I am blessed with the privilege of following students throughout their elementary career. This allows me to build relationships with students that can help support them as learners. I met Brody as a sensitive and insecure second grader who consistently performed well on math pre-assessments. At first he was hesitant to accept the challenges I offered, but as I praised his effort his enthusiasm for math grew. Brody received services for an Emotional Disability and in first grade required a one on one aide. By second grade he had made significant progress and was able to function with limited support. Brody loves to learn and thrives on positive feedback. As his comfort level with me grew, he began to take more risks and relished a challenge rather than avoiding it. Mistakes did not send him down a slippery emotional slop. We gauge success by evaluating effort shown. Every attempt at a solution was a positive step toward solving a problem. This is my second full year working with Brody and he is thriving. Every morning on the sidewalk I get a morning hug and he engages in conversation about math mostly. He regularly asks if I will be bringing him a challenge. I know that Brody’s success has grown from his hard work and effort, supportive guardians, dedicated classroom and special education teachers. I am proud to be just a small part of his educational journey.
Why is that? What do you think about? How do you feel? What would happen if? Questions drive my instruction. By asking thought provoking questions and providing an environment where not knowing is celebrated, students remain engaged and develop perseverance. Talk to your shoulder partner. Discuss with your group. Focused student discourse moves us through content seamlessly. Students are driven to question it, prove it, create it, fix it, show me, and share. Students understand that hard work leads to success and they are praised for their efforts and process and not for producing a “right” answer. My classroom environment would be described as student driven, inquiry based, and engaging. Setting up environments so that students discover and uncover strategies in reading and math makes them invested in our process. Whether it is a classroom assignment, multi-week innovation projects, or implementing new technologies, students are engaged, motivated, and determined learners.
I positively impact students’ growth by seeking out and learning new instructional strategies and building relationships with other teachers so that I can learn from them. Taking risks by using new materials, new methods of instruction, and trying new technology, keeps me and my collaborative partners on the forefront of best educational practices. Making mistakes and reflecting on how I can improve is constantly modeled for my students. I measure student success by the willingness of students to participate and enjoy a productive struggle and their ability to function independently and in a group. Students should be faced with problems that they are invested in solving and they should be motivated to share their thinking and perspectives. When students are immersed in meaningful problem based learning, they learn to think, communicate, collaborate, and persevere. If we promote this type of learning environment we will see academic gains as well as the social and emotional growth that will produce a life-long love of learning.
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Author“Challenge me! Inspire me! Listen to me!” This is the message in their eyes. I see myself in so many of the students I serve, because I was not easily inspired as a young learner. Now, as an inspired educator, I hope to motivate students to find joy in learning and to take pride in being part of a community of learners. Archives
March 2018
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