Johari Malik

My favorite teachers treated me and my classmates in a way that made me feel like my voice mattered. I always felt respected and valued, never belittled or patronized because of my age. They were flexible and responded to who was in the room and what was going on around us in the way they taught, the books we read, the topics we wrote about. I learned in their classrooms that I had something valuable to say and to contribute. There is power in a great teacher, and it lies in how they bring out the power of their students.

I aim to be the sort of teacher who serves my students as they discover who they are and what they will contribute to the world. Education isn't about the teacher or the curriculum; it's about the learner. Although I mostly teach math, I am also a lover of words. "Education" comes from the Latin educere, which means to bring out. We aren't filling students with knowledge, we're guiding them to bring out their strengths and passions and to reach their full potential.