APPLICATION 5: MISSION STATEMENT
Final Mission Statement
Rochelle Henely
#6610T2005
My mission
as a teacher is to have an interactive community of eager and active
learners. I will teach a program that raises student’s self-esteem and
confidence in themselves. It is my mission to empower the students with the
knowledge needed to make responsible choices to become productive members
of society.
Creating a mission statement is a unique experience for each individual.
It can be “as short as a haiku or as long as novellas” (Lewine, 2006,
p.2). The process should be a reflection on experience and a vision of desired
goals. The mission statement is a living document and it will evolve along with
the teacher (Constandse. 2004-2006). As I viewed The Power of Mission (Laureate,
2001), I wrote down some important messages to myself. I used these as a basis
for my week five discussion and my first draft of my mission statement. The
following is my first draft.
In writing the first draft of my mission statement, my first thoughts were on the students and their success. If the students believe in my prophesy for their success, then their own self-fulfilling prophesy can lead them on the road to success. As my mission statement says, I will empower them with knowledge. My belief that this will make them successful is essential to their belief in themselves, thus the Pygmalion effect (Cotton, 2001).
I would also like my classroom to be an exciting place for my students to learn. The students will know the expectations and eagerly begin each day. As befits any productive classroom, my students will begin the period with a “do now”. This serves as a doorway into the learning for the day. Having a focus at the start of the period gets the students on task and thinking about math right away. “On task” does not mean that the students are all sitting quietly completing a worksheet. I want my classroom to be a beehive of interactive learning.
A mission statement is stated to provide a road map for the students and myself (Frank, 1999). Most mission statements that I reviewed seemed lean towards the success of the students. As the teacher, I am an integral part of this success. I reevaluated my mission statement to include goals for my own improvement. I believe that including personal goals can only benefit my goals for the students. If the students realize that every day the teacher is striving to reach their best, it will inspire them to do the same. My mission statement evolved into the following.
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My mission statement will be posted in view of my students and myself. I will evaluate it often. Whether change is needed in my classroom, my statement, or myself the appropriate actions will be taken. Again, the mission statement is a living document and it will evolve along with the teacher (Constandse. 2004-2006). To become the high-performing teacher that I desire to be, I will evolve along with my mission statement!
References
Constandse, R. (2004-2006). Writing a Personal Mission Statement. Time Thoughts.
Retrieved March 29, 2006 from http://www.timethoughts.com/goalsetting/
mission-statements.htm
Cotton, K. (2001). Expectation and student outcomes. School Improvement Research
Series (SIRS) [Electronic version]. Retrieved June 1, 2005, from the Northwest
Regional Educational Laboratory Web site: http://www.nwrel.org/scpd/sirs/4
/cu7.html
Frank, P. (1999, Fall). Become a reflective teacher: Define your teaching goals and
continue to reevaluate them. ASCD Catalyst. Retrieved March 28,2006, from
http://www.nea.org/teachexperience/tresk030605.html?mode=print
Lewine, Edward. (2006) . A family constitution, The New York Times Retrieved March
28, 2006 from http://www.teachmorelovemore.org/ArticlesDetails.asp
?rticleid=9591
Tauber, Robert T. (1998). Good and Bad, What Teachers Expect from Students They
Generally Get!. ERIC Clearinghouse on Teaching and Teacher Education.
Washington, D.C