Write a letter to yourself detailing what you hope to achieve from

this programme.
18 Ferdinand Dr.
Chaguanas
26.07.2015

Dear Self,
For quite some time I have been toying with the idea of pursuing
the Dip. Ed. Programme at UWI. I am happy to report that I have
finally taken the plunge and I am doing it this year. I am very
excited as well as quite nervous to see what this program of study
has in store for me. Having simply completed my Undergraduate
Degree and graduated from the UWI, which seems like ages ago, I
was catapulted into the classroom. I went from being a student to
being a teacher in a matter of months despite never having done
any education related courses in my 2nd or 3rd years as an
Undergrad. Instead I was tossed into the classroom with nothing
except a scheme of work, a few textbooks, a couple of whiteboard
markers, a duster and of course young but seemingly not so eager
minds to keep me company. I had two choices, either drown or find
a way to keep my head above the surface. Having been entrusted
with the responsibility of helping to mold so many young minds on
a daily basis, I must admit that I have seriously doubted myself
along the way.

There was hardly a day that passed by in which I did not ask
myself whether or not I was really doing all that I could do to help
interest my students in my lessons and to help them absorb the

most that they could out of those lessons. That happens to be one
of my main motivations for starting this course. I want to be
reassured of what I am doing right in the classroom and to be
taught how to correct the wrongs that I am doing.

Although I have only spent 5 days attending classes thus far, I have
already discovered so many things that I have been doing wrong. I
have been focusing on teaching my subject area and not children. I
have neglected to take into consideration all the various factors
which affect and impact a childs ability to learn such as ones
socioeconomic status and whether or not a child has the right
language for instruction, to name a couple.

I have started learning that education is process and not product

oriented and I have started to uncover the importance of meeting
the learners where they are. I have seen some instances where I
have been doing some positive things as well.

With that being said, at the end of this program of study, I hope to
be able to make a difference in the lives of as many students as I
possibly can. I started doing this course with a vision of becoming
a better teacher not solely for myself but more so for the benefit of
my students. At the end of my journey I had also intended to be
able to deliver interesting lessons to my classes. Now that I have
already started to see what was wrong with my practice, my aim
now is to become the type of practitioner who focuses more on
training my students to think. Of course I still want to be able to
grab the childrens attention and keep them captivated in whats
going on within the confines of their classroom. However, I also

want to be that teacher who knows how to reach the students at

their level. It is my intention to start adopting the ideology posited
by Socrates that I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only
make them think and in so doing, my goal is to help develop
students who are able to become critical thinkers. As I continue my
studies, it is my desire that this programme will help me to develop
the skills to do these things for it is one thing to know what I have
been doing wrong but now the other challenge is to be able to
know how to correct the wrong I have been doing. I want to be
able to be confident in my approach to the teaching of English.

All the best,

Charlene