Vanessa M. Johnson
Access
The teacher has exposed students and their families to people, programs, resources, and connections that can open doors for them, and they are able to navigate and access those opportunities.
Introduction
As teachers, it is important to provide students and their families with the exposure to people, programs, resources, and connections that can open doors for them. For my students, opportunities like this are limited, and without our help, it is almost impossible to navigate and access these opportunities. As I sit back and think of the opportunities that were awarded to me as a student, I cannot help but think of the teachers and mentors who took steps to help me along the way. Alongside my hard work as a student, my teachers provided me with access to multiple opportunities that helped me further my own education.
My overall goal for my students is to help them become life long learners. I want my students to advocate for themselves and recognize that with the lack of opportunity, they have the desire to seek resources when needed. By advocating for the students and providing access to them, I am showing them what is required to be successful beyond my classroom. As a life long learner myself, providing our students with access to opportunity broadens their horizons and bridges the gap between school and the real world.
In this section, I have included post secondary opportunities that give the students access to the college experience in areas of their interest. I have also included a pen pal exchange exercise that I did with my students. These artifacts have not only provided students access to unfamiliar content, but it opens doors and gives students purpose for they are doing in and out of the classroom.
Table of Contents
Conclusion
When thinking about providing students access to outside opportunities that are not readily available to them, I thought about myself as a student. I thought about the educators before me that brought real world experiences to me, and I wanted to do that for my students. Everyday students learn about the world around them, but rarely do they get to experience it. Before my students leave my classroom, I wanted to provide them with the tools to communicate effectively, do something that ignites their interests, and help navigate their education beyond high school.
The visit to Prairie View A&M University, gave the students an inside look at extracurricular activities at the college level. The Upward Bound Program gave students the opportunity to see what the college application process looks like, including the personal essay that they could use when applying for other opportunities. Ultimately, I want my students to not be afraid to explore the world beyond their communities, and the Pen Pal Program gave them the opportunity to connect with people from around the world. As Teachers, we must continue to motivate our students to access these opportunities on their own, and understand that we can open doors that lead them in the right direction.