It has taken many years, and plenty of good teacher, and students to help me figure out what kind of a teacher I want to be.  Throughout my years at Appalachian State University, I have realized that teaching is much more than helping children pass tests.  Although this is very important, there are many other aspects in my philosophy of teaching.
        My classroom will be a warm, welcoming environment.  Children will feel free to touch everything in the room because it will be a second home for them.  Children need a safe environment so that they can be successful.  I will have centers so that my students will be able to work in groups and get to know one another.  I feel that students learn so much from one another, so I am a supporter of group work. Many times children can understand each other’s thought processes more than they can adults.  One of my centers will be full of books.  I want this area to have comfortable seating with pillows and blankets.  I think this will help students learn to love to read. I also will have an arts and crafts station.  It will be full of odds and ends so that the students will be able to create art, and not just color.  I believe that in letting the students decorate the class because it is their space.  I think that children are so creative and their work is beautiful.  I want them to know that I think their work is worth hanging on our walls, which hopefully make them have pride in their work.
     My internship helped me learn that discipline is a major aspect of becoming an effective teacher.  I think that students should be treated fairly, however, I know they are all different.  Some children have special needs, which need to be considered.  I will allow my students to help create our set of rules for the class.  When students make the rules, they can’t really get too upset when they get reprimanded for breaking them. I will play a crucial role in deciding which rules are needed, because I don’t want to keep up with too many of them.  Children need rules; it provides a sense of stability for them.   I will have a reward system set up so that the children who follow the rules will receive their deserved attention.  I do not believe that the children who break the rules should receive the spotlight, rather those who stand out for being good.
     I believe that good teachers are role models for students.  I hope to live my life in a way that children can look to me for guidance.  I know the line between teacher and friend, and I will not cross it.  I will be fun, and unpredictable.  My children will never know what to expect of me, other than being a person who cares about them.  I will be an actor, a storyteller, a listener, a singer, a musician; I will be a teacher.  I will be able to transform myself into whatever character is needed so that my students will remember what we did in school.  My classroom will be fun.
 My students will leave my classroom knowing that people especially themselves are special.  They will learn to respect each other’s feelings and ideas.  They will learn civic education.  I feel that many students are cruel to one another.  I hope to be like Mr. Faulker, a character in Patricia Polacco’s Thank You Mr. Faulker, who stands up for the students who get picked on.  I want to be kind to all people so that my students can learn by example.
     I am so proud to be a teacher.  I know that my career will be fulfilling, knowing that I am helping students grow.  As a teacher I will place a great deal of importance on curriculum, civil education, and having fun.