Before The Adventure Begins

I showed up to my first Teach for America interview with an arsenal of sound bytes about a great variety of topics: student capacity for learning, the role of teachers in education, the challenges associated with becoming an educator in an area that serves low-income populations, and how external forces create obstacles to student achievement.

These tidbits have come to shape my set of core beliefs about education. I list them here in my inaugural post so I can see if (and how) my attitudes shift after I have completed my two year adventure.

1. Circumstances limit opportunity to learn, NOT capacity. This makes it exceedingly important that every moment is used as an opportunity for me to teach and an opportunity for students to learn.
2. Time is the least available and most valuable resource. Student disadvantage is compounded year after year as they continue to fall behind. by the time they reach me, in middle or high school, they don't have any more time to fall behind.
3. Resources limit opportunities. Some students are parents, serve as primary caregivers, or work multiple jobs after school. They deal with issues far beyond their maturity level, many of which I cannot fathom. As such, they cannot necessarily be counted on to do work outside of class, which is out of my control. This makes it critical for me to rely on what I can control, which is the time that they are in my class.
4. The #1 problem in schools is attendance. Plain and simple - if kids aren't in class, I can't teach them.
5. There aren't problem kids, there are only problem behaviors, all of which have a root. Students misbehave because they are not interested or engaged, because I'm not explaining the topic well enough, because I don't have a strong presence, or because I am not challenging them enough. In order to avoid this, my classroom needs to have structure and predictability. I need to work with students exhibiting these behaviors to figure out why and how we can work together to prevent them from acting out in the future.
6. Students are who they are, so focus on what my behavior is. It is crucial that I self-evaluate and change my behavior to address the needs of my students, rather than criticize their behaviors.
7. Teachers cannot blame the community, parents, poverty, or anything else for underachieving students. While it is undeniable that each of these situations present challenges, each can be overcome. Never look to blame anyone else or anything else before looking to myself; I need to utilize an internal locus of control to see what, as the teacher, I need to change.
8. Never lower standards even when your students are behind. If anything, raise them. Raising standards will encourage students to rise to the challenge; this, in turn, will accelerate their learning. Don't let them fail because of these higher standards, instead, constantly assess them and adjust my tactics to help them succeed and gain confidence.
9. Don't teach to the test. If students are learning at a high level, they will pass any standardized test with flying colors.
10. Teachers can change everything. It is my duty as a teacher to change my students' agency and instill in them an intrinsic motivation to learn. They need to want to learn for themselves, not just to impress their peers, their parents, or their teacher. Once they are on this track, they will be excited about learning and put themselves on a path to future successes.

Now comes putting all these into action. I'll check back in two years.