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Ms. Holck, the educator
believes that children are capable, curious, & creative. I believe that children need to be given many opportunities to develop as individuals with unique skills and ideas that can be applied and made useful in the real world.  This will be done in a caring environment where nothing other than a student’s best is accepted to be sure each child is challenged on the brim of his or her zone of proximinal development. 

In the classroom, it is critical that an environment is created to enable a community of learners that feel safe to be themselves, take risks, and have fun.  This will be created in my classroom by doing a variety of activities to create a sense of community and by setting up a physical space that is comfortable.

To give students ownership of their actions, students will be highly involved in rule making and problem solving.  In the beginning of the year, it is critical that a strong foundation of expectations is created as a learning community.  When problems arise, students will have the opportunity to discuss their thoughts with me or with the class in a community meeting if appropriate.  Individualized behavior plans will be created as needed to pinpoint any specific challenges students may have.

When creating units and lessons, I will start with framework from the state/district/school to analyze what my students are expected to learn.  I will then consider specific learning targets and assessments that will guide the framework of my lessons and unit planning.  Throughout this process, I hope to work closely with the other teachers and the specialists to be sure the curriculum is aligned.

To motivate students, it is essential that the curriculum is engaging. At any level, it is important students get to experience and reflect on the activities they do in the classroom.   The lessons I teach will use a diverse array of learning styles, giving students opportunities to grow academically, socially, and creatively.  I will use technology to enhance student learning by using interactive websites, digital photography, creating videos of students, and creating podcasts with student voiceovers. This holistic approach to teaching is necessary to raise children to prepare them to be life long learners. 

To make the time children spend in school more meaningful, I will connect their learning to life at home and in the community.  Family involvement will be highly encouraged by sending newsletters and making myself available to meet with parents/guardians as much as possible.  I will also involve my students with the community by doing service-learning projects in which they will be able to use their skills and compassion to address a need.  My class will also have a website that I will operate as a blog where I will post what students are learning, resources they can use to practice at home, podcasts with samples of their work, and what families can do to connect with the school. 

I believe that education is a social justice issue.  Ethically, I hold myself accountable to give children to the tools and resources that will enable them to live a meaningful life using their unique qualities question, understand, and contribute to the global community.  To best serve young people, I also have high expectations for myself to continually challenge myself, take risks, and learn more about humanity and the world we live in.