The three ideals that are meaningful to me and
have become a part of my professional life
I-1.5—To
create and maintain safe and healthy settings that foster children’s social,
emotional,
cognitive, and physical development and that respect their dignity
and
their contributions.
In order for children to learn, grow,
and prosper, I feel that they need to feel
safe and supported. Many times without these conditions, the mind
may revert
to a focus on survival. A healthy, safe, and supportive
learning environment
enables young children to learn in
powerful ways. Within the classroom
environment I feel that every child
is important and I treat each one the same
with respect and dignity. Developmental domains are interrelated, therefore
I
have to use these interrelationships to organize
children’s learning
experiences in ways that help them develop
optimally in all areas and that
will also make meaningful connections
across domains.
I-1.3—To recognize and respect
the unique qualities, abilities, and potential of each
child.
As a teacher, I must provide students with an environment that is
conducive to
learning. I know that if a student
feels uncomfortable, unsafe, or not respected,
then their chances of success in that
class dramatically decrease. I realize
that every child is different and
develop at different levels. In order
for me to
recognize a child’s unique
qualities, abilities, and potential, I will have to take
time to learn about their background,
interests, and learning styles, give them
time to learn about each other in
order for everyone to gain an appreciation for
the diversity they bring to the
class, invite different people to the class as
resources in which students may be
able to connect with, and most of all never
tolerate teasing or bullying at any
time.
I-1.9—To advocate for and
ensure that all children, including those with special needs,
have access to the support services
needed to be successful.
I feel that every child has the right
to a free and appropriate public school
education. As an advocate one of the most important
things that I can do is to
be completely involved in their education.
I am a part of every decision
regarding the child’s education which
also may include the process of finding
out if he/she needs special
services. I feel that my input should be
considered
at each and every opportunity. I have become very familiar with my rights as
a
child’s advocate. These rights are also federally mandated by
the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA).
