Abbagail Herwing's Pledge to Education

1. Abbagail Herwing’s
Pledge to Education

3. When I reflect on what my individual pledge to
my scholars and to education should express, I
cannot help but to envision an image of “the air
that we breathe daily”; it’s essential, it’s
powerful, it’s meaningful, it’s restored and
revived each and every day, it’s continued, and
it’s a gift! That is nothing short of how I would
view and describe my individual pledge to
education.
My pledge to my scholars, their families, and to
education is to continue to engage in the
following acts on a daily basis:

4. Prioritize building strong relationships with
my colleagues, students, and their families.
This is absolutely essential for building a united community
who is ready to maximize learning time for scholars.
According to the authors of Teaching with Love and Logic:
Taking Control of the Classroom, “in order for students to be
successful in their personal and academic endeavors, teachers
need to support their students with a sense of compassion,
understanding, and warmth” (Fay & Funk, 2011). “By setting
high expectations in a climate of care, students and teachers
can develop genuine relationships where all students can
meet their goals” (Metropolitan Center for Urban Education).
In addition, Fay and Funk present the overarching statement
that supports this element of my pledge by writing, “great
teachers have discovered that a large part of their success is
due to their ability to establish positive relationships with
children (Fay & Funk, 2011).

5. Work towards achieving meaningful data
outcomes that allow my scholars the chance
to be best prepared for 2nd grade and
beyond.
My scholars deserve nothing less. Being a data-
driven practitioner is essential when working
with such high stakes. It allows me to have a
laser focus on the exact areas of strength and
areas of growth that my scholars possess.
Furthermore, it acts as the fuel to make really
intentional decisions about how and when that
instruction will be delivered.

6. Investigate and reflect on my areas of
growth as well as my strengths in a way that
moves my scholar’s forward and myself.
When this is my reality, I am able to prioritize
and efficiently work to make improvements and
celebrate accomplishments in a productive and
powerful manner. Reflection time gives me the
opportunity to step back and slow down;
sometimes I need to slow down in order to in
turn move with urgency.

7. Provide opportunities that allow my scholars
to build their sense of agency and advocacy
for things that need to be changed.
This gives them a sense of voice, ownership, and an individualized
sense of belonging that allows them to make meaningful changes
in their classroom, school, and community. According to Fox,
Bedford, and Connelly, acknowledge that “although research has a
lot to say about how to foster academic resilience, encouraging
student voice – which an abundance of research shows to have a
positive effect on school success – has been largely overlooked
(Mager & Nowak, 2012; McNulty & Quaglia, 2007; Mitra, 2004).
Student voice and academic success are inextricably linked—even
among students from challenged backgrounds” (Fox, Bedford, and
Connelly, 2013). Furthermore, the Cycle for Youth Engagement
expresses, “scholars need targeted opportunities to be planners,
presenters, researchers, advocators, etc…” (Fletcher, 2010) as a
means to build investment in advocating for changes they believe
in.

8. Improve on speaking my mind and
encouraging my scholars to do the same in a
way that provides us all with the
opportunities we need to move forward.
Some days do not feel as encouraging as others,
however every new day provides the chance to
build our strength towards what we want and
believe should be true for our scholars.

9. Support and encourage my scholars to grow
as individuals who are always prepared to be
“thoughtful and kind here to grow their
minds.”
In order to fulfill their developmental need for
encouragement, I have to consistently find ways to
continue to encourage them to be their best selves.
Not only does this create a more positive classroom
environment, but it also satisfies their early
developmental needs. According to the Responsive
Classroom text, Yardsticks, “scholars need regular,
encouraging reminders of their efforts and actions
in order to satisfy their developmental needs and
desires” (Wood, 2007).

10. Summation of my Pledge
Having the opportunity to work with students to
shape the course of their future is such a gift
that requires all of the aforementioned promises
to be held true. My hope and belief is that my
colleagues will embrace the aforementioned
pledge as well.

11. References
Fay, D. & Funk, D. (1995). Teaching with Love and Logic: Taking Control of
the Classroom. Available from
https://catalyst.library.jhu.edu/catalog/bib_4078712.
Fletcher, A. (2010). Cycle of youth voice. Retrieved
from https://freechild.org/cycle-of-youth-voice/
Fox, K., Bedford, M., & Connelly, B. (2013). Student voice and resilience in
learning. ASCD Express, 8 (25). Retrieved from
http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol8/825-fox.aspx
Metropolitan Center for Urban Education. Culturally responsive classroom
management strategies. (n.d.) Retrieved September 18, 2014 from
http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/scmsAdmin/uploads/005/121/Culturaly%
20Responsive%20Classroom%20Mgmt%20Strat2.pdf.
Wood, C. (2007). Yardsticks: Children in the classroom ages 4–14 (3rd ed.).
Turners Falls, MA: Northeast Foundation for Children.