Boys Div. Student Newspaper, Issue #2

Thanks for sharing Rabbi. I think this is a very relevant topic to my life as I am studying to be a teacher in elementary school. I volunteer in local Elementary schools, and part of my goals include helping my students recognize their potential to become learners and thinkers. One of the most frequent comments I hear from my students about the tasks they have to do in the classroom, is, ‘I can’t do it. it’s too hard.” I tell them, that I believe that they can do a task if they set thier minds to it and if they try. School is not slave labor, but still I encourage the students i work with to try to reach their potentisl. I see them all as people with a potential to reach greatness, and go on to do great things in the world no matter what they do when they grow up. Even the students with special needs that I have in the class, and Work with I believe have the portential in them to succeed in whatever they set thier minds to doing. After I found out hat I myself have a learning disability it became my ambition in life to become a teacher, and mentor to the younger generation. I love working with children, so I feel that teaching is my calling no matter how difficult it is to get through the credential programs, and no matter what obstacles I have to work around, I’m not giving up. Even a semester where I did not achieve up to my usual standard of grades, and not getting work done to my potential is not going to stop me. I have planned to repeat the classes I did not achieve my potential in, and I’m working hard to get back into my usual standard of work. I see my mistakes as learning opportunities and, I try to learn from past experience. I am fully committed to undoing the low grades I recieved, and moving on to still reach my potential that I feel is to learn to become an educator of youngsters. In the school where I work we do not permit the children to even pretend to play with guns, and waepons, and we discourage all physical violence even in the kindergarten level. There are times the children still play that they are shooting and killing eachoter, but we remind them that kid of play is not allowed at school. We also encourage cultural tolerance and try to build communiteis among the classroom students where I work. I enjoy volunteering at the local public schools near my college, and I’m studying to get both a special education teaching credential and a general education teaching credential. I feel that I have much to give to my young students in terms of positive values, and many other areas of school. I believe I am destined to change lives for the better by becoming an educator. I think that some of the experiences I had a VAlley torah have inspired me to follwo in the footsteps of the wonderful teachers I had at Valley Torah. I can only hope to be as wonderful as they were, in the minds of my students. I think that since I am a very warm, and sensitive caring person, I feel the pain of my students if they feel hurt Emotially. When that happens I want to comfort them, and help them overcome lifes little disappointments, and to learn from their experiences as I have from mine. I am learning much from my students and the teachers I work with. As Yet I am a preeservice teacher, meaning I’m uncredentialed, and still learning from the mistakes I make, but I feel the dedication and rewards that come with my chosen career path. I feel like I am still connected to valley torah in some way through these weekly messages, and newscasts. I will never forget the inspirational things I have learned to influence my life from being a part of the valley Torah Community. I hope that one day my students look up to me as much as I looked up to my teachers and Rebeim who have taught me much about life, and rhe real world. Some of the things I have learned from my teachers and rebeim, or things I have experienced with my teachers and Rebeim at VAlley Torah are not things I can express my gratitude for in words becuae there are no words to describe the meaning that they had for me when I witnessed them. I am eternally greatful to all my teachers and rebeim for instilling me with a pssion to help others succeed and to help others in possibly life changing ways. Thanyou again Rabbi Stulgerger, for sharing such a prfound piece of Torah that I can apply to my life as I venture into the world of becomming an educator to the next generation of students no matter where I end up teaching whether in public school or a Jewish Day school Somewhere, I hope to reach my potential of becoming a teacher my students will remmember for the reast of their lives.