Afternoon Pages: This, Too, We Believe

Creating a class motto seems to be a tall order. There are so many different things that I know I want to encompass as a teacher, as well as learn as a student. I feel like my motto, as far as what I wish to be as a student, and a teacher, would be "I learn to teach and teach to learn".

If I were to choose how I would describe myself, in the realms of school, I would definitely say that I am a teacher and I am a learner. The two roles interact with each other almost always on a day-to-day basis. There is no teaching without learning and vice versa.

It's important to understand that I am going to school and learning how to be a teacher now, but when I actually become a teacher, my lifelong learning commences. I want to be able to provide my students with the knowledge of the world, far beyond English curriculum. As Paolo Freire iterates, we are teacher-learners, and it is essential to a well-rounded classroom to admit when you are wrong, or provide supplemental learning for your students.

This motto could also encompass taking my years of learning and transferring it to teaching. I can reflect on strategies that I best learned from, and teaacher attitudes that I most accepted, and subjects that I felt to be vital, and transfer it to the students in my classroom. Being a learner and being a teacher are one of the same, and it is important to understand that, so you can create an engaging classroom environment.