I will not be a sage on a stage. I will not stand and deliver. I will take responsibility for my students learning. I will forge strong relationships with them. I will care about my students before I expect anything at all from them. I will regularly assess their progress. I will not evaluate them too early or preoccupy them with those abstract numbers presumptuously called “grades.”
I will be sensitive to the emotional and physical state of my students. If they are hungry, or tired, or stressed, I will do something about it. I will make their lessons matter, even if I have to discuss the laws of attraction between Selena Gomez and Justin Beiber. I will make lessons active and involve all students. I will not let them be passive. They will not sit with vacant expressions in confusion or boredom. I will assess the limits of their abilities and slowly challenge my students to go past them. I will not overwhelm or coddle them. I will be their coach and guide them along their journey. I will not let their hard earned skills stagnate. They will use it and they will not lose it. They will reflect in journals or in small groups. I will make them think about their own learning. They will assess themselves and plan their next steps.
I will be their ally. I will support their passions and provide scaffolding for their challenges. I will be there. Most of all I will care because I am a teacher.
We discussed the conditions of powerful learning in class. My classmate Daniel Lafferty lists them very well and provides an insightful story here: http://mrdanlafferty.weebly.com/1/post/2013/09/conditions-for-powerful-learning.html The eight conditions for powerful learning create a vital part of what needs to be our teaching philosophy as we enter the profession. This pledge is meant to reinforce what we have learned.
What would you say differently? What would you add or omit? What will you do as a teacher?