My Great Expectations
(A sneak peak into my ideal classroom)
GROWTH
A place where growth happens!
One of the greatest goals I have for students throughout the school year is for them to grow. I want them to grow in their understanding of literature as well as their understanding of each other - socially, culturally, emotionally and intellectually. My ideal classroom environment is one that is conducive for each student to grow in knowledge, ideas, creativity, perspective and voice.
One of the greatest goals I have for students throughout the school year is for them to grow. I want them to grow in their understanding of literature as well as their understanding of each other - socially, culturally, emotionally and intellectually. My ideal classroom environment is one that is conducive for each student to grow in knowledge, ideas, creativity, perspective and voice.
COMMUNITY
A place where diversity is embraced and community is developed!
Students' growth is stunted if community is not quickly developed within the classroom. One of the reasons I have such a love for teaching Language Arts is because literature provides a rich window of opportunity for students to learn about other cultures and make connections with each other. Often, students will "discover" themselves within the character of a story or through the content of a poem and this can provide a first step towards students embracing others and feeling accepted.
Students' growth is stunted if community is not quickly developed within the classroom. One of the reasons I have such a love for teaching Language Arts is because literature provides a rich window of opportunity for students to learn about other cultures and make connections with each other. Often, students will "discover" themselves within the character of a story or through the content of a poem and this can provide a first step towards students embracing others and feeling accepted.
COLLABORATION
A place where collaborative learning is effective!
I believe that students can be both co-teachers as well as co-learners. Putting students in literature circles, if done right, pushes them to listen to each other, share with each other, encourage each other, help each other, depend on each other, and get to know each other. Students discover their strengths and their weaknesses as they rotate through different roles within group settings and they learn that each person in the group is an intricate piece of the learning puzzle. Students also learn to develop critical thinking skills as they analyze literature and they learn how to embrace a rich diversity of ideas and opinions.
I believe that students can be both co-teachers as well as co-learners. Putting students in literature circles, if done right, pushes them to listen to each other, share with each other, encourage each other, help each other, depend on each other, and get to know each other. Students discover their strengths and their weaknesses as they rotate through different roles within group settings and they learn that each person in the group is an intricate piece of the learning puzzle. Students also learn to develop critical thinking skills as they analyze literature and they learn how to embrace a rich diversity of ideas and opinions.
LITERATURE
A place where literature comes alive!
Literature was not meant to bring students dread; it was meant to entertain them, enlighten them, and bring them pleasure. The key to portraying this in my ideal classroom is to invite students to make connections with literature and to allow students time to read for enjoyment, sometimes without any strings attached. Of course there are times when students will be asked to read what they do not like, and it's okay to let them not like it ~ learning can still take place. At the same time, there is a need for giving students creative assessments that challenge their thinking and play on their creative strengths.
Literature was not meant to bring students dread; it was meant to entertain them, enlighten them, and bring them pleasure. The key to portraying this in my ideal classroom is to invite students to make connections with literature and to allow students time to read for enjoyment, sometimes without any strings attached. Of course there are times when students will be asked to read what they do not like, and it's okay to let them not like it ~ learning can still take place. At the same time, there is a need for giving students creative assessments that challenge their thinking and play on their creative strengths.
VOICE
A place where each student has a voice!
Once a community is developed, students feel more comfortable with sharing their voices in classroom discussions and group activities. But in a 21st century classroom, a student's voice can (and should have the opportunity to) reach beyond the walls of his/her classroom. While reading is critical to shaping us as individuals, writing is the expression and preservation of who we are as individuals and as a community. My ideal classroom would provide students multiple opportunities to express themselves through a variety of genres and through a variety of methods ~ blogs, journals, digital storytelling, etc.
Once a community is developed, students feel more comfortable with sharing their voices in classroom discussions and group activities. But in a 21st century classroom, a student's voice can (and should have the opportunity to) reach beyond the walls of his/her classroom. While reading is critical to shaping us as individuals, writing is the expression and preservation of who we are as individuals and as a community. My ideal classroom would provide students multiple opportunities to express themselves through a variety of genres and through a variety of methods ~ blogs, journals, digital storytelling, etc.
TECHNOLOGY
A place where learning is enhanced by technology!
There is a big difference between having a technology rich classroom and being able to use technology to make the learning process rich. While technology isn't without restraints, it supplies teachers with a greater abundance of resources for creating lessons, opens windows for more types of creative assessments, and provides the means for students to "publish" their work by allowing their work to be exposed to a greater audience ~ a vital asset in my ideal classroom.
There is a big difference between having a technology rich classroom and being able to use technology to make the learning process rich. While technology isn't without restraints, it supplies teachers with a greater abundance of resources for creating lessons, opens windows for more types of creative assessments, and provides the means for students to "publish" their work by allowing their work to be exposed to a greater audience ~ a vital asset in my ideal classroom.