One of my very steadfast beliefs as an educator surround the idea of relationships. I believe that relationships with students are the very foundations of what it means to be able to educate someone to their fullest potential. Without relationships, however they may form, would be similar to trying to teach a blank slate, utterly pointless. No child is ever a blank slate, and nor should they be treated like one, regardless of their language, culture or socioeconomic status. All of these characteristics of a child are brought into a classroom and affect a child's ability to learn and communicate, and being aware of these will allow myself as a teacher to know how to best communicate with each student as an individual, along with building relationships with parents and carers. Relationships not only foster communication, but also respect and trust . Being consistent is of great importance to me when developing trust. It is after the development of a relationship that we can then empower and educate children, and provide positive change within the school community, especially those who cannot find freedom outside of the school environment.



One of the benefits I have found becoming a teacher is the fact that I am constantly learning and growing. When I was in primary school as a student, I portrayed my teachers as endless scrolls of perfect knowledge, they knew absolutely everything. It turns out that teachers do not always know everything and are definitely not perfect. I am constantly learning, especially from my own students, staff and school community, and our local and global environments. I believe that by engaging in critical thinking as a common everyday practice within my classroom, I can truly instill this skill within the minds of the children that I teach. Children need to be challenged and given an opportunity to practice this life long skill, in the classroom and at home and be presented with opportunities for deeper thinking. This fosters the development for life long learning. Constant questioning about the purpose of a lesson or unit of work as an educator assists myself with this.  



I believe that a good teacher is one that can adapt to change, whether this be in the curriculum, technology or every day teaching practice. I know I have adapted to the unpredictability of a school day but at the same time, use my thorough  organisational skills to prepare my students for effective learning opportunities. For myself, planning and preparation is essential for creating  equal opportunities for a range of abilities within my classroom. 



I am a strong believer in modelling behaviours and attitudes within my everyday teaching practice. I believe that as a teacher, when I express confidence, enthusiasm and willingness to attempt certain learning experiences that may be challenging, my students will follow. I also model the behaviour that I wish for the students to show me in return, these include respect and courtesy.  I do not believe that yelling and screaming is a way to earn respect with anyone, let alone young minds. Therefore, I believe students need to be disciplined in a positive manner to allow them to learn from their experience, and to also be able to see that discipline is not always a negative event.



I believe that instilling fear in children with ones presence as an educator, whether this be by humiliation, loosing ones temper, labeling or making false presumptions about a child's future, is the most debilitating and unnecessary act one could possibly do as an educator. Education is a positive concept, not one that is based on fear, especially fear of failing. I will always provide a safe and happy learning environment whereby students can grow emotionally, socially, physically, intellectually and spiritually.



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