Over the past year I have come to realize that successful teaching isn’t teaching at all. Rather it is the ability to be adaptable, supportive and available to your students. In fact, teaching is the easy part, because teachable moments can be found in every experience.  For my practicum I had the pleasure of being in one of the most academically and behaviorally challenging classrooms. The lessons I learned from these students allowed me to strengthen my understanding of what it means to be a teacher, and the important role one’s social and emotional well-being has on their ability to learn. As a result, I have been able to better understand myself as a teacher, and have achieved a stronger awareness of what I want for my students and the path I need to follow in order to achieve this.

As a new teacher I have come to realize that my core belief as an educator is to provide my students with a safe, calm, welcoming learning environment. In order to achieve this within my classroom I intend to cater to my students. I will ensure that their learning and expectations are individualized, that they are able to experience the learning through hands on activities, rather than simply memorize and transmit the information.

Most importantly, my teaching will be one focused on mindfulness. As an educator I will be mindful of my students, their lives in and out of school, and to the type of learners they are. I will instill mindfulness into my classroom and my students, so that their relationships with one another and their understanding of self will become stronger.

My ultimate goal as an educator is to support my students in becoming confident, aware learners and individuals. I strongly believe that this is the path that will take them there. When my students feel confident about themselves and their learning the possibilities for their successes are endless. This is what I plan to achieve in my classroom.