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I believe teachers are inherently activists whether they realize it or not. Since schools is the second point of socialization, teachers possess power in their classroom. They can use the power to inspire children to be activists themselves. Teaching from a social justice standpoint requires teachers to be aware of what is going on in the world. As teachers we have to address touchy subjects in our classrooms and in some cases, stand up for what we believe in. Many of the teachers in the Rethinking Schools articles have shown me how I can be an activist in my classroom. It does not always require me to go to protests,. It can be as simple as having a conversation, being mindful of what is going on in the world and not shying away from it. I can also incorporate social justice topics in my lessons. All of these are examples of being an activist as a teacher. I believe a teacher activist is someone who stands up for what they believe in, no matter how big or small, and I intend to do just that in my classroom.

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I believe collaboration is very important for both teachers and students.
-Teacher to teacher: By collaborating with other teachers you can bounce ideas off of one another. Why reinvent the wheel or start from scratch? Teachers need to keep each other accountable to make sure that they are doing their best in all aspects of their job. We should be resources for one another. We can help each other mentally, emotionally, and professionally.
-Student to teacher: I believe that students should be able to take ownership of their learning. Students can influence our teaching practices. Students can give us insight to what works and what does not. Taking what students have to say into consideration can make your classroom relevant. It tells the students that you care about them and their role in the classroom is more than just to passively accept information.
-Student to student: As a student collaboration can be good and bad. I think it is important to work together and to collaborate as students, but it can be hard if not everyone pulls their weight. Overall, I think if everyone does their duty, collaboration can benefit students in many ways. It can help them get new ideas, work in groups,

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I believe that community/family is a network of people that support each other. In a classroom this would look like teachers and students investing on one another on a personal level. I want my classroom to be like a family where each person is valued and holds a place at the table.
Community is a place where restorative justice can take place when the community is disrupted. Creating a family/community will require me to be mindful of my students lives and the role we all play in the classroom, both individually and collectively.
I believe community/family is important because it allows everyone involved to feel a sense of belonging and ownership. This creates a an environment where people can have democratic participation.

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I believe my students will learn best when I…

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I believe my students will learn best when I…

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I believe my students will lean best when I used multiple teaching strategies that utilize multiple types of learning styles. This will help keep the content engaging.
I believe my students will learn best when I am culturally relevant and make the content relate to their interests and lives.
I believe my students will learn best when I attend things like profession development, workshops, and conferences to keep up with different trends in education.
I believe my students will learn best when I have their best interest in mind at all times. As a teacher I have a lot of control over what happens in my classroom. I need to put the students and their needs first. This will foster a caring environment where the students feel like they are important.
I believe my students will learn best when I serve as a model and facilitator. I want give students autonomy and I want them to be free thinkers, rather than passively accepting information.

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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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Students learn best when they feel like they belong. "Kids don't learn from people they don't like." (Rita Pierson) I agree with this 100%, I do not even like listening to people that I do not not respect. This requires me to build a strong classroom community. When students feel like they are valued in the classroom they are more likely to be engaged. I also think that students learn best when they are engaged in active learning and when the teacher uses multiple teaching methods. Active learning is hands on and makes concepts more concrete to students. Utilizing activities that use many learning styles is culturally responsive and engaging for students. Meeting student where they are at is crucial. We as teachers need to do everything we can to make sure students are engaged in meaningful learning.

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I believe all my future students are capable. Deficit based thinking plagues humanity. According to Ruby Payne, "poor people can't think abstractly." (Bohn) This deficit perspective is pervasive in many institutions, including schools.
I believe that all of my students are capable of learning and worth teaching. They are scholars that have power and agency. Meaning, students will independent, free thinkers in my classroom.
I believe all of my students will succeed in one form or another. This will require me to make my classroom an optimistic place where differences are celebrated, cultures are included, and students feel like that belong. "It will take the time to build relationships, and it will say, "You matter. Your culture matters. You belong here." (Christensen)

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This semester we have learned about the different perspectives of what the propose of schooling is. I believe in teaching the whole child, which includes, "concerns about the health, family, and neighborhood conditions affecting students." (Spring, p. 6) This means that schools have to invest in every part of the child, not just their intellect. The goal of schooling should be a combination of democratic equality, social efficiency, and social mobility. Hopefully, a combination of these goals would create an equilibrium in schools where students are educated in more than just core subjects. Schools should prepare students to contribute society socially and economically, by providing meaningful experiences, engaging in culturally relevant pedagogy, and writing rich and rigorous curriculum. School should be a place where student are safe and can learn and make meaning of the world around them. Overall, there are many reasons for schooling and I believe they are all valid, the key is finding the most effective way to enforce these goals.

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I believe my responsibilities as a teacher are...

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I believe my responsibilities as a teacher are...

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I believe it is my duty as an educator to serve EVERY child to the best of my ability by giving them the tools, experiences, and knowledge to be successful in life. "I am not here just to prepare these students to pass tests so they can move ahead and become successful and take their dutiful place in society." (Capellaro, 2017,  p. 4) I believe education and effective teachers are the key to opportunity. I want to inspire and assist my student in being the best versions of themselves and to achieve their goals.  "The purpose of education, finally, is to create in a person the ability to look at the world for himself, and make his own decisions." (Baldwin, 1998, p. 678) One of the greatest things about being a freethinking human is the ability to think critically and make decisions. It is my responsibility to help facilitate and expand student's knowledge and skills, not only in various subject areas, but also life.

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Teaching is a dynamic process that can be assumed by anyone.  I believe that teaching is something that every one can do. Teaching is about being a facilitator, assisting student in making personal connections, and helping them make sense of the world around them. Teaching is deciding to "not be obedient in staying within the boundaries that are usually set up by principals, school administrators, and parent-teacher associations." (Capellaro, p. 4) This means teaching students the necessary skills to make society a better place like being caring, conscious, empathetic, and thinking critically. "I wanted my students to do most of the talking because I wanted to open up space for their lives. (Osorio, p. 4) Teaching is about opening doors of opportunity through knowledge and experiences. We must engage in both teaching and learning because it is a crucial part of being a progressive society.

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Learning is a life long process that involves the transmission of knowledge from one person to another. When I say learning is life long, I mean you never stop learning, there is always knowledge to gain. I do not think learning is linear or finite. It is a dynamic process where the learner could be the teacher and vice versa. Learning can occur in any space or place.  Learning "engages students in a dialogue that raises questions." (Capellaro, 2017, p. 4) Learning is not always just getting an answer, it can also be coming up with more innovative solutions. The purpose of education is to learn, but it needs to be about things other than the core subjects. Learning in schools needs to set students up for success in society. I believe that learning is an important part of life and should never be stagnant.