It was sitting in my mother’s classroom as a toddler when I first realized I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up.  Some of my most memorable moments include watching my mother grade papers in the evenings, write out her weekly lesson plans, and most of all helping her prepare materials for her bulletin board displays.  Through all of this I learned the importance of a good education and the value of hard work. 

The summer before 4^th grade, I was excited to find out that my new teacher would be Mrs. Flores.  As a third grader, I used to see Mrs. Flores interact with her class and I saw the passion she had for kids.  I wanted to witness it for myself.  My fondest memories of fourth grade were the books she read and the way she read each story with expression.  She made me believe she was a character in the books she was reading.  Her passion was contagious!  I longed for the day I could mimic this with my very own students.   She motivated me to work to my highest potential and always pushed me to reach for greatness.  My mother’s hard work and determination as well as Mrs. Flores’s love for her students and fervor for teaching inspired me to be a teacher.

In my college years, I felt like teaching would be a “piece of cake”.  Passing the courses, learning the theories, and preparing thematic units…I thought I knew it all and I was aching for more of a challenge.  It wasn’t until my first day of student teaching, that I realized that teaching was really about putting everything I learned into practice with the kids.  Not only did I have to learn to present the knowledge in various ways so that each child could take it to their highest potential, but I also had to mold minds and encourage students to develop into independent, lifelong learners.

My teaching style and techniques are evolving daily as I learn through professional development and by studying my peers.  This is facilitated through my personal and professional accomplishments, which include:  Bilingual & GT Certifications, 3^rd grade team leader 2007-08, TAC representative in the district, John Antonetti (campus representative), “CATCH” Committee representative, Shared Decision Council Committee member (for campus)07-08, Yearbook advisor for campus 2005 – 2007, and over 300 Professional Development hours.

            With so many technological advances in recent years, I strongly feel that you can not fully prepare a child for the world without exposing them to technology.  This year, at my school, I am piloting a technology-based bilingual “transition” classroom where each student has their own laptop, and the chalkboard has been replaced by an electronic whiteboard.  The Math day begins with students using the internet to compare their communities’ weather with that of another community in the world.  Later during Reading, students respond to literature via an internet-based class website where they can share their responses in a “blog” format.  This technology environment helps to boost my teaching by allowing me to speak to this generation of I-pods, I-phones, and I-blogs.  Students are able to learn, comprehend, and interact with technology in a meaningful way. 

            Outside of my classroom, there is nothing more rewarding than finding a way to devote my time, energy, and compassion to help my neighbors and give back to my community. I am a part of a group at a local church that devotes two weekends a month to volunteer/service projects.  From volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, to working in a food bank, to visiting the elderly, there are countless ways we strive to touch the hearts and lives of those around us.  This is one of the ways I can be involved in transforming the community that my students live in.  Education is connected to how a person treats others.  Students learn from their whole environment, not just from programs and activities that are designed to teach. They respond to cultures of empowerment.  The best way to influence children is through volunteering and service.

            My philosophy of teaching:  I can touch each of my students' lives and inspire them to learn from every experience in life.  Inspiring students to be lifelong learners means that I have to continually ask myself – How am I growing as a teacher? To grow as a teacher, I feel that the following traits are important for teachers to cultivate: open-mindedness—keeping a childlike wonder toward life and learning, open heartedness—to keep the learning process dynamic, and responsibility—ability to see something through to the end.  I embrace teaching as an opportunity to inspire and empower. As a teacher, it is my goal to enhance student learning.  Ideally, I want my students to feel personally changed through their year with me. I believe teachers have a duty to their profession, their students, and themselves. Fulfilling this duty requires that a teacher never stop learning, continues to evaluate his or her performance among colleagues and students, and leads by example inside and outside of the classroom.  The key to my philosophy rests on the idea that I must set high standards for my students and for myself.  Hopefully one day, my former students will express the same admiration and gratitude that I acquired for my mother and Mrs. Flores.