My Technology/Teaching Manifesto:

Be the kind of teacher that I wanted, and needed, when I was their age.

Don’t forget what it was like to be a teenager. Embrace the energy, address the angst, and uplift the weary.

Encourage my students to be the very best they can be…for no other person than for themselves.

Instill a sense of accomplishment within my students so that they get a taste for success, and like it.

Be willing to do for my students what I would expect them to do for me.

Always remember: by showing them respect, I gain their respect. It’s a two-way street.

Incorporate technology in a way that advances my students in a rapidly advancing technological world. Be innovative and creative.

Constantly revisit curriculum to update it and keep it relevant in each teaching year.

Maintain and update my own learning to better address my students’ needs. I can do this by challenging myself to learn new and better advancements in technology.

Create a welcoming environment that fosters student growth.

Create a risk-taking environment in which students feel comfortable pushing the boundaries of their own education.

Remind students often: “If they never try, they’ll never know.”

Communicate to my students that mistakes are proof they are trying—so welcome them.

Recognize the anxieties involved in using unfamiliar technologies and be the safe place to experiment. Address fear head-on with empathy.

Don’t allow complacency to find its home in my classroom—for my students or myself.

Encourage collaboration among my students, as well as among my colleagues.

Establish an open learning community among the staff at my school, to share ideas and address issues in order to become better for our students and for ourselves.

Try new things and experiment with new technologies.

Bring joy back into learning!

Dream big…and encourage my students to do the same.