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Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) is the set of skills, knowledge, and behaviors involved in understanding and managing emotions, setting positive goals, feeling empathy for others, engaging in positive relations, and solving problems effectively. I will use this during my teaching by allowing a time in the school day to provide opportunities to connect and guide my students emotionally. For example, the mornings creating a community circle with my students. This works by creating a circle in the classroom where the teacher would pose a question and each and every student is heard amongst their peers while answering the question. Each child has the opportunity of the "spotlight" on them.

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"If the mind be curbed, and humbled too much in children; if their spirits be abased and broken much, by too strict an hand over them; they lose all their vigour and industry, and are in a worse state than the former."

This quote is important to me because students should be given more room to learn which does more positive versus restricting them, which does more harm.

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"The great skill of a teacher is to get and keep the attention of his scholar: whilst he has that, he is sure to advance as fast as the learner's abilities will carry him."

This quote is important to me because I believe children feeds off  the energy of their teacher. I experienced this when I
volunteered at Junior Achievement the students were modeling  the same energy they got from their teachers.

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"Curiosity in children is but an appetite after knowledge, and therefore ought to be encouraged in them, not only as a good sign, but as the great instrument nature has provided, to remove that ignorance they were born with, and without this busy inquisitiveness will make them dull and useless creatures."

This quote is important to me because I believe children learn through curiosity and imagination. Without curiosity, students will be stagnant and we want to promote growth within our children.

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I believe standardized testing has not necessarily been benefitting students and educators. The current system of statewide testing does not benefit or respond to the diverse groups of students in the way it should.

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Schools are doing well in making sure students understand the value of learning and why we should learn.

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Schools are doing well in promoting collaboration of students in a learning environment. Lessons for students are meant to include all learners and have students share their understandings.

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Racial generalizations have been a negative factor in schools, as well. Students' level of successes should not be determined by the color of a student's skin. However, I have seen many situations where a student has been limited due to what they look like versus what they may know.

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Time is one of the things that many educators tend to ask for more of. With so many standards to be learned within a school year, it is a struggle making sure each and every student has become successful at each one. Students retain information at different paces.

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Schools are doing well in differentiating the standards being learned. There are many different learners in classrooms which means there have to be many ways to respond to each student's levels of understanding.

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This image illustrates a community circle. This is a great way to promote social emotional learning and allowing students the opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings.

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This image illustrates leadership. Our children are the leaders of tomorrow.

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This image illustrates teamwork with co-workers. They are working together to find the key to success for their students.

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This image portrays students engaged in discussions and technology based learning. They are actively learning and working with each other.

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This image illustrates creative minds of various types of learners. Every child is unique and so is their imagination!

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What is purpose? Well, purpose is the reason we are placed on this Earth. Education is the medium we use in order to continue to better ourselves. When these two are combined, I believe the true purpose of education is to continue to better ourselves in a way where we are benefitting ourselves and those around us in some way. Through my years of education, I feel as if it didn’t quite prepare me for life as it should have. I am very thankful for the many things I have learned, however, I feel as if there were many things that could have benefitted me that was untaught. Some purposeful skills that I have learned include time management, critical thinking, creativity, and social emotional skills. Most skills that I feel like I missed out on are inside the umbrella of “life skills.” These life skills include things like purchasing a house, financial education, and how to utilize criticism to move forward. In my career of special education, I am looking to achieve connecting my students’ worlds to the things I am teaching. I want to create an environment of reciprocity between my students and I. Overall, I feel as being a patient, diligent, and a virtuous educator will help me to truly fulfill my future students’ needs and fulfill the purpose of education.

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Every kid needs a champion | Rita Pierson | TED

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Leadership is the ability to guide others through a journey. I plan on being a leader for my students by discerning confidence and being a role model. Being able to model behaviors and expectations each day will provide students with the tools to be successful in this life.

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Curiosity is a strong desire to learn. I can build curiosity by encouraging my students to ask questions, give opportunities to debate, analyze, and produce answers for their curiosity.

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Teamwork is bringing all talents together to achieve a goal. I will use this in my future teaching experience by collaborating with other teachers within my school. Collaborating with my colleagues will allow for efficient lessons, activities, and ideas to better support our students.

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Engagement is strong relationships between students, teachers, families, and schools. Student engagement is a positive element is schools in oder for our students to be motivated for learning. I will use this method in my classroom by using various instructional strategies to reach my students, technology, and incentives for motivational purposes.

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Critical thinking is a term used by educators to describe forms of learning, thought, analysis that go beyond the memorization and recall of information and facts. I will use this method in my classroom by posing questions inside a subject area and allow students to lead the learning. This is the type of student-centered environment I will implement during my experience.

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Creativity in education is when students are able to use imagination and critical thinking to create new and meaningful forms of ideas. Students can take risk, be independent, and flexible. I will use this method in my classroom by allowing students time to use imagery, and what if's in order to motivate them toward individuality and originality.