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Jolie Matthews
10/26/16
Vision Statement

Proverbs 27:17 says as iron sharpens iron, one person sharpens another. This is
something I plan to live by in my classroom as well as in life itself. The degree to which a
teacher can impact a students life is just astonishing and my goal is to positively influence my
students (even if it is just one) in just the way my past teachers have influenced me. I personally
have a love and passion for knowledge and passing along that knowledge and seeing others
ultimately achieve, that is why I have chosen the career path of education. My vision for teaching
and learning is to always stay positive and be accommodating for the students.
Accommodating for students different learning styles is the key for their ultimate
success. Per, a proposal by Dr. Gardner at Harvard University, there are eight different
intelligences, known as multiple intelligences. Dr. Gardners intelligences are:

Linguistic Intelligence (word smart)

Logical- Mathematical Intelligence (number/reasoning smart)
Spatial Intelligence (picture smart)
Bodily- Kinesthetic Intelligence (body smart)
Musical Intelligence (music smart)
Interpersonal Intelligence (people smart)
Intrapersonal Intelligence (self-smart)
Naturalist Intelligence (nature smart)

With these Multiple Intelligences in mind I can already know that I will have a very diverse
classroom and thats not including culture, race, religion, gender, age etc., and I must
accommodate many lessons for the benefit of all the students. Many students cannot strive in a
traditional classroom setting because their teachers are too set in their ways of teaching. My goal
in my classroom is to accommodate for those students who learn in various ways. I plan to use
different delivery methods for the lessons, not only for the students who needs it but to also bring
variety to my class. Agriculture classes in high school are electives, so students see them as
blow-off classes, and that is not what I want my students to think about mine. By bringing
variety into my classroom I hope to avoid this stigma that was created by lazy agriculture
teachers.
In life, there are many factors that can bring you down to a negative state; emotionally,
mentally, or even physically. As a teacher, these factors are multiplied by two. Teachers across
the world are put on this pedestal for EVERYONE to see, and the only thing I can think of is to
always, always stay positive, not only for your students but for yourself. Showing your students
that you can stay positive when life hits you hard is essential, because these students are at one of
their most vulnerable stages in life. When students can see someone with authority or someone

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they can look up too, can overcome a bump in the road, it can really alter a students outlook not
only on life but in learning. Keeping my classroom in a positive state will be a challenge but it is
a challenge that I have accepted.
There are many important elements in a student-centered classroom. According to the
book, (Kagan Cooperative Learning, 2009) it states that in a classroom there should be a very
small teachers desk or not one at all, as well as having a learning space where all the students
can come together as one. For example, doing a Kagan structure like a Town Meeting. These are
just a few things that I plan to implement into my future classroom to ensure that my students
feel safe in an environment of learning and feel comfortable around me as a teacher as well as
other students.
The essential qualities of a teacher are to love teaching and teaching with passion. In a
perfect classroom when students see that a teacher loves to teach, students will in turn love to
learn, but not every classroom will be a perfect class and not every student will love to learn.
According to, (Jensen, 2005) there is no such thing as an unmotivated learner, just a learner who
lacks the influence they need. So, every teacher including myself needs to possess the quality of
teaching with passion. Loving to teach and teaching with passion are the two qualities a teacher
needs to positively influence a learner and transform them into a motivated learner.
In conclusion, teachers have the ability to, either build or destroy a students love for
learning and knowledge. My goal is to always love what I do and to teach what I love, as well as
caring for all my students. Students dont care how much you know until they know how much
you care. (Anonymous, Teaching Monster). Many students come to school knowing it is a
haven away from their home life and caring for those individuals will just go to show that there
is always going to be something better. My vision as a teacher is to always make a positive
outcome for all my students who pass through my future classroom and to always be
accommodating for the students who learn differently. I hope that my passion and love for
teaching will influence them to become future educators themselves.

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References
Teaching Community. (2016). Retrieved from,
http://teaching.monster.com/benefits/articles/8742-powerful-quotes-for-teachers-printerfriendly-version
Kagan, Spencer. (2009) Kagan Cooperative learning. San Clemente, CA. Kagan Publishing.
Jensen, Eric. (2005) Teaching with the Brain in Mind. Alexandria, VA. Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development.
American Institute for Learning and Human Development. (2016). Retrieved from
http://www.institute4learning.com/multiple_intelligences.php