Teacher as Ally Badge Proposal

Looking through all of the various badges that I can do for CO301D, I think I will work on Teacher as an Ally next. Besides the obvious reasons (I mean All(ie) is my name), I feel like this badge was made for me. The majority of my time explaining why I am becoming a teacher is spent on expressing how important it is to make a difference in a student's life. I can't make that difference if I don't know how to be an ally to my students. It is really important to understand that students are so much more than testing data and nothing beyond their title of students. They are people first and foremost, and they experience the hardships of life just like any of us. Without teachers allies, they won't be as successful as their potential.

I feel like this badge is really important for me to delve into right now because I definitely understand how teachers can get wrapped up in the aspect of students as "consumers of content". In all of my education classes, we talk about how to get our content to our students, and I think that I will be able to do that, but I can't really make a difference in a student's life if I don't see them beyond their title. I don't want to get caught up in the logistics of teaching too soon, of the generalizations of students, before I even enter my classroom. I need to learn how to be a great teacher ally now so that I can pull from that research as I continue my education as a preservice teacher.

After completing this badge, after graduating college, and when I finally enter my own classroom, I will be able to look back at this badge and wield it to hopefully create some meaningful connections with my students. I will also garner multiple resources during the course of this badge that will be useful to me as a future teacher.