Nadir Wazir

Philosophy Statement
Middle school was the first time where I can remember actually wanting to fit in to the
crowd and to not allow my parents to make choices for me based off of their limited
understanding of American culture. Middle school can be a tough time for students as they are
transitioning through puberty and constantly dealing with changes within their bodies and also of
the bodies of the people around them. Knowing how hard I tried to fit in and how at times it
seemed impossible for me to fit in no matter what I did. I want to create a safe environment for
my future students. My future classroom would carry the ideals and norms that I have had in
many of my own college classes. My classroom is going to be a judgement free zone, one where
students will assume good will in others and also respect others opinions. Throughout my Middle
school experience I always had great teachers who would always fuel my curiosity and
encourage me to find answers to my questions. A middle level learner is one who is curious
about the world but does not like learning in the classical term. According to Caskey and Anfara
Jr. adolescent students prefer active learning through hands on activities and projects rather than
passive learning through worksheets and readings. They also enjoy working with their peers and
learning in groups. The most unique aspect of middle level learners is the fact that they are
creating the foundation of beliefs and ideals that they will carry on throughout their lives. The
fact that middle level learners are so impressionable makes it even more important that we as
teachers provide them with ideals and morals that will help them succeed throughout their lives.
I believe that middle schools were formed to allow a separate space for students to
properly transition from children to adolescents before they arrive in high school and were given
real world scenarios and a greater sense of freedom. I believe the goal of a good middle school is

to provide a wide variety of activities, sports, and clubs to allow for students to find their comfort
zone and their niche in society. For many students their middle school experience is highlighted
by the consistent struggle to maintain old friendships while going through changes and making
new friends. I believe that an abundance of clubs and group activities allows for students to find
a space as well as a group that will consistently be there for them. This is also an area that I feel
many middle schools lack. I believe a successful middle school has at least 75% of its students
involved in an extracurricular activity provided by the school. This might seem like a difficult
goal to reach but I feel as if schools diversify the activities it provides then it is not something
that most middle schools cannot achieve. As a future educator I believe it is my job to make sure
my students are heard and that I do all that I can to ensure that clubs and activities that they wish
to participate exist within my future school. Often times it is not the lack of student interest that
prevents clubs from existing but a lack of teachers willing to run or look after a club that
prevents them from starting.
As a student I realized that I was a good test taker at a very young age and took
advantage of that all the time. I personally believe that traditional multiple choice test are
overrated and played out. Traditional tests all have a system through which they work and can be
figured out and exploited. I like assessments that allow for students to think about the
information they have been given and use it in a critical manner and have to synthesize it to
produce their own thoughts. I also believe that these kinds of assessments allow for me to
understand how my teaching method are working and if theyre working at all. I also have
learned that one major aspect of assessments that often gets overlooked is providing feedback to
students that is both useful and causes them to question and change their original method or
thought process. According to Guskey (2007/2008, P. 29) having students repeat a process that

has already proven unsuccessful is unlikely to yield any better results the second time around.
Effective corrective activities provide students with alternative pathways to learning success,
adapted to meet their individual learning needs and interests. One great example of this that has
happened with me was last semester in my early modern European history class. When I
submitted my first paper I was shocked when I had gotten a grade of 93 but was still forced to
see our designated classroom writing advisor. I couldnt help but wonder how my teacher
thought it was acceptable for me to receive such a high grade and still have poor writing skills.
Since it was required of me to see our writing assistant Ben I did and he provided me greater
details on my errors. I was disgruntled at first but now that I had the opportunity to learn from
my minor errors I can honestly admit that my writing has significantly improved as well as my
ability to catch my own mistakes. I feel as too often students that are performing well are often
overlooked and do not receive quality feedback on how to improve their work. I believe it is
important to not only assist students who maybe struggling or falling behind but also to
challenge and improve students that are already doing well in school. As a teacher I believe it is
my goal to ensure that all of my students leave my class with some sort of improvement in their
abilities.
In order for me to properly challenge all of my students it is extremely crucial for me to
take all of the different skill levels in my room and plan for them accordingly. Good curriculum
design is one that is ever changing and relevant to the students. It should incorporate multiple
learning styles, as well as be fun and entertaining for your students. I know that not all topics are
fun and exciting and that some topics will appeal more to students than others but I believe that
good curriculum design incorporates all aspects of your class and takes their personalities into
account. My definition of good social studies curriculum is one that is relevant to both the

present as well as the past. I believe it is important for us as teachers to leave our students with
something they can carry on for the rest of their lives. I still till this day remember my 6th grade
math teacher after seeing me struggle with a math problem take a second to use that moment to
teach me how to never give up on myself. She pulled me aside got down to eye level and asked
me Nadir what do you want to be when you grow up? to which of course I responded by
saying an FBI Agent. She responded with a laugh and said see I knew you would say something
original and out of the box because that is just who you are. Youre special and intelligent and
you can accomplish anything just try thinking of the math problem in a different way. It has
been over 10 years and I still remember that moment like it was just yesterday. As I take more
and more education preparation classes I have learned that the only way to ensure that you have
teachable moments like the one I had with my teacher is to be well prepared. To properly plan
out my day and curriculum and be confident in my methods so that I have time and the ability to
keep my eyes open for any teachable moments that might come my way. One teacher took one
minute of her day to give me a pep talk and forever changed mine and I hope to do the same for
one of my students one day.