I believe teachers can be agents for social change. I believe that they can make their classrooms into safe spaces and foster respect, community, critical thought, engagement and reflection in the classroom that will transcend out into the greater community. I believe that teachers can make a difference by learning about the lives of their students outside of the classroom and using that knowledge to influence what happens inside of the classroom.

I believe children deserve respect, safe places, and adults to look up to, food, shelter, health care, understanding, time and the benefit of the doubt. I believe children deserve stability in their lives in some form, and a teacher who believes the best in them and will work to help make the best come out. I believe children deserve to be enabled with the tools to be critical, reflective and active participants in the community.

I believe classrooms are the place for discussions, insights, constructive conflicts, honesty, respect and growth. I believe that classrooms need to breed a sense of community and connection to others. I believe classrooms need to have a layer of tension – between what students see and what students learn, what science can explain and what is left unknown, what students believe the world should be like and what it actually is like, and the million other things in our world that create tension, uncomfort and questions. I believe classrooms should be a safe place to address these tensions and figure out what to do about them.