Most likely many of my students will not possess the physical handicaps that Helen Keller endured, but other handicaps will be present in the forms of learning disabilities, unstable homes, low self-esteem and the need for guidance.  When I think of my role as an educator, I also think of being a doctor to the many faces that will enter the classroom.  My belief that every child has the capability to learn and the right to the best education possible will make my job a challenge.  Through my experiences at Appalachian State University and the two schools I have worked with I feel that I want my students to learn in the constructivist method.
    I believe students need a structured learning environment to reach their learning goals and to be an integral part of the class as a whole.  When you teach and try to reach out to a child the child must respect you, but not fear you.  Classroom management is vital for students to understand what is expected of them and so they will learn how to interact with the world outside of school.  If students are aware of classroom routines and consequences then the class will benefit because more learning can take place.  It is my desire for my students to feel that our classroom is a safe community where they can do their best.
    Every child learns in different ways and I’m a firm believer in hands-on (minds-on) learning.  I have found that different learning centers (even beyond kindergarten) are beneficial and allow me to address many different learning styles and levels. The use of literature circles for reading and language arts is extremely important to me and I feel that students better understand the text and are better prepared for standardized testing.  Literature circles help students talk to one another and they learn to listen.  Open communication and the ability to understand another point of view can lead to better conflict resolution later on in the students' lives.  Literature circles allow students to be creative and productive simultaneously.
    Language arts is not the only area of study where students' minds are energized, math is also an open door to ingenuity and boundless discoveries.  I believe students need to understand mathematics and how it fits into their day-to-day life and culture.  Students should be able to “touch math” and see the subject as a mystery that they must be detectives to figure out.  Making students aware of the math around them and the use of children’s literature with mathematics will hopefully lead students to see math in a different light.
    As a teacher and leader in the role of educating I believe that enthusiasm and a caring personality are essential for me to truly reach my students.  My ability to incorporate theater arts into my instruction is very important to me because I want my students to be energized and alive as they discover, manipulate, and interact with myself and others.  Teachers are not the only people who teach, I believe my students will teach me something new everyday and I will become a better teacher because of my classes.  My hope for my students and my teaching career is that the “locked gates” (whatever they may be) will be flung open and that my students will have the inner desire to learn more and stretch “out their hands in the quest of life” and learning.