"If we succeed in giving the love of learning, the learning itself is sure to follow." ~John Lubbock

 

I enter education, not as a safety net, not as a career, but more of a mission. A mission to become a better human being, to make a difference, to be a leader and to inspire the youth of today to believe more and to achieve their greatest potential.

 

I believe in the value of education. Everyday I see how education makes or breaks opportunity. Opportunity creates choices and these choices create lives. I believe if a person is a life long learner, there is nothing they can not accomplish, and as a teacher the greatest gift I can give someone is a passion for learning.

 

I am in no means an academic, however I am a life long learner and when I look around at society I feel that this one value alone separates those who achieve their dreams and those that do not. A love of learning removes the fear from making a mistake which in turn leads to innovation and a better future. I look back at my formal education and wish there was more room for mistakes, more room for "real" learning and more value placed on individuality.  

 

The miraculous opportunities, twists and turns I have encounter in both my personal and professional life have led me to believe that there is only so much happiness I can obtain by consuming and that true happiness comes from giving back.

 

“What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world, remains and is immortal.” - Albert Pine

 

I believe the role of a teacher is critical to the successful evolution of Human beings. Students in my classroom will one day have the responsibility to contribute and lead society, and as a teacher I feel the responsibility to instill values such as compassion, integrity, confidence, perseverance and respect. Furthermore I strongly believe these values can not be taught, only learnt. As a teacher I am a leader and for me a leader is simple a role model. There is a poem which I believe best explains this:

 

No written word

no spoken pleas

can teach our youth what they should be,

nor all the books

on all the shelves,

it's what the teachers are themselves..  - Anonymous

 

I believe in an education system that values questions above answers; creativity above recall; individuality above conformity and excellence above standardised performance. I believe that student diversity should be encouraged and nurtured, that every student has a right to be heard, a right to participate and that a learning environment should be fun and respectful.

 

But most of all I am humbled by the thought that I will have the opportunity to make a difference in my students lives, and that I am entrusted by parents, schools and society with this great responsibility and privileged.