Wow! I have to say I am impressed with the students in my 3rd period 12A course. They all seem interested in learning and bettering themselves; they all have engaged in the conversations we had in class; and they all are beginning to take risks as learners. Because of this, they will grow more than they realize.
I have changed my strategies a bit this year to put the focus on student-centered learning a bit more. As I grow as a teacher I find the less I interfere the more they are able to learn.
One idea that seemed to resonate with my students is that of interdependency. It started by discussing the connection between reading and writing which shifted into an understanding that we are all readers and writers interdependent upon one another in this classroom. This one idea has already begun to take root in the minds of my students. It seems they are becoming more comfortable with each other only four days in.
I really appreciated Annie's help when we had a new student enter and she worked with him right away to get his class website set up.
An amazing part of this week is the fact that my 4th period students are on par with the strides 3rd period is making. This tells me that it's not an individual group of students that I have, but it is the strategies that are working. I am pleasantly optimistic about the rest of the trimester as we learn and grow together.
I have changed my strategies a bit this year to put the focus on student-centered learning a bit more. As I grow as a teacher I find the less I interfere the more they are able to learn.
One idea that seemed to resonate with my students is that of interdependency. It started by discussing the connection between reading and writing which shifted into an understanding that we are all readers and writers interdependent upon one another in this classroom. This one idea has already begun to take root in the minds of my students. It seems they are becoming more comfortable with each other only four days in.
I really appreciated Annie's help when we had a new student enter and she worked with him right away to get his class website set up.
An amazing part of this week is the fact that my 4th period students are on par with the strides 3rd period is making. This tells me that it's not an individual group of students that I have, but it is the strategies that are working. I am pleasantly optimistic about the rest of the trimester as we learn and grow together.