As a secondary teacher, I hope to be the kind of educator that students remember as challenging, fair, engaging, and caring. As I look at our society, I see the need for courses in family and consumer science. In order to combat increasing obesity rates and obesity-related diseases, like diabetes and high blood pressure, it is imperative that children be educated about nutrition. When dealing with teenagers, there is the additional need of educating them about sexual issues. The current credit crisis and impending economic recession demands students who are smart consumers and savers. When I enter the classroom, I hope to be the kind of teacher that reaches students through a variety of strategies and activities in a safe and fun environment.
Children learn and develop in different ways. I am going to create a productive learning environment. Having high expectations for student work and products will be part of the culture I will create in my classroom. It is important for students to learn why and how they can use the curriculum I teach in their futures. That means the course assignments and activities should have relevance to their lives.
Children are different in the way they learn. I am going to listen and learn about my students, because their differences will affect the way I teach. I will design activities and lesson plans that involve all my students. The diversity of cultures that are found in our classrooms today demands that teachers be aware that one lesson doesn’t necessarily fit all. I hope to incorporate differentiated instruction into my teaching so that it becomes second nature.
Some of the essential elements of effective teaching that I will use include using strategies that reach all learners, creating assessments that follow standards, providing a safe and inviting learning environment, and fostering student ownership of their learning. Students should be active learners. I want them to be competitive and independent. I will “begin with the end in mind” and my tests or performance assessments will be based on what the students should know and be able to do. I want to make my classroom attractive. I plan on having creative bulletin boards and signs to interest my students in family and consumer education. Most of all, I want to teach my students to make smart and informed decision making a part of their daily lives, well after they have left school and entered adulthood.
I can grow as a teacher as well. I will be able to learn from my colleagues and share ideas with them through collaboration. Reading professional literature and research will keep me up to date. Participating in my professional organizations will help keep me focused on the practice and art of teaching.
The purpose of public education is to promote a citizenry that is productive and informed. My part of this large and important objective is to get children to think about their hard choices, to solve problems and make decisions that are good for them and for others, and to keep their bodies and minds as healthy as possible. To do this I plan on working hard and dedicating myself to being the best teacher I can be.