I was ‘raised up’ as a Responsive
Classroom teacher. The summer before my
first year as teacher I was an active participant in a week long Responsive
Classroom training where I learned how to “unpack” a classroom with my
students, create choices for learners,
and use guided discovery to teach my children how to use tools, be
learners, and become good citizens in our classroom, our school, and our
community. Through the years at that
school, I collaborated with staff around Responsive Classroom Ideas and ways to
continue our joint mission in creating a safe, welcoming, learning environment
for all our students and families. Re
starting my career at W Elementary has felt like a continuum, as if I
never took time for starting a family of my own. I am right back in it, helping to build another
safe community of learners, thinking about the best kinds of language to use
with students, participating in PBIS meetings to establish lunchroom protocols,
and thinking, always thinking about how to show our students what it looks and
sounds like to be respectful, responsible, caring and safe citizens of our
learning community. This, I believe, is
the beginning of a greatness all our students can achieve, the foundation upon
which we build learners and citizens.
Without safety and acceptance among students and teachers, fear and
anxiety and misunderstanding can, and likely will, block the path to
learning.
Children are all different, yet as
humans they are all alike. They need to
understand themselves and feel understood by others, especially to maximize
learning. As a teacher I can support
this by truly getting to know my kids interests, strengths, and weaknesses. Each child needs to know, see, and hear that
the strengths of each student (themselves and others) are important and useful
and will serve our classroom community. Each child will learn how to best
support classmates when it is hard, because at some point they will each wear
those shoes, and will appreciate the consideration and goodwill of others. Each child in my class will feel that school
has a purpose for them, that they are important and have something to offer our
class and community. They will come to
understand that things they CAN do can help create a bridge to the things they
cannot yet do.
In practical terms, I will use a
combination of whole group, small group, partner and individual instruction to
teach my class. I will make learning goals explicit using child friendly
language. There will be opportunities
for collaboration and contemplation. Daily
observations, anecdotal records, checklists, check ins, and rubrics will be among the tools to guide
my daily preparation to meet the needs of what is sure to be a diverse group of
learners. The classroom will be
organized and accessible to all learners and a variety of materials will be
available to students to learn and express their knowledge with. Predictable opportunities for developing
reading, writing and arithmetic skills (practice in addition to instruction)
will occur throughout the day while global concepts in social studies and
science will provide a conceptual framework throughout the year that provides
not only organization, but motivation for the class and many opportunities for
reading and writing across the curriculum.
Keeping on top of challenging the
students who are ready for a challenge is equally as important to me as being
diligent and creative in teaching children who are struggling to learn a
skill. It is key to a smooth running
classroom and also the goal of developing lifelong learners that children be
engaged daily. These two points are even
clearer to me as I near completion of two courses (Learning Disabilities and
Instructional Techniques, & Positive Behavior Supports) this spring through
HEC. I believe all children can and
should be learning daily. I know how to
follow a curriculum and to teach common standards, yet to be sure all children
are progressing my goal is to be tooled with an understanding of the issues
that can get in the way and be able to develop a clear plan with a child or a
team of colleagues for how to best remove or work around obstacles to learning,
set realistic goals, and achieve them.
That is how I plan to ensure academic excellence for every student in my
class, every day!
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