Personal Values:

I found value in the growth mindset we learned about this term. I also value kindness and compassion in myself and in my teachers. I think hard work and dedication to one’s goals and one’s decisions are important. These are some of the values that I want to embody as I move forward as an educator.

Scholarly goals: Where I am and where I am going

At this moment, my scholarly goals are to finish the list of books I have purchased to further my knowledge as an educator. I have read Palmer’s book “The Courage to Teach” and Daniel H. Pink’s book “Drive.” I would like to find time to read “Creating Thinking Classrooms” by Garfield Gini-Newman and Roland Case, “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer, “Readicide” and “Teaching Adolescent Writers” by Kelly Gallagher, “Understanding by Design” by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, “Schools that Learn” by Peter M. Senge et al., “Thank You for being Late” by Thomas L. Friedman, “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron, “A Beautiful Constraint” by Adam Morgan and Mark Barden, “The Mind’s Best Work” by D.N. Perkins, “Dive into Inquiry” by Trevor Mackenzie, “Ensouling our Schools” by Jennifer Katz, “Making Thinking Visible” by Ron Ritchhart et al., “The Maker Movement Manifesto” by Mark Hatch, “Embedded Formative Assessment” by Dylan Wiliam, and “Powerful Teaching” by Pooja K. Agarwal and Patrice M. Bain.

How does my current path connect with my preferred future?

I think I am on the right path to building myself up as an educator. I am asking questions, pursuing many avenues of learning, and during my practicum I connected daily with my coaching teacher to get feedback and move forward as a better educator than the day before.

How am I going to reach my goals?

Hard work does not always guarantee success, but without it, one does not have a chance of success at all. I am a hard worker by nature, and I always seek to improve myself. This is how I have accomplished many goals in my life, and I believe this will serve me well in reaching my goals as an educator.

What are your current strengths and weaknesses as a student?

My current strengths are my adaptability in the classroom paired with my ability to plan. I am also a quick learner and an avid reader. Searching out the knowledge of others to better myself and my knowledge and learning is also one of my strengths. As for weaknesses, I have to say what I am continuing to work on in my daily and school life is patience. I believe that patience is an important trait for an educator, and sometimes I catch myself not having quite enough of it. Each day I work to become more patient, and while I have made improvements in this area my whole life, I can’t yet call this weakness of mine a strength.

What motivates you to learn?

Knowledge, wisdom, and my personality. I can be tenacious with answering questions that I have. In anything I choose to invest my time in, much like I have with sewing, I seek out the knowledge and experience of others and then practice until I get better. Practice is something that I grew to enjoy during my pursuit of singing. As a singer, if you want to become better, daily practice and routine and tenacious pursuit of answers is key to success.