Major: Elementary Education Minor: Diverse Leaners
Professional Identity Statement
"All students deserve to be known, valued, and taught.Our role as educators must go beyond the classroom, fostering an environment that allows our students to recognize their worth and capability as individuals."
Educator Philosophy
I believe each child deserves to be known, heard, and taught. What a wonderful gift it is to shape the minds, hearts, and lives of the students that we teach. As a future educator, I firmly believe in putting my students and their needs first; if a student’s needs are not being met, they cannot learn. Therefore, at the forefront of my philosophy as an educator, I greatly emphasize creating a positive and uplifting environment. In order to do this, I must first create personal relationships with my students, getting to truly know them. I believe these relationships are vital to a transformational future in the profession of teaching. Throughout my time and education at Butler University thus far, I have been equipped with not only the tools and resources I need but also the guidance and support necessary for my readiness. My professional identity and philosophy have continued to evolve during my involvement in both the College of Education and education-driven extracurriculars. I have had the privilege of working with the remarkable Dr. Hochman immediately comes to mind. Dr. Hochman is a true testament to the impact that a great teacher can have on their students. This past semester, he granted me the opportunity to work alongside Butler alumni at Pine Tree Elementary in the Avon school district. While I was initially nervous about taking my first steps toward putting theory into practice, I knew from the moment I set foot in a classroom that I was where I was supposed to be. As I have mentioned, personal relationships are at the forefront of my philosophy as an educator so my top priority was getting to know my group of fourth-grade students that I would be working with all semester. I noticed from the getgo that one of my quieter students, Omari, struggles socially and often gets distracted with his work. From that point forward, I made it my mission to help him feel included, engaged, and heard. In one of my last days in Ms. Brackman’s classroom, Omari stayed behind while the rest of his classmates headed to lunch and came up to my desk to say, “Miss Harrington, I just wanted to say thank you for teaching me every week, I want you to have this,” as he handed me one of his beloved Pokemon cards. This confirmed everything for me, to know that Omari felt appreciated and noticed in a classroom full of 30 students was validation that I was doing my job and fulfilling my mission. It is students like Omari that inspire me to be the teacher that makes a difference. It was through my time working with Butler College Mentors for Kids that I’ve also seen firsthand the impact and importance of instilling the desire and possibilities of higher education for this community of kids and I believe it begins with a classroom emphasis on the importance of education. I want to be known as someone who cares about my students beyond the classroom, who makes each and every child feel seen, heard, and loved, despite the number of students in the classroom. One of the hardest things that I have encountered in my time studying to be an educator is the controversy and negativity that comes with this profession. What they do not see are the kids whose only safe space is in school, the kids whose only meal that day is in the school cafeteria, and the kids who rely on their teachers to get them through the day. It is because of this that I want to be the change that the next generation so desperately needs. I am thankful for my time at Butler highlighting this “why” for teaching so clearly to me. I want to be the voice for my students who are otherwise not heard. I want to be there each and every day to remind them that they are worthy and capable of their education. A promise that I am making to my future professional self is to never lose sight of my endless dedication to teaching. I will work each and every day to ensure that my students are known, heard, loved, and taught because at the end of the day if we do not do it, who will?