The first requirement for writing a teacher mission statement is a clear idea of your aims. Once you know what you want to do, you need to find language that can convey those ideas to your audience in a personal manner. It is also important to make sure the language you choose is positive and convincing.
It is impossible to write a good teacher mission statement without a clear and concise idea of what it is you want to accomplish. You must first decide what your aims are and whose interests you are serving. For example, it may seem to you that the obvious answer is that your aim is to educate children so they can grow up and be good people. A little brainstorming, however, may reveal that you view children as components of society, and instead of focusing on individual students, you are attempting to improve society overall.
As you are brainstorming, outline your thoughts and edit them until a few words can clearly communicate your aims. You do not want your teacher mission statement to be too long or people may not read all of it. If you include too many areas of focus, people may find it unrealistic or you may portray yourself as unfocused. To prevent this, avoid including too many minor points and find broad statements that summarize them instead.
Your brainstorming may result in aims that seem plain or ordinary. There is nothing wrong with selecting your language carefully so you can spruce up your ideas. What you do not want to do is to create a mission which is not truly yours for the sake of writing one you think sounds good. Many people fail to realize how perceptive readers are and that readers can often recognize when they are being told the truth. Furthermore, if your students or their parents are exposed to false statements about your plans, you could lose their confidence and trust.
No matter what you write, your teacher mission statement should be filled with positive language. The purpose of this type of statement is to inform other people of the tasks you have undertaken. If you write in a manner that communicates negativity, pessimism, or doubt, you may convey a sense of hopelessness or disinterest, which is contrary to the purpose. There is no need to write a teacher mission statement if you do not believe in your own mission.
What you write should be very personal and warm. Avoid any temptation or inclination to write about yourself in the third person. This is your statement, so it is permissible to use “I” and “me” freely. Since your aims will probably include references to other people who you will interact with, it is permissible to refer to them on a more personal basis. The inclusion of pronouns such as “they”, “them”, and “we” can help you to accomplish this.
