It is my belief that all students come into the classroom with prior knowledge from their lived experiences. Following the Reggio Emilia-inspired style of teaching, I believe that students and teachers should learn side by side. The traditional instructional method of a teacher standing at the front of a class while the students take notes is ineffective. The goal is to enable students to formulate questions, think, and answer them on their own—to inquire. It is important to be responsive and encourage creativity within classrooms so that students are included in the process of learning. I have seen this process of co-learning between teacher and student throughout my time at Butler University. This model promotes independence and critical learning skills, both of which I want to implement in my own classroom. 

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I believe in play as a way of learning no matter what grade I teach. Every field of study requires a little bit of imagination and play to make it interesting. Playtime builds engineers, scientists, artists, writers, teachers, and so forth. It is necessary to play alongside students because it allows educators to know more about the nature in which students best learn. To know about students’ funds of knowledge is to know the needs of the learners. 

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Students should feel comfortable with the pace of learning in our classroom. Individualized, differentiated learning builds the foundation for confident learners. There is power in building a connection with students outside of the school setting because it allows educators to identify how the student will learn best. This process gives students and teachers an opportunity to incorporate their interests within the classroom. To know about and create lessons based on students’ funds of knowledge is to know the needs of your learners. 

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I strongly believe that students should be able to express themselves and advocate for their own learning without any fear of rejection or embarrassment. Justice and awareness of one another are essential to creating an equitable learning environment that promotes diversity. It is an educator's responsibility to uplift these values so their students feel included and safe in their classroom. Creating an equitable environment that pushes students to challenge themselves and their teacher creates a classroom that is rooted in justice and makes all feel included.

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Students appreciate learning more when they are challenged to find a method that works best for them. Educators should praise students for taking a chance on themselves, not just when they find the correct answer. More importantly, we should encourage students to be risk-takers. Without risks, no progress can ever be made. The model I would promote in my classroom encourages students to share what risks they decide to take, whether it be on a school assignment or how they addressed a situation in their personal life. By doing so, we are able to integrate multiple perspectives of cultural and individual differences into professional practices by fostering a classroom environment that embraces cultural and individual differences and similarities. 

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Butler University has given me the opportunity to visit and be a part of a variety of classroom settings since my first week as a student. In every education course at Butler, I have read Image of the Child by Professor Loris Malaguzzi. Each time I read this piece, what sticks out most is when the professor states, “what we want to do is activate within children the desire and will and great pleasure that comes from being the authors of their own learning” (1993). This quote captures the feeling I want fostered within my teaching and classroom. I hope to one day make an impact in the lives of students while also being able to grow and learn from them.