Freedom to Teach

I like to explore culture through art. Each day that I teach I am allowed to present ideas and projects without fear! My students enjoy spending time creating art that represents many other cultures. Like many teachers i have been able to travel. The artifacts, ideas and projects I bring back to my students have enriched their lives in many ways. Students want to hear about other cultures. They embrace diversity through art. I am privileged to present ideas, cultural life and language through art. I truly have the freedom to teach and a reflection of that is that my students have the freedom to learn, which is equally as important!

Highly Qualified means HIGHLY QUALIFIED!

It means that I do not have to do what I consider robotic teaching, every word is not scripted and every activity is not mundane. The freedom to teach allows for me to teach each child in the way that is best for him/her. I can incorporate lessons and activities that interest students based on their learning styles. The freedom to teach means that I can just TEACH and not "teach to the test". It is the freedom to allow students the opportunity to think outside of the box and to be challenged in ways never imagined.

I also have the ability to help shape my students future and become the best they can be.

Teachers are trusted to make decisions about their students that will effectively support all aspects of their learning including academic, problem solving, communication, creative thinking, <br>and and social and emotional skills.

Lesson plans are great, but everyday is a different day with new questions or inquiries. We should be able to teach to the moment. Explore the things that the children are asking about. Go off track a little bit in order to instill some high order thinking questions. Children need to be challenged and talked to, not talked at. Children are sponges and if we don’t have the ability to teach to the moment, we are doing them a great disservice. Good teachers will create great students. Give us that opportunity.

I enjoy my extra free time.