Level 1: Creating a Caring Community
Strategies:
1. Before the first day of school, I will use the Summer to create a classroom layout which students feel belongs to them. Desks will be arranged to promote group activities, and past student work will be displayed with more space for their future work. 2. I will greet my students at the door every day to let them know they are wanted in this classroom, and they are valued. (Wong) 3. We will have regular class meetings to allow students to demonstrate responsibility, and for my students to have control of their own learning experiences. (Villa & Thousand) 4. In democratic fashion, my students and I will establish classroom behavioral and social norms in the form of Social Contracts the first week of classes. The image to the right shows a graphic representation of the process we will use to establish our contracts. (Villa & Thousand) 5. I will develop engaging, open lesson which will allow to address real world issues, and allow them to develop their own strategies for solving them. 6. We will use the first week (or weeks) to establish growth mindsets, and establish that there's no such thing as "math people." Here's a video I will show to help promote such mind sets (Boaler): |
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References;
Wong, H. & Wong, R. (1991, 1998, 2001, 2009, 2013) The First Days of School: How to be an effective teacher. Harry Wong Publications
Villa, R.A. Thousand, J.S. & Nevin, A.I. (2010). Chapter 9: Students as Collaborators in Responsibility, Collaborating with Students in Instruction and Decision Making, Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, p. 171-188.
Boaler, J. (2015) Anyone can learn to high levels. Retrieved from https://www.youcubed.org/
Wong, H. & Wong, R. (1991, 1998, 2001, 2009, 2013) The First Days of School: How to be an effective teacher. Harry Wong Publications
Villa, R.A. Thousand, J.S. & Nevin, A.I. (2010). Chapter 9: Students as Collaborators in Responsibility, Collaborating with Students in Instruction and Decision Making, Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, p. 171-188.
Boaler, J. (2015) Anyone can learn to high levels. Retrieved from https://www.youcubed.org/