A letter from May 05, 2025

Dear FutureMe, For our Introduction to Teaching class I was initially asked the question, 'Who Am I?' and although since then I have remained relatively the same there has been a lot of growth and change in who I have become over this semester. First and most obviously I have become a more well rounded and knowledgeable educator, someone who can sit down and have hard conversations with my students or peers when it comes up, topics such as race, culture, gender identity, are all topics we discussed thoroughly in class discussions especially when it comes to how it affects our students and how to assist. I have also become a more experienced educator as I have had the experiences of observing actual classrooms, whether it be good or bad, through this course but also hands-on experience in dealing with a classroom and students through my FNED 246 course I am concurrently participating in as well as the Inspiring Minds program that set up my placement at Robert L. Bailey Elementary School. I think through these things I have also become more inspired as an educator as working with these students who were not as fortunate as I was to have a good school system with the resources to support it, this makes me want to be the best and most well versed educator that I can be for them so they can get the most out of their education experience. I have always had that passion for teaching children but actually seeing it in practice and how it actually affects the students and their attitudes for learning helped me gain a new appreciation for it, even deeper than it was before. I hope that this letter will find you well and you will be even further on your journey to becoming the educator that I know you can be, hopefully by the time you receive this not only will you be finishing up your own education through RIC but also you will have a foot in the door at a school system that you have been working with and moving into your own classroom at some point soon. Wishing You All The Best, 2025 Lucas