The educational system is an experience that leaves a significant imprint on those who undergo it. From personal experience, it was not the social life of grade school that made the most impact on the person that I am today, rather it was the teachers who taught me the most about character. The process of becoming a teacher goes beyond mastering a subject and regurgitating information to students, furthermore, it encompasses being an influential example to students. As an aspiring teacher, I have had the privilege to observe and teach multiple lessons. Through these experiences, I have been able to recognize what makes an effective and engaging classroom. I believe such a classroom includes the following three pillars; communication, intention, and flexibility.

         The pillar of communication is of the utmost importance. I believe communication must exist between the teacher and the students as well as between the students themselves. A classroom with a good sense of communication is comfortable expressing points of confusion and asking for clarification, which is very important when attempting to correct misconceptions. A strategy I would like to implement to encourage communication between students would be cooperative learning which involves structured group work where students are held responsible for each other's understanding of concepts. This is beneficial because it will allow students to develop more refined interpersonal and intrapersonal skills as they will learn how to address their misconceptions and ask for help. 
         As a teacher, I hope to be intentional about every word, assignment, and assessment I give out to my students. From personal experience, I mainly enjoyed lessons in which teachers seemed excited to teach. Therefore I believe being passionate about every lesson is important because it will increase the engagement and interest of students. I encompass being culturally relevant as a part of being intentional with students and having the ability to completely be able to understand students’ backgrounds and situations inside and outside of the classroom. This will allow me to build a deeper understanding of students and their needs.
         The classroom I aspire to have is one that is flexible. In other words, I hope to have a classroom that is adaptable to last-minute changes when needed. Therefore, if I were to notice that the classroom is struggling with a certain concept, I am more than willing to stop and spend more time on instruction. I will most likely approach situations by taking into account the idea of conceptual change by supplying instruction only after students have reached sufficient productive failure through perseverance and hard work.

           Overall, all three pillars incorporate the ideas that I want my students to feel heard, supported, and valued in my class. I believe that being available to my students will help them understand that my priority lies in them and that the classroom is just as much theirs as it is mine.