Martina Mazzei

EDTE 531
November 8, 2015

Identity Paper
The primary purpose of education is to enrich minds of the future while
positively aiding in child development. It is imperative that the impact
education has on children is positive, and as an educator it is my
responsibility to promote learning so that children are able to represent
themselves within the education standards and be active members of society.

As an educator, I plan to teach with a hands on approach. My vision is

for students to feel welcome, safe, and comfortable enough to ask questions
without ridicule. I am a firm believer in developing a positive classroom
community that is based on respect. I not only believe the students should
respect me as a teacher, but I should treat them with the same amount of
respect. Developing a classroom community early on in the year is key to
student success. I will do this by developing relationships with each one of
the students in my class by finding out their interest and hobbies and doing
regular check-ins to see how each student is doing. I believe students learn
best when they feel comfortable and supported by teachers and classmates. I
want to build and promote a positive classroom environment where students
feel a sense of community and belonging. Demonstration and guidance will
always be given to ensure a student completely understands the lesson being

taught. In addition to being an active teacher in the classroom, I want to try

and incorporate all of the learning strategies in my lesson plans to cater to all
learning styles. I will strive to be a teacher that is patient, encouraging, and
promote a positive learning environment for all of my students.

I plan to have a personal, positive relationship with each one of my

students. As a teacher, I want to genuinely care for my students and
incorporate different cultures and traditions students may bring into the
classroom into lessons. A professional, teacher-student relationship is healthy
and necessary to be able to understand a students home life when faced
with issues involving that individual. I will have an open mind and be
respectful when students come into the classroom with different beliefs,
values, and experiences. I plan to have an open door policy for students to
come seek help or guidance whenever they need it.

I am a firm believer that collaboration with your peers will have a

positive impact on your educational career. To encourage collaboration, desks
will be positioned in pairs. Although individual learning is very important,
group work can teach students to share ideas, work together, and develop
positive social skills. At the beginning of the year I will develop a routine for
the students that they will get to know and preform everyday in class. I
believe that when students know what is expected of them everyday it can
eliminate anxiety for many students.

As a professional, I hope my relationships with coworkers are genuine

and supportive. I am open to receiving constructive criticism and accepting
tips to improve not only my lesson plans, but also myself as an educator. I
hope parents and students will respect my philosophy of teaching and me as
an individual.

I plan to incorporate classroom games that have educational purpose,

but are also intriguing and fun for students to be involved in. It is important
to present knowledge in a way where students feel engaged and interested. I
believe that movement in the classroom is a key component to functional
learning. While transitioning from one activity to the next, I will have
students do a body break where they are required to get up from their
seats and follow the movements I give them. Body breaks give students a
chance to let out some extra energy and therefore, be more focused on the
next task.

In addition to developing a positive relationship with my students, it is

also important to be stern when necessary. Discipline in the classroom will be
handled professionally and consequences will be decided upon depending on
the situation. It is imperative that students understand classroom rules and
the behavior that is expected of them.

I believe on focusing on formative assessment as well as student self

assessment. Test scores will be used as a base, but formative assessment
will be used to evaluate each students progress. Students grades will largely
be based on their progression of learning throughout the year, my
assessment, and the students self assessment.

I am also a firm believer in extra curricular activities for students. I

think it is a great way for students to get involved with the school outside of
the classroom and do it in a positive way. I have been heavily involved in
sports my whole life so I would be ecstatic to help out with any athletics
programs at the school I am be positioned at in the future. Coaching is also a
great way to develop relationships with your students and I will be
encouraging students to join any extra-curricular activities the school offers.

My parents and my two older brothers have continually pushed me to

be the person I am today. My parents instilled the philosophy that you
shouldnt be given anything in life without having to work for it into our
brains as young adults. This attitude and approach to life has taught me to
be independent, hardworking, and determined. My parents believed in being
strict and hard on us as children but also balancing it with love. I am forever
grateful for how my parents have raised me because of the values they have
instilled in me.

At a young age, I started playing various sports competitively. Both of

my brothers were very involved with playing hockey and I saw all the success
and happiness it brought them and wanted to try it for myself. My parents
gave us every opportunity possible to play as many sports as we could
manage and they were there to support us at every game, and even at many
practices. Playing sports competitively taught me so many values and life
lessons that have shaped me into the individual I am today. I learned the
importance of hard work to achieve a goal, determination, coming back from
adversity, overcoming challenges, persistence, ect These are life lesson that I
will take with me throughout the rest of my life.

Sports also helped me to gain confidence and self esteem. Being on a

sports team meant having instant friends and an outlet for stress and
anxiety. It was great to have a support system always there for you and
teammates you could count on. Learning to balance sports and school work
at a young age is where my management skills begin to develop. At one
point I was playing soccer, volleyball, and basketball competitively while
being a grade 9 student. It took a lot of time management and determination
to be an athlete and an honor roll student.

In my grade 12 year I chose to continue my education at Bryan

College in Dayton, Tennessee where I would play volleyball on a full ride
scholarship. Many people would find this decision to be very difficult to make.
However, with both of my brothers playing hockey in the States, I didnt

think twice about accepting the scholarship and packing my bags. I was
confident in my decision and was very excited about the journey and
challenge I was about to embark on. I knew that I would be very far from
home and it would be difficult at time being away from family and friends. I
was not worried about balancing sports and school as I felt like I was
prepared enough for the opportunity. I did find it challenging to be immersed
into a culture and community so different from what I was used to. It was
hard to adjust at first to the cultural norms and ways of living life, but I
learned to embrace it, and ended up loving the journey. Although my time in
Tennessee was short due to a severe ankle injury, I am very grateful for the
learning opportunity. I learned a lot about who I am as a person, gained
independence, and made lifelong friends.

In my second year of post-secondary studies I transferred to

Vancouver Island University to pursue my Education degree. I was a member
of the Womens Volleyball Team and I was still very passionate about sports.
I started to realize how important playing on a competitive team was for me.
I reflected back on my prior experiences with sports and I realized how much
time and effort I had been dedicating throughout my life. As I began the
teaching program I really began to be passionate about teaching and
coaching as they are similar in many ways. I thought of all the wonderful
learning opportunities and fun I had as a student-athlete and I want to
encourage my future students to find what they are passionate about and go
for it. I believe if students have hobbies of any sort they are interested in

pursuing, it keeps them focused and out of trouble. I will be encouraging my

students to get involved with something they are interested in whether it is
sports, art, or anything that is extra-curricular.

In my future classroom I want to educate my students on how to live a

healthy lifestyle. Living an active, healthy lifestyle is something I am
passionate about and I believe if students are educated at a young age, they
can begin to make their own informed choices. Students will learn how to be
physically active, and as a class we will practice how to be active daily. I will
teach the children what a healthy diet is and will encourage the students to
make healthy choices in their lunch everyday. I plan to be a very active
teacher and I will take the students outside as much as possible to promote
exercising and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I believe it is essential for
children to be active and I will enjoy guiding students through a healthy
living theme throughout the year.

As a teacher I want to leave a legacy for my past students to

remember me by. I love the opportunities I had in her class, She made
learning fun , She always believed in me, are some phrases I would like
my students to remember me by. I want to teach my students past the
textbook but to guide them through life. I want my students to learn more
than what the curriculum states but life lessons as well. I would like my
colleagues to see me as a professional and parents to trust me as an
educator as I will be supporting their child through their educational journey.

All in all, I will strive to be an active, positive, influential educator and impact
generations to come.