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Vision Statement
By: Laura Barnes
PD 1
October 5, 2016

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My classroom is a place where students can enter and have a safe and supportive
atmosphere. While in my classroom, the goal is to inspire each and every student to learn and
achieve to the highest of their potential. Parents, student engagement, and respect of others also
helps to inspire the student as well. Nelson Mandela said, Education is the most powerful
weapon which you can use to change the world.
Families who are active and engaged in their childs education are encouraged to be a
part of my classroom. It has been my experience that when the family is involved with their
childs academics, the success of the student is higher. Parent involvement is a crucial force in
childrens development, learning, and success at school and in life. Decades of research in the
area of family involvement have time and again supported the simple fact that children of
involved parents have a much greater chance to develop into healthy, knowledgeable,
responsible, and caring adults. Empowered teachers will empower parents to be involved and
expect more from their children. Empowered parents can inspire their children to do better at
school and in life. (Banswal, 2014). An experience of mine is when I first began my college
career, I was scared to death! With the support of my Dad and my Aunt, I was able to persevere
and get through my first two years. Jane D. Hull said, At the end of the day, the most
overwhelming key to a childs success is the positive involvement of parents.
Another important aspect of my classroom is engagement of the students. When
students are engaged, they pay attention, they are motivated, they learn more, and the learning
sticks.(Banswal, 2014). Research has demonstrated that engaging students in the learning
process increases their attention and focus, motivates them to practice higher-level critical

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thinking skills and promotes meaningful learning experiences. Instructors who adopt a studentcentered approach to instruction increase opportunities for student engagement, which then helps
everyone more successfully achieve the courses learning objectives. By active learning I mean
that students are not simply listening passively to a lecture, but become engaged with the ideas
being communicated, process the information, integrate ideas with what they already know, and
can subsequently transfer their learning to new situations. There is also empirical evidence that
active learning strategies promote greater cognitive development in university students. There is
abundant empirical evidence, however, that students often do not fully comprehend or retain
information transmitted in lectures. (Knapper 2011). This leads to open and honest
communication. In order for a student to engage, they need to be able to communicate or
express themselves. All students with regards to members of multicultural and multiethnic
society. Diversity equals multiple learning styles. My goal is to seek equity for all students.
Another huge aspect of my classroom will be respect. Classrooms are more informed
learning environments when the students feel supported, safe, engaged, and respected. Respect
does not happen overnight but as teachers, we need to be respectful in the context of social,
emotional, and intellectual interactions with the students and other peers. And, the students
must understand that in order for them to be respected, they have to respect one another and their
teachers. In classrooms that respect others, everyones voice is recognized, heard, and
appreciated. When a student feels unsafe is when that student acts out and is not respectful to
others.
My classroom is a place for the students to enter into a safe and socially, emotionally and
academically supportive atmosphere. The students will all be successful learners, engaged
learners, learning with their parents, and will have respect towards everyone. I value the

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relationship between the student, parent, and teacher. The keys to a successful student includes
successful teachers and parents. Every student deserves a descent education. My goal is to give
this education to everybody that walks through my door with the best of my ability.

References

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Engaging students in learning. (n.d.). Retrieved October 12, 2016, from

http://www.washington.edu/teaching/teaching-resources/engaging-students-in-learning/
Engaging Students Through Active Learning - stlhe.ca. (n.d.). Retrieved October 12, 2016, from
https://www.stlhe.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/STLHE-Newsletter-45-2007Winter.pdf
H. Banswal. Parental Involvement in Efficient Education for Building a Strong Nation. Retrieved
October 12, 2016, from
http://www.academia.edu/12099477/Parental_Involvement_in_Efficient_Education_for_
Building_a_Strong_Nation
Inspire My Kids May 20, 2013 by Michael Stutman - http://inspiremykids.com/2013/greatquotes-and-stories-for-kids-about-the-value-of-learning-and-education/