What English Teachers "Should Teach"

I think as a teacher of English, one of my primary goals will be to assist my students in becoming educated members of our society. It's obvious some sort of language is needed to function in society. I would like to think of English education as a means of achieving that or at least starting on that path. The apparent things such as grammar are clearly important but I think the beauty of English educators is all the other things we get to "play" with. English education has many possibilities for creativity and one thing for us to teach our students is to embrace that creativity. I also think it's important for our students to learn how to write well. IF they can write and read well, they can function in almost any job they chose. Part of our job as educators is to prepare our students for the world outside of school and providing them with the means to achieve their goals.
English teachers should also be able to teach students to creatively think outside the box. I would like my students to challenge their own minds when reading things and in their own writing. I would also like my classroom to feel safe and productive enough that they can provide each other with positive feedback. I do not think our job as English teachers is to simply "teach English". I'm not sure I even know entirely what that would be defined as but I think it's something that is ever-changing and that we all learn as we go.