The following is based on an essay prompt on my PAREAP application.
1. What are your three (3) most important reasons for wanting to be a teacher?
I want to be a role model for young children, because while I had good influences in my life I understand not everyone is so lucky. I also want to do something that can make an impact in society. Finally, I remember my great teachers, and would like to create those memories for today's students.
2. How much do you want to know about your students in order to be helpful to them?
I want to know enough about my students to form a brief biographical sketch of them and have an idea of how I can best serve their needs, either as an educator or a role model. However I do not want to know so much that my personal thoughts on a student to impact my attitude towards him or her.
3. What three (3) things do you most want to know about your students?
I want to know what my students goals are so I can help them work towards them. I want to know what interests them so I can present the information from the same point of view. I also want to know what areas they struggle with so I can focus on those areas and help the student improve him/herself.
4. What do you need to know in order to begin your lesson planning for a class?
I need to know if the students are more responsive to visual or audible information, how much work the students can handle in a given period, and how much they can do in one sitting so I can maximize the productivity of my lesson. I need to know the goals of future lessons so I can build up to them.
5. What four (4) key components do you believe you must include in your plan?
I need a clear set of objectives for the lesson. I need something to draw in the students' attention. I need a period of input/modeling where I relate the necessary information to the students. Finally, I need a closing activity to serve as assessment of the students' grasp of the lesson material.
6. When you think about your students, in what major ways do you most want to influence their lives?
I want to help students set lifetime goals, something they may not have thought was possible. Then I want to help them work towards these goals and take steps towards achieving them. I'd like to show them how to respect each other throughout their lives and serve as a positive role model for them.
7. List and describe two (2) core teaching strategies you most utilized in your classroom.
Two strategies I use in my classroom are hands-on learning and peer review. I like using a hands-on activity as assessment or reinforcement to give students visual stimuli. I've found peer review makes students more accountable for their work because they know others may see it.