So far in my education journey as a teacher I have noticed the idea of identity and connection in the classroom. In many of the classes I observed and I’ve worked in I’ve noticed that establishing a connection is critical to establishing student success and helping students explore their own identity and connect to their work. Essentially what I want to happen is that my students are able to form their own inquiries and develop their own sense of self and exploration of themselves and their identity in terms of self, place, and people. I’m intrigued with how students will connect with me, their surroundings and their work in ways that allow them to pursue their questions and expand their knowledge and skills. I like the idea that when students connect with something they take ownership and start to develop their skills while working around a topic such as the environment or issues in their community. I want students to develop these connections organically and learn how to foster these connections in my students. So far I think exploration starts with a strong sense of self and autonomy so I would like to begin working with students by asking about them first and getting to understand how they came to be themselves in the choices they make and the things they value. I want my students to connect to where they are and the community around them. I think my students will be able to engage further in subjects when they see the connection to themselves and the community around them.
