I believe first-rate teachers must have a passion for learning and possess qualities

in creativity and leadership, with a never-give-up attitude, to be truly successful in the

field of education. Educators also need to be lifelong learners in order to instill the love
of learning in their students. Effective teachers are versatile professionals, who
appreciate challenge, and are resourceful. Below, using examples from my own teaching
I explain in greater detail how I try to achieve these teaching goals.
Lifelong Learning
I am captured by the allure of other cultures. From a young age, I was taken by
the wonders of travel. I was born in Leeds, England, and am a dual citizen of the UK
and the USA. Growing up in a diverse suburban area, in New Jersey, and attending a
multiage elementary school, I learned in an environment with a mix of age, background
and culture, in which I developed a compassion and understanding for others. I have
been fortunate to travel with my family to a variety of countries too, and experience
many cultures. When I studied abroad in London for six months, I travelled
independently through Europe at every opportunity possible; I connected to family
history in Belgium and Germany, learned about the architecture of Gaudi in Spain, and
the myth of leprechauns in Ireland, as well as the cultures of eight other European
countries visited.
During my semester abroad, I found that experiential learning is a valuable
approach, and the following year, when I began teaching at Har Sinai Religious School, I
was introduced to an extension of this idea, in project-based learning (PBL). This
model emphasizes student-centered projects to meet the needs of all learners, and helps
to form connections to their community and the world. Students take responsibility for
their learning, and also develop social skills to work with classmates and the teacher as

co-learners. Other professional workshops at Har Sinai have introduced responsive

classroom techniques and the importance of the social and emotional curriculum.
Strong relationships with the families of students is as important as knowing the
students, and is followed with weekly communication. In addition, every week we have
morning meeting to learn about each other and maintain a nurturing environment.
Creating an Open Atmosphere
During the 2014-2015 academic year, I student taught in a first grade classroom
at Monument Elementary School, in the poorest neighborhood in Trenton, New Jersey.
The classroom was inclusive, mainly due to the delay of special education testing until
2nd or 3rd grade, resulting in undiagnosed disabilities. Students often perform better
when they can relate to the lesson through their own experience. From shadowing and
assisting my cooperating teacher, I learned the importance of a safe classroom
community and for students to have a sense of belonging and emotional stability in the
classroom. She hung up students work to promote student ownership and pride, and
offered alternative seating like rug squares and pillows to add warmth and comfort.
Having established a loving classroom environment, students were encouraged to try
their best and given the opportunity for both learning and emotional development.
Being inclusive is a local and global issue, relating to disability, gender, caste and
religion. I began my international teaching experience in Israel in Summer 2015. I lived
in Jerusalem and studied intensive Hebrew (independent of my undergraduate
education) and volunteered semi-weekly at an inclusive school for students with autism.
This experience fostered a passion for teaching abroad. I believe every child deserves to
receive a student-centered education in their least restrictive environment, regardless of
their geographical location, academic/social ability or socio-economic background.

Appreciating Challenge
Experience has taught me traveling and teaching in underserved communities
also requires educators to be resourceful and tenacious, and they often need to act as an
advocate for their students. In summer of 2016, I combined my love of travel and
challenges, and interest in advocacy, and led a cross-country service trip to benefit
affordable housing, cycling 4100 miles from New Haven, CT to Half Moon Bay, CA.
Spending every waking moment with the same 30 people for 11 weeks was a challenge in
and of itself. Together, we saw places of wealth, places drowning in troubles, we built
homes with affordable housing organizations like Habitat for Humanity, and we climbed
mountains together, every kind of mountain. My sense of adventure expanded, with the
excitement of not knowing the sights, people or places I would encounter each day and
whether we would have the power to keep pedaling regardless of the obstacle. Over the
course of this summer, I learned how to be truly grateful for all of the small things that
others have done for me and in return, the significance of the small difference that I can
make, and the domino effect of leading by example. Leading by example translates to
the classroom too; teachers should model and practice lifelong learning habits to
promote student learning, and motivate students.
Yet motivating students to become successful extends beyond the classroom.
Teaching content is only one responsibility of many that a teacher has to her students.
While it is likely students may forget many of the lessons learned in the K-12 education,
the way students learn how to reason and think critically will guide them through life. I
believe in the importance of character education, and teaching the values of empathy,
honesty, responsibility and fairness. The foundation for these skills must be established

in K-12 education. Teaching social skills as well as content fosters the development of
ethical and responsible individuals.
Teaching is more than a job; it is a passion that energizes me. In teaching, there
are three times that I feel most excited: after delivering a lesson plan, where it is clear
my students have learned; when there are so many hands in the air that I do not quite
know who to call on; and when a student reaches that a-ha! moment. These are the
reasons I teach, for that moment of joy and the reward that both my students and I feel
when they are successful.