Every generation writes its own history |
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-John L. Bowman
Every generation writes its own history |
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Are there frequent interruptions? Students off task? Daydreamers? Wouldn't you love if there was a way to engage those students from the get-go and not spend time redirecting during important lesson time? Well this might not fix all of the interruptions and it's not a promise that your lesson will run smoothly either. However, when we make our classroom a safe, loving, and comfortable environment students want to learn. We all know that being 100% focused is rare and tough to achieve. I myself have a hard time concentrating on just one task at a time. Having a designated area for students to express how they feel when they enter the classroom gives you an advantage. As a teacher, you can get the feel for what your students are bringing to your lesson. Are they restless, mad about an event that took place on the bus before class started, something they need to get off their chest? Having a community time where you can address these feelings and students can work together to discuss the issue brings students together, creates a safe environment, and allows students a period of time to let go and focus on what's to come for the rest of the day. Students can write their word about how they feel on the class white board, chalkboard, or sticky notes they stick to a designated area. Brian Crosby is the author of the blog "Learning is Messy" and a teacher who specializes in “at risk” students. He shares his ideas for learning in a personal style and encourages other teachers to understand that sometimes learning isn’t linear. Check it out! There are many useful ideas here that will help you reach your students so they can be successful.
On the right hand side of the page click on Categories to find blog posts that are specific to the area you are interested in learning more about. http://www.learningismessy.com/ My novel study group read Morning Girl by Michael Dorris. After reading the book, my group made connections to different content areas such as social studies, science, and the arts. This assignment was very helpful because I was able to practice collaboration with my education peers and it also helped me learn how to effectively integrate content areas with one another. During our Arts class, we created a dramatic movie trailer that gave the audience a taste of what events took place in the novel. This was so much fun and also required a lot of thought and dedication. I really would love to do this with my future students. It will help them develop skills such as teamwork, persistence, innovative abilities, communication, and so much more! This is such a great way to get students involved in meaningful learning experiences and build on their comprehension of the text.
In a matter of five minutes could you fit all of your most prized possessions into a shoebox and leave everything else behind? When people migrated to the west they were limited to the amount of things they could bring on the trip. Could you imagine leaving your pet behind or your favorite toys? This activity is a great way for students to consider the facts, history, and information from another perspective. They begin to understand what life was like versus how we live today. This lesson goes beyond the text and encourages students to think outside, or rather inside, the box. What is important to you? What do you value? Do we all value things for the same reasons? Putting yourself in another's shoes is a great way make the content more relevant and concrete. It also helps build character by diving deeper. Was life peaceful then? Do you think the settlers faced obstacles or hardships? Students ask themselves these questions when faced with the predicament that comes along with this activity. What if I had to leave all of my things that I cherish and love behind and also face in addition to that sadness the wilderness which comes with its one set of disadvantages. TrappersWildWest is a blogger but also much more than that. Go on a journey discovering the purpose to his paintings and how he incorporates his passion for history. https://trapperswildwest.wordpress.com/ This video explains what it means to have a democratic classroom. This social studies concept falls under the umbrella of civics.
Implementing rules, procedures, and a class motto that promotes an engaging, affirming, and democratic learning environment will help your class learn important skills that they can use in their everyday lives. The way people socialize with one another impacts education, home life, and position in the community. Here is a video that helps families understand the importance of having a democratic classroom. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTGzPeXar5s Establishing a democratic classroom involves creating logical rules. You must only ask of students what you expect from yourself. Is it ok to talk in the bathroom? or while getting your coat? Must you always raise your hand to speak in the classroom? If you go into the year with a mentality that students have to be at level zero most of their day or not be allowed to fidget in their chair you will not be happy and students will not meet your expectations. Creating room for respect means respecting your students first. Once a democratic classroom has been established respect and gratitude blossom. Building a classroom community has many advantages and students enjoy it! First, students should collaborate about what their community/town needs. Does it need a doctor's office, dog park, library? After students have come up with a list, students will choose an item on the list that they will create. All students will also create their own house. Their house may be a replica of their actual dwelling or represent the house they wish to have one day. This activity will take a few weeks to complete and while your class is on this journey it is important for them to discover the value in doing such an activity.
Here is a great video of strangers sharing what they love most about community. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv7T23P9oS8 Discussing how people interact with their community should be stressed. Is there a way that students can influence and change their community? What is important to the students to have in their community? Ask students questions like this to get the discussion flowing. Once students have had enough time to work on creating the different areas of the town create a space in the classroom where the construction of the community can take place. Students work together communicating where certain buildings need to go, which layout makes sense, where pathways for roads and bikes should go, etc... The town should have certain elements that every community needs. In class we were challenged to take a seat and make a friend. A term made popular by the SoulPancake Street Team youtube video where strangers take a seat in a ball pit on the street and share about themselves. We had to choose partners we did not know that well. My group consisted of me and two other ladies whom I had never shared personal information with. Once we began to share personal desires, such as items on our bucket list or a life changing experience, the awkwardness began to disappear and we drew closer to one another. After the third question, it was like a switch had flipped. I had suddenly felt a closer connection with these two wonderful women.
Activities, such as this one, aid in developing a sense of community amongst your students. The ultimate goal of this activity is to build relationships that will pave the road to student success. In my future classroom, I will challenge my students to go out of their way to create and maintain relationships with their peers. Students who communicate, value each other's needs, and have close bonds with one another will have the skills necessary to grow together. Students will be asked to share what they think makes someone a good friend, to describe a time when they felt joy, and to find one thing in common with their partner. They will also create a secret handshake and then take a picture at the class photobooth. This will become a routine in my classroom. New questions as well as different partner assignments will encourage their understanding of sharing about themselves deeply with one another. A sense of community within the classroom is a great classroom management technique that will help prepare students to be productive members of society. Creating meaningful relationships requires a refined set of skills which can be learned by doing similar activities. The skills that students accumulate will assist in producing a rich learning experience within the classroom. Once students have created connections with one another, the foundation for a safe environment will cause them to thrive. View SoulPancake's video here. For more ideas on how to create a community within your classroom check out these resources provided by Scholastic. Today was our first class meeting and we discussed what it means to be a culturally responsive teacher. The professor prompted us with this question, "Who are the children in your classroom?" I had to dig deep to unpack my own "cultural backpack". I learned that when I was in fifth grade I felt very lonely. I felt as though I was lost in translation and no one besides my teacher was trying to help me stay above water. As I explored my past, I was faced with some pretty depressing memories. 1. I had only spent one year in public school opposed to my classmates who had grown up going to school together. Private school had a much different atmosphere and I was very uncomfortable in my new learning environment. 2. I was given many labels such as teacher's pet, goody two shoes, new girl, etc... All were damaging to who I thought I was. I was much more than just their labels. 3. I was bullied. Not only did the popular girls torment me but I found out years later (once in high school) that a rumor was passed around school about me in fifth grade that I was unaware of. 4. I was shy and afraid to make friends because I didn't know who to trust. 5. I was behind all my peers when it came to academics. The reading and math material seemed to fly right over my head. I felt lost and didn't know how I was going to catch up. 6. I had just hit puberty and felt like a stranger in my own body. All of these things made up who I was when I came into my teacher's classroom every morning (not) ready to learn. After gathering all of our cultural items from our "backpacks" we wrote them on the board. It hit me! WoW, I thought to myself as I saw everyone's items listed on the board. This is how we all felt about ourselves in elementary school. How crazy it is to see all of our differences and similarities laid out right in front of us. It was in black and white, our individual characteristics and who we were, so distinguishable from one another. This activity really pushed me to learn more about myself and the challenges I faced as a fifth grader. Being a culturally responsive teacher means considering all of these factors, which contribute to the unique individuals that make up my classroom body, and utilizing these aspects to reach my students and make it a successful learning experience. Julia G. Thompson, teacher, speaker, and consultant, has many wonderful things to share with teachers. In one of her articles, she writes about building a classroom community and strategies for getting to know your students. That article can be found On the Share My Lesson website. On her personal blog she has so much to offer. I highly suggest you further explore this resource. One of my favorites is titled, "Remove the Barriers to Peer Acceptance in Your Classroom". Click here to check it out!
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QuoteLearn more about the author John L. Bowman at: http://www.johnlbowman.com/ Archives |