For every student who enters my classroom

…but this is for 2026 class. They remind me of my 2016-2017,2018-2019 7th graders and those classes really impacted my growth as a teacher.

If there is one thing I want my students to take away from my class, it’s that they can achieve anything they put their minds to.

The world is always going to challenge them. And for many of my Black and Brown students, the odds won’t always be in their favor. That’s just the reality. They may have to work a little harder, push a little further, and prove themselves a little more than others. But that does not mean they can’t do it.

They are capable. They are talented. They are intelligent. And they have so much to offer this world.

I never want my students to think their dreams are too big. I want them to know that whatever they’re passionate about, whatever they want to accomplish in life, is possible if they’re willing to put in the work and believe in themselves.

One thing I always say is that if it’s easy, that probably means you’ve already mastered it. Learning is supposed to challenge you. Growth happens when things feel difficult. Life is an everyday learning process, and none of us ever stop growing.

More than anything, I hope my students leave my classroom believing in themselves. I hope they understand that setbacks don’t define them, mistakes don’t define them, and where they start doesn’t determine where they’ll end up.

I hope they have the confidence to chase their passions, the courage to take risks, and the determination to keep going when things get hard. Because they are capable of so much more than they realize, and I can’t wait to see what they accomplish.