School is about relationships and being connected to everyone involved in that child’s education. Every child should feel safe taking a risk, trying something new, having an idea, and making mistakes. We should be welcoming, encouraging, accepting–showing them we value and kindly regard them. In order for children to learn, they need to know that you are there to help them learn and they can trust you to do that in a way that is safe and risk free. In the same manner, we need to realize that these children are their parents most valuable possession. Those parents need to know that we have their child’s best interest at heart. Our colleagues need to know that we have enormous respect for what they do daily. On every level–district, school, classroom and home–students need to have that “connectedness” that opens the channels for learning.
Every child that comes into our classroom comes with a level or spot they have climbed to in their learning journey. We need to take them right where they are when they walk in the door and then do our best to help them learn and take them as far as they can go in the time we have. We cannot put a square peg in a round hole. I believe that we need to design learning programs that fit each student, rather than try to make the student fit the program. We cannot make assumptions about what they know or should have already learned. We have perform assessments to find out where they truly are and go from there. I have found when I take that student where he/she is, and teach them, successful learning takes place.
Our focus should be on the students’ strengths. In my eyes every child is capable of learning and I give that expectation to my students. The same is true of behavior. If we tell them what behaviors are appropriate and expected, we are much more likely to get the behaviors we desire. We recognize the good behaviors that each child has and let them know that they are valued. Rather than make excuses, we need to look at the possibilities. I have noticed when I do demonstration teaching that teachers are often surprised that a particular student was attentive, participated, or answered a question. I can only guess why this happens, but I think it’s because I go into the situation not knowing any of the students, so I have the same expectations for all of them. I expect them all to participate and they tend to do it. A positive attitude and sense of humor are important for the sanity of every teacher. And that positive attitude paired with high expectations can often bring the results we are seeking. I think that we should also have high expectations of ourselves, the educators, as learners. We need to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. If we want a culture of reading and writing, then we need to display our joy of books and reading, talk about our favorite authors and why we enjoy the writing in certain books. We need to be readers and writers. Keep a journal and model the writing process for your class. Enjoy learning and push yourself to achieve educational goals. Lifelong learning is a goal for all of us, not just the students.
All learning rests on a foundation of literacy. Therefore, we have to create a culture of literacy. We should find time for students to read so that they continue to grow as readers and writers. If we want to create lifelong learners, students who read and write beyond the school setting, they need to view reading and writing and learning as purposeful and enjoyable. We have to provide the opportunity for students to choose what they want to learn about and how they will go about it. Integration of the curriculum is essential to making the learning relevant. When we provide problems and projects that involve a number of subjects, we show them that learning is meaningful and relevant and purposeful.
Evaluation should be ongoing and focus on the value of what students are doing, noting their growth over time. Students should learn to evaluate their achievements. When students examine and monitor their own learning and progress, independence is fostered. Learning is a like a journey and we should stay aware of the progress as it occurs, not just the end of the race. Some students will take baby steps some days and move mountains on others. It is during this process that learning actually takes place. We tend to focus on the correct answer to the problem, we forget to see how they came to that answer. We should recognize and celebrate the learning process and any evidence of thinking and learning. This is true of teachers too. On our teaching journey, we will be expected to try new methods and strategies. We need to value ourselves in the learning process, even if we aren’t “there” yet.
Modeling and demonstrations are the best ways to teach what we want our students to learn. I think that if we want our students to go through a process, we should go through that same process and allow our students to see us work through it. Thinking aloud is a form of demonstration of mental processes. We demonstrate that we are writers by taking them through the writing process as we write an essay. We model reading when we read aloud, by talking about books and authors, and talking through the way we figure out an unknown word. When demonstrations are relevant and the students understand the process, students gain independence in the learning process. That independence must be fostered to develop a lifelong love of learning.
Time at school must be valued. We owe it to our students to use their time wisely and keep them on task and learning as much as possible. We have to be organized and prepared to provide interesting and relevant learning opportunities. We also have to provide the time necessary for them to practice the skills we teach them. We teach reading skills, then we give them guided and accountable reading practice. We teach them to write and then they have the opportunity to use those skills in a variety of writing assignments. They learn to multiply and divide and then we give them problems that use those skills in a real world situation.
Although I am a firm believer in teaching the basics, I also am an advocate for the arts in education. Research has determined that the cultural arts are a vital and indispensable element of educational success. It has been shown that involvement in the arts decreases truancy, rekindles the love of learning, fosters racial understanding, increases levels of math and reading skills, reduces anxiety and school stress levels, and contributes to overall academic success.
I think it is important for teachers and students to collaborate and share ideas and their talents. Learning is an ongoing, social, and active process. Students need many opportunities to interact in the learning process, reading, writing, listening, and working together. Collaborations always seem to produce the surprises and new insights, those teachable moments. For me, collaborations have changed the way I think and act and have truly made me a different person than I was before. Collaboration with my colleagues for me is a joy and a privilege that supports my way through the learning process.
I believe that a true teacher will find the place on the journey of learning where they are no longer the instructor and director, but become the facilitator. As they continue the journey, they may find themselves colearners–a colearner begins to give up control and begin to share the responsibility of learning with their students and they learn from each other. They are the observer, encourager, participator, and coach.
As a teacher, my goal is to produce thoughtful, lifelong learners. I want them to be able to think and analyze critically, and make choices in all areas of their lives.
