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I am dedicated to nurturing the next generation of students and helping them overcome the systemic disadvantages they face. I aim to be the type of teacher who is truly invested in every student’s academic and personal growth, empowering them to succeed. I believe in the power of high expectations, and as Carjuzaa and Kellough assert, it’s necessary to “have and maintain high expectations, although not necessarily identical expectations, for all students,” (298). I want every student to feel challenged and supported.

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I strive to create an inclusive and engaging learning environment where learning activities are varied to accommodate diverse learning styles, and especially support neurodivergent learners. Carjuzaa and Kellough recommend this, stating that “when using teacher-centered instruction, with most classes you will want to change the learning activities about every 10 to 15 minutes” (282). I plan to utilize diverse instructional methods, such as collaborative learning, project-based learning, and culturally responsive teaching. I plan to make lessons relevant and meaningful to students. As Kellough and Kellough note, “for classes to move forward smoothly and efficiently, they should fit students’ learning styles, learning capacities, developmental needs, and interests” (111).

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To communicate these values and expectations to students, I will clearly articulate my goals and expectations for students at the beginning of the year. I also want to ask them what they would like to see from me during the year, and how I can best support them. I will make sure to repeat my values and expectations throughout the year, and post them in the syllabus and classroom walls. I will model my practices consistently, demonstrating the value I place on these principles.

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I plan to co-create classroom norms with my students. I want to empower students to take ownership of their behavior and foster a sense of community. I will then have these norms posted up in the classroom for the whole year. For general expectations, I will communicate, verbally and in the syllabus, that they need to treat everyone with respect, come prepared to class, actively listen and participate, and keep the classroom a clean space.

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Whenever any norms or expectations are violated, I plan to implement restorative justice practices. This will allow students to focus on repairing harm and restoring their relationships. I am a huge advocate for restorative justice healing circles, as a witness to their positive effect on students and the respective communities.

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I also want to allow my students to revise their work within a set deadline, as I believe this fosters a growth mindset and encourages mastery learning. Carjuzaa and Kellough support this notion, stating, “we agree with teachers and administrators who believe that it is worthwhile to give students a second chance, that is, who believe in giving students an opportunity for recovery and limited time to make corrections and resubmit an assignment for an improved score” (300). I want my students to build resilience and perseverance. In addition to allowing revisions, I would like to dedicate days of the month for students to catch up on work in the class.

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I aim to incorporate retrieval practice and interleaving into lessons to enhance long-term retention and understanding. I want to emphasize the development of study skills as well, as Weinstein and Tsai emphasize, “we must explicitly teach students how to study so what they learn ‘sticks,’” (51).

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I understand that technology now has an essential role in modern education; however, I believe that it should only be used when it can directly support education objectives. As noted in this PMC article, “writing by hand activates a broader network of brain regions involved in motor, sensory, and cognitive processing,” whereas “typing engages fewer neural circuits resulting in more passive cognitive engagement” (2023). I plan to prioritize assignments and activities that involve handwriting to strengthen my students’ cognitive skills, and only utilize technology for the tasks that specifically require it.

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For students with disabilities and others in need of accommodation, I understand that technology has become integral to their learning. Tools such as speech-to-text have been a game-changer. Technology has aided in a more widespread implementation of UDL principles, which I also fully support. In these cases, the use of technology is welcome in the classroom.

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My goals for my students also include the development of their digital literacy, as they will need it to be able to evaluate and critically analyze information in this digital age. I want to prepare students to be responsible netizens.