My Personal Manifesto 2012/13

Tomorrow school starts again. It is a time of new beginnings and excitement. It is a time of renewal and opportunity. I love the first week of school. It really is my favorite week. I am a purpose driven person and as much as I love the summer, I love having a purpose even more. Tomorrow my purpose begins anew. My personal manifesto this year is to become the teacher I have always wanted to be.

For me that begins with making sure that my room is one of opportunity, excitement, challenge, and safety. Each and every student should feel a part of something grand. All should feel welcomed and valued; especially the ones that need it the most. Each student should feel that they have are free to share and speak their mind whether or not they agree with me or others. They should feel that they are learning and what we are doing is valuable. They should be excited to come to class each day, especially when the weather changes and the novelty of being back in school wears away.

I want to do big things that matter this year. That will require some risk taking and vision, which means that there is the possibility of stumbling and falling along the way. I want to challenge my students to think about themselves and the world in ways they never have before. To see the world from multiple perspectives and opinions and see that there is not one right way to look at things. I want them want to make a difference in their community. I want them to believe that all things are possible and that if they are willing to work hard enough they can accomplish anything.

I believe that teachers have a wonderful opportunity to be inspiring. I want my students to not only dream but to act on those dreams. I want them to want to be better people and citizens. I want them to follow their passion and make their world a better place for everyone. I want them to carry their enthusiasm from the first day to the dog days of winter and to the final week of the year. To seize each day and make the most of their education.

Tomorrow each student starts out fresh. It doesn't matter what they have done, good or bad or not at all, it matters what they do from here on. One of my favorite sayings is that if you want to be an A student then act like one, do the things that A students do. I need to heed my own advice and realize that if I want to be the teacher I dreamed about when I decided to become one, then I need to act like that teacher.

So here's to making this the best year yet. Here's to taking the excitement of Sept and spreading it to January and extending it to June. Here's to becoming the teacher I have always wanted to be. It begins tomorrow. My personal manifesto for this year is to make sure it never ends.