Classroom Philosophy



Cooperative Learning Builds a Classroom Community





Throughout the year, students will be working in cooperative groups consisting of 4-5 students.  In these groups they will:
  • Learn and develop social skills.  Some of the social skills that we will be working on are: active listening, encouraging one another to participate, staying on task, and praising one another.  
  • The students will slowly get to know their groups through group, as well as academic activities.
My Thoughts
      I have used cooperative learning groups for my last two years of teaching and the results have amazed me.  Students are more willing to look out for one another.  Whether it be helping one another with an assignment, sharing books, or praising someone to make them feel really special, cooperative learning brings out the best in students.  Cooperative learning allows for students to feel that they have a fellow classmate/(classmates) that are there to help them.  It also teaches them problem solving strategies while bringing together the class.  The students use the social skills they have learned when doing science experiments and during other classroom activities.
Respect










 I believe that a good classroom starts when a trusting relationship is formed between the teacher and the students.  A teacher who establishes a bond of trust in the classroom leads learning by example and energy(Cookson, 2003).

 Respect is important to have in the classroom because:
  • When students are respected, their dignity is valued and this will allow for the students to develop a sense of respect for the teacher.
  • When a teacher respects a student, then he/she values the students views, as well as opinions.  This will allow for students to feel that they belong and that they are cared about.
  • To create schools that function as personalized communities of learning rather than anonymous instituitions where some students feel they belong and others feel ignored, we must know our students--how they think, what they need, and what they want(Marzano, 2003).
  • Students should respect one another and their belongings.
Extra Thought
  Every student that enters my classroom is special and they have a talent that they can share.  In our classroom, we follow the Golden Rule, "Do Onto Others as You Want Done to You."  This includes the teacher as well.  I treat every student with the utmost respect and truly value them as individuals.  I encourage students to use proper manners in the classroom which includes saying "Please" and "Thank you."  Also, I feel that it is important for students to understand that they must respect themselves and the world that they live in.
Creating an Engaged Learning Environment  
      







        
 Teachers should create a positive learning environment.  A teacher should plan activities that make learning fun and teach lessons in which the students become engaged in what they are learning. 
My Thoughts
   Throughout the school year students will be completing a variety of  authentic  assessment tasks, activities, and homework assignments.  I want learning for students to be meaningful and for students to apply knowledge to real world situations.  During the year, students will participate in experiences, simulations, and other activities that will allow them to connect more personally to what they are learning about.
  • Authentic Tasks:  These tasks allow students to solve real-world problems using the knowledge that they have gained in class, as well as background knowledge.
  • Task Rotations/Learning Styles Menu:  Each student in my classroom has a different learning style and he/she expresses their understanding through this style.  I plan activities that will allow each student to learn and express their understanding through their own learning style.
  • Engaging Activities(that focus on using higher order thinking skills):  In my classroom, I encourage students to think outside of the box.  This means thinking both creatively, as well as critically.  


         Clear Rules/Expectations







       I feel that good classroom management ensures that students feel safe in the school environment.  The rules that a teacher has should be clear and concise.  They also should be consistently enforced.  It is important for the teacher to help the students become problem solvers by allowing them to understand that there are consequences for the choices that they make.  By doing this, the teacher helpes the student develop a sense of responsibility.  Effective classroom management requires the creation of a classroom culture in which both the teachers and students cooperate and accept responsibility for individual, as well as group behavoir(Edwards, 1993).
  •   Flexibility and good management are important qualities a teacher must possess.
  •    I believe that in order to have good classroom management skills, the teacher needs to enforce consequences to students who demonstrate inappropriate behaviors.  These consequences should allow the student the opportunity to learn from the mistake that he/she made.

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