In a classroom setting, I would seek to organize my class in a “person-centered” manner; this means sharing the leadership, facilitation, responsibilities, discipline, and management with the students to help further their engagement in learning (Freiberg, 2001). Ultimately, I would like to establish a class culture where all my students feel valued, respected, and thus confident to share in new learning experiences. In this type of environment, “…teachers remain content experts, [but] the cohesive nature of the classroom community creates a space for students to share their unique experiences and encourages students to become advocates of their own learning” (Greene & Mitcham, 2012, p. 14). As an aspiring physical education teacher, it is my desire to help cultivate good citizens as well as good students. I believe this is best achieved through emphasizing community building within the classroom and within the school itself (Schaps, 2009).

In conclusion, I hope to be a teacher who can help inspire students both inside and outside of the classroom. I want to create a culture where students respect and value one another and push each other to be better every day. This, I believe, can be accomplished by adopting a person-centered learning environment in which students are given the opportunity to take risks, try new things, and not fear making mistakes.