Ever since I was in fourth grade I have been inspired to be an elementary school teacher.  Throughout my own schooling experiences and my college career, many influential events and teachers have affected me and has revealed the true teacher I want to be to my students.  Several factors, such as, a classroom that promotes a community environment, discipline techniques that hold accountability, and my responsibility to my students are beyond being just a teacher.
       A community is a group of lives that interact with one another, through, sharing, participation, and fellowship.  The first day when my students walk in the door, my walls will be bare.  It will be my student’s job to decorate the classroom with work by them.  I feel that displaying student work promotes ownership and pride into their classroom.  Also, in a community everyone is equal and has to treat everyone with respect.  This promotes becoming a good citizen in a society.  Also, in my classroom community, I’m not the only teacher and the students are not the only learners.  I want my students to know that they can teach too and just like them I learn new things from them everyday.
     While running a classroom as a community it must have rules also.  My students and I will work together to come up with the classroom rules.  As a community we will discuss and agree on rules that the whole class can live with.  By doing this students are held more accountable for their actions, because they helped make the rules.  Secondly, my students will know my expectations from them on the first day of class.  That my expectation is the very best from them at all times, no exceptions.  By this policy, I will not give zeros for any grade, because not doing work is not an option in my classroom.  I feel that giving zeros is a way for children to get out their work, because they don’t care if they fail, but if they do not have this option they know they have to do their work.
     While being a teacher is my job, I feel that it has so many more layers to it than anyone ever realizes.  I know that I will have to be a parent figure to some children, because the lack of love and discipline received at home.  I will have to be a friend to some, because they have no one to turn to.  I am well aware of the other call of duties that most people are not aware of and ready to be available for any student.  Yes, teachers. Have rules, expectations, and responsibilities to teach standard course of study.  But my number one goal is to walk in that classroom and love every child no matter of abilities, complications, problems, etc…because a child may remember what you taught about food chains, but they will always remember that teacher who loved them and encouraged them to become the person they are today.