10 Point Manifesto to Fulfilling
Teaching
by Cristal Carbajal Benitez
1.
Parent
are partners in education, therefore, I will make sure I connect with my
students’ parents’ or guardians from day one, if not before.
2.
I
will use my students’ test scores NOT as a measure of their abilities, but as a
measure of MY effectiveness as a teacher. I will take responsibility for
my teaching methods and modify them to ensure all my students are learning.
3.
My
students do not come to me as blank slates. They come to my classroom with
large amounts of knowledge, and it is my job to use it to go deeper and
further in their education by using what the already know.
4.
I
will push my students to do better than their best, because they are
capable of it.
5.
An
organized space is needed for an organized mind. My classroom and lessons will
be arranged in a way that distractions are at a minimum and learning is at a
maximum.
6.
My
job is not just to make sure I cover all of the Texas Essential Knowledge and
Skills, but also to teach my students the soft skills that will make
them lifelong and self-regulated learners.
7.
We
cannot expect people to run a race without knowing where the finish line is.
For that reason, my students and I will decide what success looks like and
what we expect to learn after a lesson
8.
My
classroom will be a positive place where all of my students’ identities and
cultures are acknowledged, respected, celebrated and investigated. Multicultural
education will be a part of my teaching methods so that my students know
that their experiences are important and worthy of sharing.
9.
I
need to understand what my impact is on my students. Understanding how
great of an impact I am making on my students’ lives will help me plan my
course of action in regards to their education.
10.
I will
make sure to stop and listen. Listen to my students to make sure they
are learning and listen to my fellow teachers so I can learn from them and
become a better educator.
-Cristal
Leave me a comment and let me know what you think :)
I enjoyed reading all ten of these points. My favorites are # 2 and # 3. I have been teaching now for 10 years and over the years I have seen tests come and go but the students' abilities are always what amaze me each year. I am amazed every year at the prior knowledge they have built, along with their growing vocabulary, especially from ELLs. I sort of view it as the "glass half full" so now we just get to build on the incredible knowledge they already have. from: Julie Brenner M.Ed
ReplyDelete5th grade dual language teacher
I really like that this manifesto honor community and students' knowledge. I tell my students that we are all mutually responsible for the success of the class, which means they should take agency and control of their educations. I also really like the self-reflexivity that you want to practice because as teachers we should always remember what power relationships exist in the classroom. I've seen and heard too many instances where teachers (whether they intend or not) act as bullies because they have power over students. If more people paid attention to these issues, we could improve the quality of education on all levels.
ReplyDeleteCristal, I really enjoyed reading your manifesto. I think that all your points are very important and should be integrated in the classroom. Number one I think is very important because as teachers we have to build a good communication and partnership with parents and students. My favorite one was number two. I feel that sometimes teachers only base intelligence on test scores and do not take knowledge of the student’s abilities in the classroom. It is important to not only base intelligence on test cores but to see each student’s abilities and qualities.
ReplyDeleteLucero Almanza
I liked how you mentioned that you will take the students test scores not as a measure of their abilities, but as a way to measure your effectivness. I really like this idea, becuase I think that some teachers base too mush of their students test scores, and not enough and their usual achievement when there is not an exam. I also liked how you mentioned an organized space in the classroom. If the students do not have enough room to move around, or are distracted by an un clean classroom then it will be harder to learn!
ReplyDeleteSincerely, Dominique