TIB BEGINNINGS

I believe in the power of education. More specifically, I believe that no student is "too bad" or "can not be reached". A fresh nineteen I entered a third grade classroom in H.B. Wilson Elementary school in Camden, NJ. In the first few moments, I gazed around the room in awe. Why are their uniforms ripped? Where are their bookbags? A shining white smile stopped my thoughts for a moment. "What is your name?", a friendly third grader asked me as if with excitement in his voice like I was some type of celebrity. "Angela", I replied trying to take in all that was staring at me in this small classroom. Thirteen students, two teachers. This classroom had been named the one with the "behavioral problems" but after about three visits I quickly learned that the only problem that these boys had were being too excited about school, yearning for more, and more information. I have never seen students so excited in a classroom. I have never seen students so willing to work together and acheive things with one another, as friends. Previous schools I had been apart of were just like the classrooms I spent the majority of my childhood in. They were full of cliques, uninterested students, and better yet a teacher whose priorities may have not always been about reaching her students. My future career goals quickly changed after my experience at H.B. Wilson. I was inspired to become a teacher who would transform her classroom into a community of students who were all friends, with all sorts of problems, but who shared common ground and truly understood one another. So this is what I believe in...I believe in the power of education. I believe that no matter where a student comes from, what type of problems have been piled onto them, or what "disability" has been attached to their name for the rest of theiracademic career is no disadvantage. Children who come from communities that are fallen apart, where crime is knocking at their backdoors (literally) can be reached. This is where my belief comes from. My belief was planted in the third grade classroom at H.B. Wilson Elementary school. My roots grew as weeks and weeks past that I spent time in this classroom. What bloomed was an inspiriation that I plan to carry with me for the rest of my life. Breaking down the barriers and defying odds are what to plan to do. I plan to create my own flowers who will shine and bloom regardless of where their seeds were planted.