I am linking up again to discuss and reflect on Chapter 2 of Teaching with Intention in our book study put together by Greg, from Kindergarten Smorgasbord! This week is hosted by The Primary Gal, Mrs. Dailey's Classroom and Flying into First.
This chapter is all about your visions and beliefs as a teacher and making sure you practice what you preach! I'm going into my fourth year teaching and I still feel like I am finding and redefining my beliefs as a teacher and this chapter really made me think!
Debbie Miller talks about an amazing classroom she visited in Chapter 1- one where the children are buzzing around the room fully engaged in conversations and making connections to the books they are reading and the work they are doing while the teacher is conferring with students individually and in small groups and really listening and taking note of what the students are discussing. She then goes on to say in Chapter 2 that odds are, this is not what the classroom looked like in the beginning of the year and that ever decision and plan has been deliberate in order to get her students to where they were during the visit. I know that in August when we go back to school, it is a learning process and we are all working towards getting to know one another and what works for the new group of students. Establishing clear expectations and procedures in the beginning of the year will set the tone for what the end of the year will look like. In order to get my students to where I want them to be in May, I have to carefully lay the groundwork for them in August!
As I was reading this chapter, I felt like Debbie Miller was really
speaking to me and what I want to see in my ideal classroom. The quote
that really stood out to me was "Real life isn't scripted. Neither is
real teaching." I once was a long term substitute at a school that had a
yearly goal that they continued to learn about and work on for the
year. While I was there, the goal was to create an authentic learning
environment and experience for your students. I really learned a lot
from that experience and it made me really think about my lessons and
activities in a whole new way. What is the purpose? How can the kids
really take ownership over this? I feel like kids really remember the
authentic experiences the most. My belief for my classroom is to create a
safe, loving environment where kids have ownership in their work and
learn to work together and take responsibility in their own learning. One way that I love to do this is through arts integration. Some of the
most memorable moments my students have said were their favorites was
when we created writing or did a math activity and we created art to go
along with it. My beliefs are still evolving each year as I teach but I
hope that I've created this kind of environment so far in my classroom.
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