Over the past few months I have been welcomed into a community of a Philadelphia Charter school that has drastically changed my philosophy and opened my eyes to the importance of a dependable teacher. The lives of my students are much different than the life I lead as a teenager. It seems to be that the teenagers of today’s generation are being exposed to much more serious things than I had when I was a teenager. They are expected to take on the responsibilities and stresses of adults before they even enjoy their teenage years. As a teacher of teenagers it is my responsibility to assist them with “growing up” while still enjoying the stress-free teenage years.
Within the confines of a high school, students feel trapped, like they are being forced to learn information that has no relevance to their “real life.” While in my classroom I create an environment of learning based on the curriculum; however, application to the “real world” is my main focus. If students are able to apply information they have retained to a life scenario then I am not only preparing them for their assessment, I have assisted in their development as a person. When students graduate, at any level, they are released to the next stage of their lives. At that point they should be able to look back and apply some of the