In my student teaching orientation, we were asked to write down our core beliefs as teachers so that we can refer back to them when we forget how we got into this mess. I have been working on that tonight, and I will be the first to admit that I am naive and idealistic. But I think that for now, that's an advantage, not a weakness. So here they are: my teaching truths. To all my favorite teachers out there, what are your truths?
Miss Webb’s Teaching Truths
I do not teach Language Arts. I teach people.
My choices determine whether someone is humanized or
dehumanized, whether someone is left uplifted or demeaned.
Literacy is power. Words are our most valuable
resource. Stories are our most reliable truth.
The work I do is important every single day. My students
deserve the best version of myself that I can give them.
Our class is better because of each student’s
unique experiences, beliefs, and language. I will do whatever it takes to make
sure every student feels safe in our classroom, regardless of race, sex, faith,
ethnicity, citizenship status, sexuality, or gender expression.
I want my students to see me learning along with them.
I will listen to my students in a way that
reflects my belief that their ideas are valuable.
Every single student has the potential to succeed and to
learn, just not in the same way or on the same day.
My students will have choices and deserve a say
in how they learn and what happens in our classroom.
Teachers are artists and the mind is their medium.
