There are many values and beliefs that have led me to and supported me in teaching. Most importantly, I feel that it is the students we are teaching today that will shape the future societies and generations of tomorrow. Therefore, we have a responsibility as elementary school teachers to help guide children as they learn how to be active and responsible individuals. By creating caring communities in our classrooms and by teaching children to respect and appreciate others, we are helping them to develop skills to participate in and contribute to the world outside of the classroom. In making learning exciting, fun and worthwhile, we are showing them the possibilities that exist in that world. I keep these beliefs in mind to guide me because I know that I have the opportunity as a teacher to make a difference in the lives of my students. School as Community ''Learning to be a part of that community is an essential, perhaps the essential goal we should set for our students and ourselves.'' a- Mara Sapon-Shevin, Because We Can Change the World (1999, p.1) The community that Sapon-Shevin mentions is a caring classroom community built around core values such as inclusion, courage and cooperation. It is a community where all aspects of students' development - intellectual, social, and moral - can flourish. Indeed, our schools are mini-communities in which many children are first exposed to being part of a group that shares and works together. However, as a teacher, it is my role to help my students move beyond just learning how to share and get along. Sapon-Shevin notes that it is within our classroom communities that we can ''help students acquire the attitudes and skills they will need to move beyond the borders of the classroom and school and into the broader community'' (1999, p. xi). In this early community within the classroom, children begin to understand that they are a part of something bigger. By being part of a community, children learn to be socially responsible - taking responsibility for their own behavior as well as being responsible to others, and learning to communicate and problem solve. They also learn concepts behind friendship and cooperation - that they can work with each other, supporting and helping one another along the way. It is within communities like this that people form relationships and begin to understand some of the ways they are connected to other people. Teaching the values behind community and democracy at a young age is essential for developing and creating a personal commitment to those values. I believe that creating this classroom community of friends and learners is so important because it serves as a solid base from which young children can move out into the world. We All Belong In order to take part in a community of learners, students need to feel like it is a place where they belong. As a teacher, it is my responsibility to actively create an environment in which everyone is successful, everyone receives praise, and everyone is valued. This environment, or community, should be one in which all children have a voice and know that they are valued members of the group, each one being appreciated for who they are. Teaching to respect one another is at the core of getting to a place of belonging. I believe that the first step in this process is learning to respect oneself. I want to build on my students' moments of success so that they learn to be proud of themselves and confident in their abilities. Students must feel completely secure with their own place in the classroom community in order for them to ''relax, take risks, learn, and connect with others'' (Sapon-Shevin, 1999, p. 20). From respecting oneself and being proud of one's own successes, the next step is learning how to support and encourage others in their endeavors and accomplishments. Respecting differences and encouraging strengths in the classroom will lead to embracing diversity and valuing what each individual brings to our community, as well as knowing that it is this diversity that makes our community enriching and exciting. If each student feels like they belong in our community, and they feel safe and respected by others, each will realize his or her part in reaching out to others to increase belonging even more. This feeling of safety or security is more than just physical safety. It is an emotional safety that comes when someone feels that they belong and are appreciated. It is the safety to be yourself, to be vulnerable, to ask for help, and to let yourself be warmly supported. This comes from an acceptance and appreciation for all and a knowledge that everyone can succeed. Once children have learned what it is like to feel connected and supported, they can expand and extend those feelings further to the community within our classroom and to the greater community outside the school. By starting small with belonging in our classroom community, children are given the tools to understand and take part in universal respect for others. Learning is Fun I want to instill in each of my students an excitement for learning that will stay with them and continue to grow throughout their lives. This begins in the positive learning environment established in creating a classroom community where everyone belongs. In this community, each child feels safe and comfortable to make mistakes, ask questions, and build on experiences of success. School should not only be a safe and comfortable place, but also one where lessons are creative and authentic and humor and laughter are revered. School is not a place to fill minds with facts, but a place where learning is naturally fun and meaningful and where students are engaged with their learning and with each other. As a teacher, it is my job to help create this excitement for my students, but it is the students that will take it and make it their own. It is as if I am lighting a spark of excitement in them that will hopefully burn for years to come. The foundations of this excitement are engaging lessons and activities that are meaningful and authentic for children. However, lighting the spark goes beyond creative lesson planning. It is developing a curiosity in children to find out more, to investigate, and to ask questions. It is this sharing of passions that cultivates new passions in others. When students can be the teachers, children are learning from each other and passing on the love of learning. This life long passion for learning can start at an early age, and as a teacher, my role in this process is immeasurable. One of the greatest things I can do for my students is to set an example of how important learning is in my life, how I have so much more to learn, and how exciting and fun it is. My goal is to create an intellectual and caring community within my classroom where students are constantly growing and learning in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment. My hope is that they will take the values behind community, a respect and appreciation for others, and a life long passion for learning out into the world and make it a better place.

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