Robert John Meehan states, "There are some teachers out there who will tell you that you can't reach all of them. What you've got to do is turn around and say 'watch me now'." This is what I try to do with every waking moment I spend in the halls and classrooms. This is what I have spent the last nine years of my life attempting in every school at which I have had the pleasure of teaching. Every day I aim to be exemplary and to fill each days teaching with boundless passion, zest, and vigor that will make English come alive. I strive to take the time to get to know my students, to understand their stories and to treat each as an individual. Every one of my students has special talents, and it is my duty to find these talents and adapt my lessons to best challenge them as assist in their growth.

My classroom maintains positive relationships focused on respect, and a shared responsibility of the learning process. If real learning is to take place, a classroom must be dependent on the collaboration of its learners, not solely on the knowledge of its teacher. My kids work collaboratively in groups every day. They talk, share ideas, and learn from one another. By working in multiple groups throughout the year, students learn the true meaning of respect. Students learn to consider the ideas, feelings, and differing perspectives of their classmates and to recognize that every individual has unique talents and abilities. My students learn not only respect, but empathy and compassion, as well. They begin to understand the power of their voices and to develop the tools to use them efficiently. It is my hope to not only transform the way my students think while they are in school, but also the way they think for the rest of their lives. My goal is to not simply enlighten my students, but to empower them.

Each year, before I walk into the classroom with my new set of kids, I remind myself of this: The hearts and minds of my kids are filled with dreams. They have dreams for their careers, dreams for their lives, and dreams of whom they would like to become. My role is to encourage my students to turn their dreams from wishes into goals, and then from goals into reality. I can think of no greater accomplishment as a teacher than to see my kids matriculate to success, whatever that may mean to them.

My purpose in life is to teach. I have known this my entire life and have not deviated from it. Each morning as I rise to begin preparing for the day, I know that I am fulfilling what I was put on earth to do. I believe that what I do in the classroom could possibly echo for a lifetime in the heart of a student. And that, truly, is the reason I became a teacher.