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Principal Kafele's 50“I’s”
For Effective Teaching
Copyright © 2006 by Baruti K. Kafele
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Principal Kafele
Commentary -
As a classroom teacher, you have chosen the most
important profession of all professions. You have
chosen to take on the responsibility of preparing young
people for future success. As a teacher of African
American and Latino children, you have an enormous
responsibility indeed, predicated upon current national
achievement, suspension, drop-out and arrest data. In
other words, the future of African American and Latino
children rests squarely on your shoulders. You must
therefore be up for the challenge, while possessing the
requisite knowledge, information, skills, practices and
characteristics that increase the probability for
African American and Latino student success. Research
data shows that two consecutive years of poor teaching
can damage a child for life. Our children can
ill-afford even one day of poor teaching! To that end,
I developed the following list of affirmations in an
effort to increase the probability that African American
and Latino children are exposed to classroom teachers
that meet the criteria for mastery in teaching. It is
my contention that if these affirmations are reviewed,
studied, internalized and implemented in earnest on a
regular, continual and daily basis, the probability for
African American and Latino student success will
increase exponentially.
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1.
I am knowledgeable of
and have an appreciation and respect
for the history and culture
of my students.
2.
I utilize a
cultural-centered approach to instruction.
3.
I have a definite
purpose for teaching.
4.
I treat teaching not
as a job, profession or career but as a mission.
5.
I have a vision for
what I expect my students to achieve.
6.
I see myself as the
number one determinant of the success or failure of my students.
7.
I see myself as a
role model and therefore always conduct myself as a professional.
8.
I conduct daily
self-reflections and self-assessments.
9.
I strive to motivate,
educate and empower my students daily.
10.
I have high expectations and
standards for all of my students
and believe that they will
reach them.
11.
I instill in my
students a sense of purpose for their education daily.
12.
I hold my students
accountable for setting academic goals and
developing strategies for achieving them.
13.
I consistently teach
with energy, enthusiasm, passion and optimism.
14.
I have an unequivocal
commitment to my students’ academic growth and development.
15.
I am an expert in the
content area(s) I teach.
16.
I utilize a
student-centered approach to instruction.
17.
I differentiate my
instruction based upon the different learning styles and
ability levels of my students.
18.
I utilize a variety
of instructional approaches for the benefit of my students.
19.
I utilize an
interdisciplinary approach to instruction.
20.
I incorporate
technology into my instruction regularly.
21.
I am knowledgeable of
brain theory and how the brain processes information.
22.
I am knowledgeable of
child development theory.
23.
I plan systematically
for each day, week, month and school year.
24.
I utilize achievement
data to develop my lessons regularly.
25.
I am consistently
highly organized.
26.
I have a classroom
environment that is conducive to learning.
27.
I am a superb
classroom manager.
28.
I have a love,
appreciation and respect for my students.
29.
I have an
appreciation and respect for the community in which my students
reside.
30.
I do not fear my
students, their parents, nor the community in which they reside.
31.
I treat all of my
students equally and fairly.
32.
I know all of my
students beyond the academic side.
33.
I attend student
functions beyond the ones I organize.
34.
I eat lunch with my
students.
35.
I teach students -
not subjects.
36.
I make learning fun,
stimulating and engaging.
37.
I teach and encourage
critical thinking regularly.
38.
I refuse to accept
failure or to allow failure to occur in my classroom.
39.
I refuse to make
excuses for any failure my students may experience.
40.
I accept
responsibility and accountability for student success and failure.
41.
I do not use the race
and socioeconomic status of my students as an excuse.
42.
I am a life-long
learner while always striving to become a better teacher.
43.
I participate in
ongoing professional development.
44.
I have a collegial
relationship with my colleagues.
45.
I accept constructive
feedback from my colleagues and administrators.
46.
I act upon
suggestions from my colleagues and administrators for improvement.
47.
I see myself as an
integral part of a team; not an island by myself.
48.
I maximize parental
involvement through developing strong bonds with all of my parents.
49.
I notify parents for
both problems and successes.
50.
I visit the homes of
my students.
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