My manifesto

I am a teacher who stands up for all students rights and liberties against those that would oppress them, who is in favor of freedom against those who try to suppress their voices, who is a supporter of their rights to a fair and equitable education against those who continue to fight against equality, and who is the defender of those who are unequipped to fight back against the bullies of the world. 
I am a teacher who favors the permanent struggle against racism and against inequality for all students. I am a teacher who rejects the phrase "I can't do that!" and supports replacing it with "I will do my best!", because it is responsible for creating an environment where students understand that their efforts and their work are both valid and recognized. I am a teacher full of hope, in spite of an environment that seems hopeless. I am a teacher who refuses to allow her students to sit back and be idle when I know they have the ability to do great things with a little bit of encouragement. I am a teacher proud of all my students - their accomplishments and failures - and of myself, for persevering in a landscape that can be harsh at times but full of the amazing things that this universe has to offer. If I do not struggle for the understanding of myself, my students, and the world we all co-exist in, than I will no longer be me. 

- Adapted from a passage from Paulo Freire's book Pedagogy of Freedom: Ethics, Democracy, and Civic Courage