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"I think I can, I think I can . . . "
As so eloquently and simply stated by Edgar A. Guest, “He tackled the thing
that couldn’t be done, and he did it.” It is this drive; this belief
that one can accomplish what one starts out to achieve that drives my teaching. I
strive every day to create a classroom environment where the students feel safe, where they will actively take risks, regardless
of the outcome. Even through our failures we learn. In helping students learn to say “I can,” I use lesson plans that utilize creative problem
solving and show that there is more than one way to approach an issue. Through
this process, I hope to help the students see their own abilities, provide opportunities for success and in turn help them
become confident future decision makers.
A teacher is a guide and a role model as well as an
educator. It is our responsibility to continue learning, not only in formal coursework,
but from those that we seek to teach. We must learn how to motivate our students;
we must listen to them and find out what is relevant to them. In my classroom,
I apply this knowledge to encourage critical thinking and demonstrate that every student is an individual learner. Through a variety of teaching methods that address a number of the students’
learning styles, students in my class know that I believe in them and their abilities. They
are challenged to set expectations for themselves, higher than they thought possible, look at problem from every angle and
open their eyes to see that every time they tackle a task head on, saying “I can do it” that they have achieved
success.
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