In kindergarten and going into first grade, my parents were going through a tough divorce that completely altered my home life. Having no idea what was going on at home, both my kindergarten and first grade teachers made their classrooms a home away from home. I always felt safe at school, especially in their classrooms. I felt like no matter what was going on with my mom and dad, I could turn to my teachers and the classrooms in which they had made an inviting space for everyone. I could go to school and all of the problems at home seemed to disappear, even if for just the time that I was in their classroom. My goal in life is to be this type of teacher to at least one child. While I might not know exactly what goes on at my students' homes, I want them all to feel that at the very least, they have a home in our classroom. I want every student who enters the classroom to feel accepted, like they belong, and to know that they have me and one another in their corner. I want to be the teacher that is there on the good and bad days, is the shoulder to cry on, and is the one they are excited to tell when they lose their first tooth. I want my classroom to be a home. The spiritual definition of home is a place in which one belongs. I want every single one of my students to feel like they belong, which they may only ever hear in our classroom. Whether that is a home away from home or the only home a student has, our classroom will be a home for every child that walks through my door. I want to be my students' cheerleader, motivator, and confidant. I want to help them and see them succeed and motivate them when they do not. Every day that I get closer to completing the Teacher Education Program and starting in my first classroom, I get more excited to welcome my first group of students. I am taking in every piece of information I can obtain with the courses and observations I am currently taking. In Dr. Taajah Witherspoon's math methods class we frequently visit classrooms and get the opportunity to see current teachers teach. I love getting to see student's brains in action, hearing what they think, and how excited the teacher is to respond to them. I become more eager with each passing day to be just like my kindergarten and first grade teachers, as well as the teachers I have the privilege of observing.

No parent or guardian should ever have to worry about whether or not their child is safe at school. No parent or guardian should ever have to worry about getting the phone call that their child is on the way to the hospital as a result of something that happened on school grounds. Schools should be the ultimate safe place for students and their families. No matter where a child is at school, whether they are in the classroom, the lunchroom, or on the playground, it is important that students are kept safe and out of harm's way. While playgrounds can be fun and are a great place for students to exercise, they can be dangerous. Playground safety is imperative for students everywhere. One major action I plan on taking to ensure that I and other educators at my school are trained in playground safety is reach out to local firefighters and emergency medical responders to teach school personnel about playground safety and common playground injuries. As a current 911 call taker, I am all too familiar with injuries to children, many of which could have been avoided. Making educators aware of ways to keep the playground safe and common playground injuries will encourage a sense of security in which educators are on alert and know what to look for before an incident can ever occur. From learning from local emergency responders, educators can also learn what to do in case of an incident, including how to treat wounds. Another action plan I plan on taking is getting the school I teach at to implement a required training video for all educators and school personnel to watch. The video will help make educators aware of playground safety and will promote the number one safety concern: adult supervision. From the video, school personnel will be better equipped to supervise students on playground equipment. A final action plan I plan on taking is encouraging safe playground equipment. Padded equipment and equipment where students are visible at all times will be at the forefront of my action plan. Adult supervision is vital to ensuring students are safe in every part of school grounds. There is no reason for playground equipment to obstruct school personnel and educator's view of students. If such equipment exists at my future school, I plan on speaking with the principal and board about the importance of playground safety and adult supervision in all aspects.