Every generation writes its own history |
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-John L. Bowman
Every generation writes its own history |
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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.
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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 |