Final Project and Reflection

My 40 minutes of class fly by each day.  A typical class is a whirlwind of activities and I am always left wishing I had more time with the kids.  My goal for this year was to really focus on providing opportunities for students to extend their learning outside of the classroom.  Through Google Classroom, Edmodo and our Pearson online text website, I have been able to post different activities for the students to do on their own time if they choose.  The activities include You Tube videos, songs, Smart Notebook games, QUIA and Quizlet games, and anything else I can find related to what we are learning.  I always encourage the kids to take advantage of these activities at home, and teach someone else about what we are learning.  I wonder "does learning stop when they leave my classroom? Do the kids really look at what I post?" They really do! Maybe not every student, but I have had some great moments realizing they are learning when they leave my classroom door. I have had students come in with their new vocabulary words already filled out from Google Classroom when I have posted them the night before.  I have parents email me telling me about the songs their student is teaching them at home.  I have put games up on the SmartBoard and students have told me they already played this game the other night. Students have rated and left comments for me on Edmodo on my posts. This makes me happy to see that I can reach students on some sort of level when they are not in the classroom with me. The problem is, I have many students (180+ per day), so how else can I reach out to them?

When I survey the students at the beginning of the year, one common theme is that they are worried about learning Spanish because it will be hard and they don't want to fail.  It is something new for them and most do not have any prior knowledge to draw from.  I wanted to do something to help relieve this worry for them and help them realize they can be successful and we are in this together.  How could I create a culture in my room where students feel comfortable and are willing to take risks?

Today I tried something new.  I invited any of my 7th grade students who had study hall to stop by my room for a review session for tomorrow's vocabulary quiz.  I had visions of a room packed full of kids, but only three students came.  At first I was disappointed, and felt like my idea failed. As it turned out, I had a great time with these three kids. All three of the students who came are very similar in personalities. They are quiet and sometimes overshadowed in the classroom by others. In this small environment, they shined.  They were talkative, laughing, asking questions, and working with each other to extend their learning.  I didn't need a room full of kids for this to happen. It was a more impactful experience for these students because there were only three!  They all were thankful for the chance to study with me and with each other, and have their questions answered.  They left feeling more confident and they had fun!  This idea is a definite keeper for me.

My plan is to continue to do this so I can continue to build relationships with the kids outside of our regular class time, and to allow them opportunities to take control of their own learning.  In the words of George Couros, "Spending time developing relationships and building trust is crucial to moving forward as a whole. Without culture, there is no culture of innovation. It all starts by creating an environment where people feel cared for, supported and nurtured-the very things we know that impact learning for students in the classroom." (p. 79)  It is my hope that the three students who came during study hall time left my room feeling cared for and supported.  If I was able to build their confidence even in the smallest amount today, it was 40 minutes well spent learning together.

Some photos from today...

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Relationships, Relationships, Relationships

"The three most important words in education are:  relationships, relationships, relationships.  Without them, we have nothing."-George Couros

Yes! Yes! Yes!  When I reflect on my teaching and what is important to me, the relationships I build with others are always at the top of my list.  I value the relationships I have with my colleagues, my team, my principal, and my students.  I see all of these people as an extension of my family. 

I think often about how lucky we are at Merton to work with such amazing people.  Jay supports us in everything we do and always encourages us to take risks.  He backs us up in new ideas we try and there isn't the need to feel like we have to ask permission.  This does create an environment for us where we feel like we can try something new and be supported.  We have great innovators in our district and I never feel like there is competition.  Everyone is so willing to share and help each other out and we are constantly learning from each other to improve the experiences for our students.  We value our relationships with each other and we have trust and a true sense of caring for each other, just like we do in our own families.

My team is the best.  I could not ask for a better group of people to work with.  We work together flawlessly, bounce ideas off of each other, laugh a lot, support teach other, and take risks together. We are always there for each other to have a conversation, cheer someone up on a bad day, help each other out, and make sure our new team members are doing well. We are not afraid to try new things and we are always looking at what we are doing and how we can make it better for our kids. We have had quite a few new members on our team in recent years, and the best part is, they never seemed "new."  Each one has added so much value to our team and I am thankful for each person on our team and the insight and experiences each one brings to the table.

I love my students and think of them as my own "kids."  I work hard to build relationships with them so they feel comfortable in my classroom and are willing to try something new and take a risk.  We laugh a lot together, spend time just talking sometimes, and learn from each other.  I am lucky to live so close to the community and often see my students on the sports fields, grocery shopping, and at high school events.  I think this really helps to make connections with them. Chaperoning dances is one of my most favorite things because you see the kids in such a different light. I often have students find me during the day because their locker door is stuck shut, their water bottle cap won't unscrew, they need to borrow something, or they need a place to work at lunch to catch up on something from another class.  This always brings a smile to my face. Relationship building definitely takes time and work, but it pays off in what the students will do for you in return.  I always tell people, I have three of my own great kids and 200 more great kids that I get to spend time with each day.

Words to live by for me from George Couros-"If we want meaningful change, we have to make a connection to the heart before we can make a connection to the mind."