioned before this is also a time where children can come forward and talk about what is on their minds before switching their focus to learning. I believe that using a culturally relevant classroom management the teacher will be able to identify the childrens' needs and provide what for them.

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I believe that teaching needs to come from a holistic view of the world so that each student has a In the American Education book we read that in the past teaching has been a used as a system of oppression forming each mind to blindly respect and not question authority. Rather than keeping their heads down and the teacher will cater to the few individuals who are excelling in testing for the school atmosphere. Instead of the "traditional" way of teaching, I believe that teaching needs to be a funds of knowledge approach to learning. Each child has his or her story to add to the conversation and by listening to each child and their view on life we gain more knowledge about the world around us.

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I believe the purpose of school is for growth and safety of children. The students should grow mentally, emotionally, physically, and academically. For this to happen the school has to provide the correct environments. As we have read in Re-Thinking schools many schools try to establish a 'zero tolerance policy' to bulling, drugs, violence. and weapons ect. . Although the schools strive to make the environment safe many fail to see the humanity behind some of the "bad" cases and act to the extreme. Many times schools will have a cop on duty and for the students to feel safer in their environment, however often times having law enforcement on site is a quick way for teachers to deal with what may have been a teachable moment ( rethinking schools).
I believe that for schools to feel safe the environment must come from the classroom and it is my job as a teacher to make sure my lessons are engaging and my classroom is comforting to a point where all students are welcome. As a teacher I set the tone for what I want kids to get out of school.
In our American Education books we learned about different purposes for schools and how many times they can help institutionalize racism through small practices like not updating textbooks or talking about how bad history has been for the minority. This is unacceptable for schools. Horace Mann also had his own ideas about the purpose of school and how they need to be used to create a society that will excel.
I find these zero tolerance policies, added law enforcement, and ideas of why school exists to be very outdated. I believe that school should be a place where children grow and find safety. The start to changing the purpose of school is starts with me.

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I believe that collaboration is working with others to obtain a common goal. Collaboration happens when all parties work together. I believe that collaboration is important to create a community in the classroom. Just like in the Treyvon Martin and My Students article takes into account a students voice on how they felt about the curriculum being taught in school. In the reading from For Teachers Who Teach In The Hood the author talks about collaborating with specific students and getting their input for how the class is being taught. Through numerous meetings with specific students in class the classroom is established as a place of collaboration, not just with one another but with the students. I also believe that collaboration must be done with the staff, superiors, and school board to create the best environment available for the children. When teachers are able to communicate with the school board, principal, and each other teachers will find what works best for students and what is not working. In American Education on page 291 it talks about how the US Supreme Court ruled that teachers could not be dismissed for public criticism of their school system. "Teachers are, as a class, the members of a community most likely to have informed and definite opinions how funds allowed to the operation of the schools should be spent. Accordingly, it is essential that they can speak out freely on such questions without fear of retaliatory dismissal." I believe that not only do we have a right to speak out and talk about what we as teachers believe but we have an obligation to share and be willing to collaborate with higher authorities to make schools better. Collaboration is essential for creating an environment of learning. As a teacher I believe it is my obligation to make opportunities and act upon opportunities of collaboration.

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I believe that my future students are.....

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I believe that my future students are.....

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I believe that all of my future students are capable, intelligent and will change patterns that are seen inside the school walls. I believe in the funds of knowledge and that the knowledge offered to me through talking and creating relationships with each student. I believe that my future students will be able to break through the barriers created through society. In our American Education books it talks about obvious sexism in classrooms. "One surprising result of their research and analysis of other data was that girls are equal to or ahead of boys in most measures of academic achievement and psychological health during the early years of schooling, but by the end of high school and college the girls have fallen behind boys on these measurements. On entrance examinations to college girls score lower than boys particularly in science and mathematics. Boys receive more state and national scholarships. Woman score lower than men on all entrance examinations." pg. 195. Merely being aware of this fact I can make sure my future students will have a more equal environment to grow. I know that when I constantly focus on making my environment equitable I will make my future students set up for the future.

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I believe that learning is different to every person. I think that learning should be impartial to morals or values, instead when we view learning we must look at facts and statistics. Just like in the American Education book when it talked about sex education on page 45 and 46 the debate sparks between abstinence only education and sex prevention. In this debate many conservative views would lean toward abstanince only teaching, however studies show that it is better for the students to learn sex prevention as it goes more in depth into the problems, infections and in general provides more information for students about the topic. I believe learning should not be bias to what is comfortable to teach. Learning is about obtaining as much knowledge as possible and should not be limited based on morals.

I also believe that learning is something that cannot be put into a standard. I believe that the use of standardized testing limits and discourages students from being in an environment that will encourage an inquisitive atmosphere. I so often see teachers teaching to a common core or for a test. Children are learning what they have to learn rather than what they are interested and invested in. I believe learning comes through art, play, creativity, exploring and having fun. According to the Teaching in Dystopia article in the current high stake- testing environments schools are currently in, students are gradually seeing less opportunities for a creative fun atmousphere.

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I believe that my responsibilities as a teacher are...  

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I believe that my responsibilities as a teacher are...  

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I believe that my responsibilities as a teacher extend further than making lesson plans that match the state curriculum and making sure each child understands the content I teach. Although those responsibilities are important, I see it as my responsibility to make sure my classroom is an atmosphere safe for learning. I recognize that I cannot guarantee safety it is my responsibility to strive for an open and safe environment for all students to share their opinions, experiences, ideas, and dreams.