“All children have gifts, some just open them at different times.”
                                                                                     -Patricia Polacco

 Through my college education at Appalachian State University and my experiences with children of all ages, I have discovered the kind of teacher I truly want to be.  There are several factors that I will have in my classroom to make this happen.  They include a safe, nurturing classroom environment, discipline implemented by myself and my students, and an attitude of inquiry and critical thinking.
 My first priority will be to provide safety for my students.   Children, or anyone for that matter, cannot learn without emotional and physical safety.  I will teach my students to be respectful and compassionate, to respect themselves and each other’s feelings.  I want to spare my children from the pain and trauma that many kids go through during their school career due to taunting and teasing from their classmates.   To learn compassion for their fellow man is an attribute that will serve humanity and my students.   My classroom environment will be one filled with posted student work.  This gives student pride in their schoolwork and ownership in their classroom.  I will have a room stocked with children’s literature and supplies of all kinds for student access.  I want my kids to find something they can feel passionate about and have success in.   I want my classroom to foster high self-esteem as my students realize that they can achieve and be anything and go anywhere if they work hard enough.  I will help them find their gift, whatever it may be.  I never want my students to feel they have failed in school and are at a dead end. I will teach my students to take responsibility for their actions and their work, and to strive to be an example to other students and adults alike.  My classroom will also be safe because we will practice mutual respect and celebrate diversity by understanding and appreciating each other’s differences.
 I believe in running a fairly tight ship.  Children need structure and routine in their lives.  My students and I will collaborate at the beginning of the year to set rules and routines that we all can live with.  It is so important to include students in this process- if they help set rules, they then have an understanding of why they are necessary and an intrinsic want to follow them.
 I guess I consider myself a Pragmatist.  Sometimes called “progressive education,” pragmatism is concerned with the needs and interests of the child in the classroom, allows them to assist in planning their curriculum, and focuses on an inquiry method of instruction.  The students have more freedom than in a traditional classroom, but they also have more responsibility. I want to foster curious minds in my classroom- ones that question everything and have a yearning for knowledge.  I will not teach my students facts by rote memorization or how to fill in worksheets; I will teach them how to think!
 Only an elementary school teacher would aspire to be like a Dr. Seuss character, but I do.  Miss Bonkers, of Hooray for Diffendoofer Day is a teacher at a fabulous school.  The teachers of Diffendoofer School are remarkable- they’re different, but Miss bonkers is different-er than the rest.  She is “bouncy as a flea,” and teacher her students everything, including how to think!
 A teacher must wear a million hats everyday- sometimes she must be everything for her students.  I want to give my children the things that they need and the things that will enhance their education and their life.  I want to quietly but surely change the lives of the students that I teach.  Sometimes a teacher is all they have.