# data[].attributes.body
I feel I am more empathetic to children who have chaos at home. I had so much chaos going on at home in middle school/beginning of high school that I wanted to dropout, I almost succeeded in that and dropped out.

It was so hard for me to focus on school, I felt school was so unimportant and sometimes when I went to school I would be so exhausted from staying up all night and worrying that my hygiene and interaction with my classmates, and making friends floundered.

I am so empathetic to that experience, I want to be a savior to those types of kids that might be going through that experience.

Also, the identity of wanting to be non stereotyped. Not having to be put into a box; Because I went to a predominantly African American school, some of my peers defined me into a box of having to ONLY like certain things; like music, tv shows, relate to certain people/look up to certain ppl and that just wasn't me. I didn't define myself by only one thing.

# data[].attributes.body
I lack awareness to some of the lived experiences that many of my future students will have had before they enter my classroom. I came from an environment that will likely differ from my students and I can improve my understanding of my students by better understanding their unique cultures. I can do this by going into their neighborhoods and surrounding areas to get a grasp of some of the environments they are coming from

# data[].attributes.body
i believe that education should be equitable for all students, every student should have access to a great education and wonderful teachers! I also believe all students have the potential to be great, to learn a lot and fully engage in the classroom. All kids deserve the chance to learn and to love their educational experience!
Carlee :)

# data[].attributes.body
I believe education is a right not a privilege. All students are capable of amazing things, but may lack the opportunities to follow through on their aspirations. Kids spend so much time in schools that their educators have a huge impact on their development and socialization. I hope that as a teacher I can do right by them.

# data[].attributes.body
I believe everyone should have access to high quality education. Our current system isn't failing -- it's doing exactly what it was meant to do. That's why this entire system needs to go. We need new foundations that prioritize every student and don't inherently prioritize some students over others.

# data[].attributes.body
I lack awareness on policies and legislation that may affect the lives of students and now me as a teacher. I don't read the news as often as I should, but I understand that I need to be more on top of it. I will try to get in the habit of staying up to date on relevant news and find organizations and opportunities for me and my students to be involved with change.

# data[].attributes.headline
I am more empathetic to biopic students and lgbtq+ students because those are the identities I most closely resemble. Black girls particularly are the identity I resonate with and the intersectionality in that existence is close to the heart for me.

# data[].attributes.subject
I am more empathetic to biopic students and lgbtq+ students because those are the identities I most closely resemble. Black girls particularly are the identity I resonate with and the intersectionality in that existence is close to the heart for me.

# data[].attributes.body
I am someone who strongly believes that all students should have equitable and fair access to education regardless of their socialization. ( race, gender, class etc)

We live in a country that likes to pride itself for providing a free education for its students, yet there hasn't been any progression on fixing our rigid system YEARS.

I also believe that Students should feel represented in the classroom, therefore there needs to be more diverse courses and teaching practices for students. For example, I believe we should be talking more about Indigenous leaders during the month of November (thanksgiving) compared to discussing the Puritans & Pilgrams. Another example should be adding flexibility in regards to final projects for a course. Instead of making a traditional essay be assigned, I think that we should include podcast, play writing, and other creative projects as ways to test ones knowledge from the course.

# data[].attributes.body
Growing up, I played soccer and was pretty active. However, I tore a few ligaments in my knee and I had to get surgery a few times. I am unable to play soccer/run today and it affected me a lot since soccer was such a big part of my life. This experience makes me empathetic towards any students who are athletes and have suffered from injuries, cannot play a sport again or anyone who may suffer from a physical disability that prevents them from doing day to day activities or pursuing an activity they enjoy.

# data[].attributes.body
I think I am more generally empathetic to ELL students. Growing up, I was in ESL classes until the 2nd grade in a school that was ill-equipped to help me. It's especially difficult when the teachers were not understanding why I wasn't doing well in their classes when I did not understand what they were teaching.

I am also more empathetic to those who struggle with health issues (mental or physical) as I know from personal experience it can impact the student's wellness and their energy in school. When I was in school, my mom had attempted to take her life and it had a huge impact on my mental health which in turn affected my academic work. I want to be a source of support for my students.