When you think about your students, in what major ways do you most want to influence their lives?

Answer 1

I teach English to 6th and 7th grade students in an inner city, minority school. That being said, I could care less if, when they are adults, if they can properly use a semi-colon or define alliteration. What I do care about is if I have taught them how to be a contributing member of society. I care if they have learned respect, compassion, loyalty and integrity. I would like to see them select something positive to achieve and succeed in. Most of all, I hope that some day, just one of them finds me and says,
" Mr. S., I can help people now because you helped me then."

Answer 2

Building self-esteem for a child comes through hard work that is celebrated. I don't believe in pumping up kids for the sake of feel-good feelings. For my students, who are all second language learners at varying levels of English proficiency, I know I will have had a lasting influence if they make huge gains in critical thinking, reading, writing and speaking in both their home and adopted languages. I set ambitious goals this year for them, I'm hoping they make a 2 year gain in 1 year. Point blank....if you can not think, read, write and speak well in English you can not get ahead in life.

Answer 3

To think outside the box.
Too often our lives leave us feeling trapped in situations that we can't control.
At some point, we have to learn to think outside the box (trap) and do something we don't think is possible but will do anyway because the results could be totally unexpected.
Kids can't control the living situations they are in, but they can control where they go from there.
My hope is to give them the tools to get out of the box.

Answer 4

I want each student to know that they can achieve their dreams. There is an old teaching approach called "Teacher Expectation, Student Achievement (TESA)" wherein we set high standards for our students and then do whatever is needed to ensure that they learn - and I mean everything: after-school sessions, individual tutoring, working with parents, team-teaching, and so on.

I've seen it work; it's often exhausting for everyone involved, including the student, but it is worth the work.

Answer 5

Corny Alert!
I just really want them to know they have someone in their lives who cares about them and their future. It would be great to instill in them the love of learning and the desire to live up to their potential, no matter what their background or circumstances. Sad thing about teaching is that we may never know who and how we influenced a child. We keep doing it though.

Answer 6

I've taught every level from second grade to graduate students, and no matter what age or subject I'm teaching, I want my students to be curious about everything they encounter in their lives, and to have the skills to be able to continue learning about the things they're curious about.

Answer 7

I teach inner city kids who come from difficult backgrounds. They have a lot of odds stacked against them. I want to help them to know that they can stand up and be the ones to stop the ongoing violence in their community.There's at least a shooting a week. I want to give them the building blocks to step up on and get out. They deserve better.

Answer 8

I want my students to be well rounded individuals who will make a positive contribution no matter how small.

Answer 9

Besides teaching them the basic subjects, I hope to enhance their self-esteem and help them learn how to treat others nicely.

Answer 10

I want them to have confidence in the learning process itself: to not be afraid of making mistakes and learning from them. I want them to use critical thinking in the classroom and in real life. I want them to learn the benefits of cooperation (as opposed to competition). I want them to learn good manners and respect for all others, even when they disagree with them. I want them to know how to stand up for themselves in appropriate ways. I want them to make meaningful and happy lives for themselves, and, to the degree in which it is possible, for others.