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I do this work because I want to make an impact. I feel it is my calling to be in education and make a difference in the lives of those around me. I work at Highland because my goal is to work in a community that genuinely supports one another and is built on truth. In my short time here, I see this community of truth all around me.

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Why I do this work at Highland Elementary? Two years ago, I was displaced, which led me to interview for an elementary position. I was faced with a new challenge after teaching middle school for several years. Highland elementary is similar to my "old stomping ground" as a child. I remember those teachers who had no idea about our life outside of school, and still tried their very best to make sure we could make something of ourselves (Ms. Yoast, Ms. Duncan, Ms. Parrot, Ms. Record, & Mr. Jackson). I suppose not only do I enjoy teaching the students at Highland; I also feel as though I am paying it forward. Along with, they [the students] are continuously teaching me how to be a better person to those that truly need support, understanding, and encouragement.

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Why I do this work at Highland Elementary? Two years ago, I was displaced, which led me to interview for an elementary position. I was faced with a new challenge after teaching middle school for several years. Highland elementary is similar to my "old stomping ground" as a child. I remember those teachers who had no idea about our life outside of school, and still tried their very best to make sure we could make something of ourselves (Ms. Yoast, Ms. Duncan, Ms. Parrot, Ms. Record, & Mr. Jackson). I suppose not only do I enjoy teaching the students at Highland; I also feel as though I am paying it forward. Along with, they [the students] are continuously teaching me how to be a better person to those that truly need support, understanding, and encouragement.

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I engage in the work of education and empowerment because I can't help but see my past in the eyes of the children that enter our doors on a daily basis. I have personally seen the impact that an education has on the trajectory of individuals and families as a whole. When things get difficult for students and they reach out for support, I can't help but think about the phenomenal individuals and institutions that never gave up on me and pushed me to move forward amid struggles and challenges. As I leave the parking lot to go home everyday, I repeatedly reflect by asking myself, "did I make a difference in the life of a child, parent/guardian, colleague; did I live up to my personal expectations as a school leader?" I love this work and look forward to my personal growth as we collectively work to prepare students for middle school and beyond.

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After working in private agencies for years, I chose schools because I knew I could make the biggest difference with a large pool of kids and teenagers versus fighting system failures in courts and state legislation. I chose Highland this year because I want to be an agent of change for the little ones, who are still impressionable and haven’t given up on school yet. Plus, Highland has a positive reputation in our district.

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Because I love teaching and learning. Teach my students with information they are hunger for and learn from them to improve my teaching. Everyday is different; I'm looking forward to hear the laughters in my classroom everyday. Why highland? Because we are awesome.

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I always wanted to be a teacher: As a young girl I decided to teach math to my siblings. When I was a teenager, my mother told me that she never went to school and I felt the responsibility to teach her what I knew. I helped her in her journey to learn how to read and write; eventually she got her elementary school diploma. Later, when I met my husband, I “discovered” that he has been dealing with a learning disability his whole life, and I decided to help him in whatever he needed in his job. When my daughter was a newborn and we got back to our house from the hospital, she started crying and that is when I realized that I would be responsible to teach her everything (eating, talking, going to the bathroom, etc.) These are the primary reasons why I developed a very sensible passion for “un-educated” people and decided to be not only a teacher but an educator. God gave me a gift and I need to develop it and to use it with others.

Why Highland:
This school has been my “home” for more than five years. I like the team environment that we have here. We are in the same page with respect to the students: our main compromises are serving and educating our students and our community.

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When I was in Kindergarten, I fell in love with my teacher.  She was smart, beautiful, caring, fun, and everything I wanted to be when I grew up.  I knew then I wanted to be a teacher.  I hope I can influence my students some way the same way she did for me.  After my Mom passed away at the end of Kindergarten, my teacher came to the wake. She has been my guardian angel and friend ever since then.

Why do I teach...because I love it.  I want to be that positive influence.  I want to help students through difficult times and celebrate the good times too.  I teach for those moments when the "light bulb goes on!"  I teach for the fun and the laughs that go along with it also. I teach primary to give the students a strong educational foundation.

Why Highland...because it has an incredible feeling to it. I love the culture and community. I love the diversity and the feeling of being home.

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I absolutely love teaching! I don't feel like I go to work everyday because I enjoy what I do so much. There isn't anything else in the world that I would rather be doing. Why Highland, because I love the community that we serve!

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I agree with the above answer! I've always said, "teaching is my hobby and everything else is my job because I CANNOT possibly have this much fun with a job!" My mother has lived by this motto in her 48 years of teaching and it was passed along to me because of her passion. I have a passion for teaching and I love what I do! I've always said that the day I wake up and I'm not excited to work with kids is the day that I need to stop teaching. I don't feel like that day is coming anytime soon and I've just started year TWENTY and I can still say I'm excited about it all! I love that I can call Highland "one of my schools" because there is definitely a community amongst the staff and families. I've taught in some rough neighborhoods...the Austin neighborhood...and I've seen the difference that just ONE teacher can make in those children's lives...it can be astronomical! Fast forward to Elgin and I feel that we can make the same difference. We might be the only smile, friendly face, or hug that these kids get in a day....BUT they know that we are the CONSTANT and they will see us every day!

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"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."  Truer words were never spoken, by poet, William Butler Yeats.

For me, I teach for the following reasons.  First, I want my students to gain the skills necessary to compete in today's world.  To hone in on skills that will not only make them marketable in the work place, but skills that will inspire them to be fully functioning; respected members of their community.

Next, I want them to think for themselves and know they have the capacity to BE the change and create a new world that we are in desperate  need of.  Due to our constantly changing world, there will be future careers that are not now available for our students, so teaching them how to think for themselves is the best preparation for the unknown.

In addition, I want each of my students to know they are special with unique gifts.  I want to be the catalyst in helping my students achieve and aide them in realizing the enormous potential they have. I believe they can do great things, and I want them to know it also!

Why wouldn't I want to teach? Knowing what an awesome responsibility it is to guide, support, and lead my students on this  amazing journey!

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I remember the first time I realized that each person (and child) makes sense of their world by learning.  We experience something new and try to fit it into what we already know.  Even if we never attended school this would be true, we use what we know to make sense of the world around us.  I now feel so blessed to be part of that process for our students here at Highland.   I get to be a part of shaping their world and giving them tools to understand it. I can't think of a more important way to spend my time.

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I am a teacher because I believe in guiding our future.  By making a difference in a kid's life, you can change it for ever.  And having a positive impact in a kids life can point them in the right direction.  We are shaping our future leaders, we need to give them our best.
:)

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I have been working at Highland for many years, I

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I like being part of Highland because I love what I do.  I like connecting with parents that make you feel like family.
We also have a great team of teachers and staff.  I feel I can make a difference by helping.

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I believe that all students should have the opportunity to turn their dreams into reality.  I want all of our students to complete high school with many choices of what to do next (careers or college).  I want all students to feel affirmed and accepted for who they are and be honored for what they bring with them to school.

At Highland we have a team that is committed to developing and honoring each student.  We know that what we do matters and impacts lives in a real way.  We can change trajectories and we know it.  This impacts how we do our work.

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Why do I work at Highland Elementary School? Simple. To educate and have a life lasting possitive impact on my kids. We all have an impact on our students. It takes a village to raise a child is an African proverb which means that it takes an entire community of different people interacting with children in order for a child to experience and grow in a safe environment. That's our job. To make them feel safe and be in a healthy learning environment. We all have a part in that role. Together we are strong. In sum, I like our team work and planning to stay around. God bless you all. 

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Why do I work at Highland Elementary School? Simple. To educate and have a life lasting possitive impact on my kids. We all have an impact on our students. It takes a village to raise a child is an African proverb which means that it takes an entire community of different people interacting with children in order for a child to experience and grow in a safe environment. That's our job. To make them feel safe and be in a healthy learning environment. We all have a part in that role. Together we are strong. In sum, I like our team work and planning to stay around. God bless you all. 

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I do this work because I like to see how my students can work their potential. In addition to enjoying learning new things. I love seeing their faces of satisfaction when they know that we all learn something new every day.

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