::GOALS::

What are my goals as a teacher? * Why am I teaching? * Why am I teaching social studies?

For myself:
I want to keep learning.
I love teaching. Especially with youth.
A powerful, meaningful, challenging and rewarding experience.
I have a vision of what classrooms, schools, education, and society should be like---and I want to be part of transforming what they are like now and realizing that dream.
Urban School reform.

Why social studies? I like history, studying the past and looking towards the future. Thinking about society and social change.

For the students:
I want to help kids learn and to enjoy learning.
I want to create a safe environment, a caring community within the classroom, the school, and beyond.
I want to encourage active, interactive participation.
I want to empower students. Students will have agency, ownership of their learning experience. Students develop their identities and values and become independent, strong individuals.
I want to care about the students and respect them. Developing trust, sincere relationships.
I want to teach a content rich curriculum and present it in an effective, efficient way.
I want to teach process, organization
I want to teach enduring knowledge, understanding of life, the world.
I want students to become critical thinkers & visionaries…reflecting on themselves, their society, their future.
I want to have a positive attitude. Be a role model. If I am passionate about teaching and learning, then perhaps the students will be inspired to further pursue higher education.
I want to set high expectations.