The future begins with children- the children I am going to touch in my classroom. All students possess the ability to bring something unique to their learning environment. As an educator, it is my goal to bring forth these special qualities in all students no matter their age, race, gender, socio-economic status, or ability.

All children deserve the right to achieve success in education, and I believe that success begins in the area of language arts. Language arts is the key component to victory in all other subject areas. When students begin to face adverse obstacles in language arts, the struggles begin to trickle into other areas of the curriculum. I am a firm believer in literature and the need for all teachers to fully incorporate this fundamental building block in all lessons and subject areas. Without a firm foundation in phonological awareness, a student is at risk for many struggles in many other areas in the curriculum. Differentiated instruction, a warm classroom environment, and critical thinking skills in language arts are crucial components for a student’s success in the classroom and beyond.

No classroom is identical, and no child is equivalent in learning styles or aptitudes. My role in teaching language arts will reflect the needs of my students. What works one year, may not work the next; what works for one student may not work for the next. Though specific language arts standards much be met yearly, the way in which the curriculum is presented will change based on the interests and needs of my students. Differentiated instruction will play a tremendous role in the area of the language arts in my classroom. Brains were not intended to work the same way, thus, students should not be expected to have duplicate ways of achieving the same assignment. For example, when students are learning about how to identify word structure and the pronunciation of whole words, there are a variety of ways to teach the same concept. Some students may benefit for Orton Gillingham instruction whereas others just need to the rote memorization with the utilization of flashcards. As long as the students end up with the same product, the road to achievement can have many turns. Students need instruction that is guided to meet their specific learning styles, and I will provide an ample amount of instruction that resembles John Dewey’s philosophy.

Students cannot be expected to learn if they do not feel comfortable in their classroom setting. I believe that having a fun, interactive, hands-on learning environment is crucial to students understanding of the material covered. Students do not have as much initiative to learn if their teacher is not fostering a fun and interactive classroom. In my classroom a sense of warmth and belonging will take center-stage. Students of all ability levels will support one another during their endeavors in language arts. I will make a point to get to know every student through speaking, writing, and listening activities and the students will get to know me in the same ways. Hands-on activities do not have to just occur in the area of mathematics, but can also happen in language arts through various reading, writing, speaking, and listening activities. For example, reader’s theatre is an activity that will allow students to hit on various standards presented in the curriculum. Students will have the opportunity to practice skills that make them feel comfortable around their peers and, thus, will enhance the learning process.

Students will be pushed to think outside-the-box in the area of language arts. The students in my classroom will not merely sit at their desk and read independently all day. Instead, they will be pushed to think critically about both fiction and non-fiction texts. They will examine author’s point of view, for example. The students will have plenty of opportunities see and model fluent reading and comprehension strategies through observation and assessment. The students will also have the chance to write creatively on topics that interest them.

No student should ever feel let down by the educational system put in place to guarantee equality among all students. It is my job to ensure that all students have alternative perspectives that provides for a firm foundation in language arts.