Dear Professors and Colleagues,

I never thought that I could be an effective and transformative teacher. In fact, I did not inherently nor instantly possess the necessary skills required to become an excellent teacher. Becoming a teacher was not even on my radar. I chose not to pursue a dual degree in music education along with performance because I did not want to be a teacher coming out of high school. It was not until I graduated college and began working with urban youth through the directorship of a local church youth program that I began to consider going into teaching. As I worked with urban youth, I developed compassion for them and I wanted to help them succeed both academically and socially. I was led to apply to the local school district to become a substitute teacher. Through my work substitute teaching, I realized I had a passion to develop educational strategies to teach urban youth. My students were smart, funny, and interesting. Unfortunately, they were not receiving a quality education, which could help them be successful. The article entitled “The Intersection of Race, Culture, Language, and Disability: Implications for Urban Education” had a profound impact on my perspective of urban education. The authors Blanchet, Klingner and Harry (2009) state “Thus, segregated schools both create and perpetuate educational inequities for African-American and other students of color while at the same time perpetuating White privilege and dominance” (p. 391). As I continued substitute teaching, the structure of the urban educational system in Paterson, New Jersey bothered me to my core. I began to ponder some deep questions as my heart became tender for urban youth and for the schools which they attended. How would these students “make it”? How could they be successful when the education they were receiving was not empowering them for future success? And how could I not jump in and help to be a solution to the on-going problem of urban education after having been so fortunate to receive the high quality education which gave me the ability to give back? I began applying to teaching programs in New Jersey. During my search, I found out about the New York City Teaching Fellows Program. I applied and was accepted. I decided to apply for the Special Education track because I wanted to teach disenfranchised students to ensure that all students were being provided with an equal education. The Special Education track also afforded me the opportunity to use creativity to teach using my skills in music. I would be teaching a range of learners with varying learning needs and would need creativity to come up with suitable teaching strategies.

Towards the end of my high school career, my dream was to become a professional musician in New York City. I had been drawn to New York City ever since I was in high school. I desired to relocate to an urban environment because I wanted to experience culture in a new and exciting manner. Reading the article entitled “Imagining the Urban: The Politics of Race, Class and Schooling” changed my perspective as I began to view urban life as something desirable that would provide me with more opportunities. The authors Leonardo and Zeus (2007) state, “As part of being sophisticated, urban dwellers are often imagined as cosmopolitan, open-minded, and perhaps most important progressive” (p. 783). Because of my desire to move to an urban environment, I decided to move to the most urban area in the United States. I moved to the East Coast to finish my college studies at William Paterson University in New Jersey. I studied music performance in jazz drums and finished my degree just outside of New York City in Wayne, New Jersey. I realized that my background in music was essential to becoming a relevant figure with the ability to get through and reach out to urban youth. I knew that I was still supposed to work in New York City, but now I knew that I was supposed to work with urban youth and serve in an area of significant social need as opposed to fulfilling my own needs by pursuing a glorified music career.

I worked as the Director of the Youth Ministry at Bridge-Hope Community Church in Paterson, New Jersey. I led a co-ed group of 15 students ranging from ages 13-18. Some of the students in this program were academically motivated while others were not. Some were receiving an adequate education while others were not. I became frustrated with the lack of consistency in providing an education that would equip them for success. This was the birth of my passion for urban education and my subsequent entry into the field of teaching. I substituted in the same district as the kids in my youth program for one year before looking aggressively for a permanent route into the teaching profession in the urban setting. The urban setting represented a major career opportunity and a means in which I could help youth. Some of my students viewed the urban setting as a limiting, impoverished environment, which they wanted to escape. The article “Imagining the Urban” speaks to how different people view urban environments. The authors Leonardo and Zeus (2009) state, “For some people, it represents an outlet for entertainment and a venue for a sophisticated life, whereas for others the urban seems like an inescapable cul-de-sac of poverty and daily degradation” (p. 779). How people view the urban setting varies in this way and I definitely held a much different perspective than the students in my youth group.

All these years later, I knew that I had what it would take to not only become an urban educator, but more specifically, a classroom teacher. Through my studies in the Teaching Fellows Program and my graduate studies at Long Island University, I learned the necessary skills required for me to become an effective urban educator. Combined with the skills I acquired in mentoring urban youth and in my music performance experience, I was now fulfilling the missing elements, which I was lacking prior to my studies in the fellowship program. These elements were large group teaching, behavior management, pedagogical processes, and organizational management. My background gave me the foundation and passion to become an urban educator. The graduate program at Long Island University and the Teaching Fellows Program gave me the professional skills that were required to succeed in the field of education.

The KEEPS claims capture my disposition during the time period when I decided to become an urban educator. The domains of the KEEPS claims are: Knowledge; Enquiry; Empathy; Pluralism; Social Commitment. These 5 domains hold many of the reasons for I entered the urban education profession. They show the powerful and positive social ramifications that urban educators can have on youth. Additionally, the KEEPS claims represent all the right reasons for becoming an urban educator. The claims are rooted in respect for all people as equality is sought through the modus operandi of urban education. The values of compassion, knowledge, empathy, care, mentorship, and empowerment are at the core of the KEEPS claims. They are the moral justification whereby which people should become urban educators. This profession is a grueling profession and it takes tenacity and guts to succeed as an urban educator. Teaching in an urban environment requires sacrifices in regards to expecting pleasant, peaceful circumstances, and especially cleanliness in the school buildings.   It takes a special kind of person to become an urban educator. It takes patience, perseverance, and a relentless commitment that is fueled by a spirit of service to those in need. The KEEPS claims define authentic justifications for becoming an urban educator. Without the KEEPS claims corruption and the compromise of educational integrity would continue to permeate our educational system. The KEEPS claims are transformational and empowering. They lay the foundation for people entering urban education and furthering their work in urban education. The KEEPS claims represent the core values that all urban educators must possess if they are to do meaningful work and have a positive impact in educating all urban students.

The Knowledge Domain is vital for my professional success as an urban educator. I must attain and continue to possess a thorough knowledge not only about education, but also about my school, community, students, and professional resources. This comprehensive knowledge is vital and necessary to properly educate my students in the diverse context of the urban environment. I also must be knowledgeable about how to advance myself as an urban educator. Knowledge is essential towards my expanding growth as I continually strive to improve my practice. Improving my practice must be done through the many ways in which I can increase knowledge and this can most notably be done through attending workshops and conferences. Additionally, I can grow my knowledge through reading scholarly articles and books, as well as talking to colleagues and other professionals about the best methods and strategies for improving pedagogical practice. Knowledge is vital towards my success not just as a teacher, but also as a scholar whom is grounded in higher education. If I am teaching students bits and pieces of knowledge everyday throughout the curriculum, then I must emphasize that knowledge is a journey and not a destination. Knowledge is the pursuit of ideas and understanding and I must instill this basic principle in my students through the fleshing out of the Knowledge Domain in my teaching practice.   

The Enquiry Domain is rooted in the development of knowledge and enquiry fuels the development of knowledge. Enquiry is important for me as an educator because in order to grow my pedagogical approach I must enquire to enhance my effectiveness. Enquiry is also vital for the comprehensive learning of my students to take place on a deep level.  Enquiry is the process of going deeper as I reflect on my teaching and learning practices. Enquiry births new ideas and forms of knowledge as the intellectual mind is engaged at the highest level. The greatest minds in history used the process of enquiry to form their ideas, theories, and to evolve the construction of knowledge that didn’t exist before they enquired. In order to continually improve my teaching practice, I must use enquiry as a tool to observe, describe, and then reflect so that I can grow every area of my pedagogical approach. Enquiry is what furthers learning and it’s what creates new, innovative ideas that are not limited but allow creativity the infinite capacity to express the knowledge that the human mind is capable of. Enquiry has changed our world through the inventions of devices that have transformed society. To further develop our society, enquiry must be used as the vehicle of technological and innovative creation. The Enquiry Domain gives my students the learning foundation necessary to engage in this transformative process of constructing meaning and developing new thoughts and ideas.

The Empathy Domain embodies the necessary character traits of educators to teach students in urban contexts where students are plagued by a multitude of issues that go beyond the classroom. The urban education context encompasses a range of different social statuses and situations from which students hail. These social and familial upbringings and environments form the lens with which students approach their academic learning and education. Without empathy, the job of an urban educator is meaningless. Student success is largely defined by the support and care which is provided during the educational process. Because the urban context requires students to navigate difficult circumstances, educators must often be the antidote for the hurt that students experience and which they bring into schools and the classroom. Some students may not have care and support from their family. Students in the urban context need caring teachers who have the ability to show empathy as they instruct and work with students. Empathy battles outside conflict and meets felt needs in the hearts of students who need care and most importantly to be empowered. The Empathy Domain requires that I genuinely care from the bottom of my heart for students and it defines the passion that I have to help uplift my students personally and socially. As I empower and care for my students in a person-to-person manner, the learning process will naturally take place and students will be more inclined to learn. The Empathy Domain requires that I show sensitivity to my students and help to meet all of their needs in a human way in the best manner that I possibly can. The Empathy Domain is naturally what prompted me to enter the field of urban education.

The Pluralism Domain speaks to diversity. In the sphere of urban education, diversity must be embraced. I received my public education in Eugene, Oregon. The major component that was lacking in my educational experience was diversity and for this reason, my education was at times “dry”. Diversity creates opportunities for learning to take place among students as students learn about who their classmates are as people. The world that we live in is defined by diversity. Diversity is what fuels our society. Unfortunately, not all school systems have a high level of diversity. The New York City public school system is fortunate to have a high level of diversity. There are opportunities to learn from the many cultural backgrounds that both students and staff bring to schools and the classroom. Learning is taken to a whole new level when elements of diversity are embedded in instruction. In order to be truly educated, all people must have a global understanding and aspire to a global worldview. This perspective creates opportunities that can take one all over the world. The Pluralism Domain is responsible for providing this imperative perspective and understanding. Without Pluralism, segregation will continue its course and our world will not progress. But if Pluralism is leveraged within schools and the classroom, the lives of students will not only be afforded global opportunities, but societal change will take place as people come together. I became a teacher because I wanted to work with people and I wanted to work with people and students from all backgrounds and nationalities. In this way, learning is taken to new heights as we prepare students to truly compete in the global economy.

The Social Commitment Domain defines the moral expectations that I must ascribe to as an urban educator. Without a social commitment to education, Pluralism will not become a part of the learning process because there would be no commitment and value for diversity. In the same way, with no social commitment empathy will not be likely to take place in the classroom because I would not be committed to care for my students and who they are as people. Additionally, enquiry requires that I am committed to my students and that I go above and beyond to create opportunities for students to engage in deep learning processes. Finally, without a social commitment to the educating of my students, how can I educate them and impart knowledge to them? The Social Commitment Domain is therefore the foundation which directs how I will act on my commitment to educate my students personally, socially, and academically. This domain is important for me as an educator because my role as an urban educator reaches much farther than the four walls of the classroom. As an urban educator I have a commitment to not only improve my classroom, but my school and community as well. My role as an urban educator is defined by the social commitment that I made to educate students from high-need backgrounds. As an urban educator I have a far-reaching influence that is much greater than state test scores and class management. I am tasked with ensuring that my students are prepared to succeed as people in this challenging marketplace and economy. This means that I must teach and educate my students to develop their social skills and character. Many times, this becomes difficult with all the demands and requirements of teaching. That is why I must not waver in my social commitment to teach students in this comprehensive manner. In order to have a far-reaching impact, I must teach my students to become impactful people so they can have a positive effect on the environment and people where they will live and work. My social commitment to my students is the building of legacies as my students are the emerging generation which will represent society in the years to come. My relentless commitment to educate my students paves the way for improvements in society. It has major implications and I must often remind myself of the importance of the task that I have been charged with fulfilling. It is my honor to serve my students and the society in this manner and I am humbled by the opportunity that I have been given to lead and guide the next generation.

I did not become a teacher to boss kids around. I did not become a teacher to receive a salary and earn tenure. I did not become a teacher to gain power in the politically charged field of education. I did not become a teacher to live a comfortable life. I became a teacher to be a light in the darkness. I became a teacher to empower urban youth. I became a teacher to promote racial equality all the way from the suburban school districts to the urban inner-city districts. The authors Blanchett, Klinger and Harry (2009) give some very real depictions by stating “Not only do students of color attend high-poverty school, they are also more likely than their White peers to actually live in poverty themselves” (p. 390).   I became a teacher to help children of the urban poor, who are comprised of mostly African-American and Latino descent. Blanchett, Klinger, and Harry (2009) give some alarming statistics “...70% of African American students, 71% of Hispanic students, and only 23% of White students live in poverty, and these numbers are even more disparaging when it comes to students concentrated in urban environments” (p. 390). I became a teacher to make sure that students of all nationalities receive equal access into our society. I became a teacher to help provide students with the same type of opportunities that I had growing up. I became a teacher to give back what I have been fortunate to receive. I became a teacher to be a public servant on a grassroots level.

I am a teacher with a formal as well as informal knowledge of education, urban students, and the greater community at large. I am a mentor to youth of all ages and backgrounds. I became a teacher because I wanted to help youth experience success. This means success in the classroom academically, as well as success outside of the classroom socially and professionally. The very core of my instructional philosophy focuses on educating students in every area of their lives. I do not want my students to leave my classroom without becoming better people as they grow and develop their character. I know my students care that I am dedicated to helping them mature in a comprehensive manner because they see the extra effort that I show towards them on every level.

As an urban educator, I am not successful unless my students are equipped for the real world. There may be gaps in a student’s knowledge that go beyond academics and grade level disparities. It is important as an urban educator that I have pure motives in my instructional approach. I would be doing my students a dis-service if I was not authentic, honest, and transparent in my motives for teaching them. Despite the nature of the current educational system, urban students need authenticity and excellence from their teachers and nothing less. As a dedicated urban educator seeking to continually grow, I understand the nature of my commitment. My commitment to educate my students can change lives and impact generations to come. It is important that I expand my roles and abilities so that I can continue to evolve to become the best possible urban educator for my students.