A classroom, like a home, a company, or any other organization (I sometimes think of my classroom as a small organization) must have expectations that help keep it running smoothly. My expectations for students make up our class motto:
1. Work Hard: I teach my students from the beginning that they WILL have to work hard in my class. I have high expectations for both academic work and their behavior. These are age-appropriate expectations and often different for each student, based on their own abilities and needs. I expect students' best effort and I almost always find that if I expect their best effort, I receive it.
2. Be Kind: We strive to be kind to others, kind to ourselves, kind to our immediate school environment, and kind to the greater world around us. This is extremely important to me - kindness first.
3. Be Brave: Take chances and appropriate risks. Don't be afraid to make a mistake - that's where the learning happens. I particularly love this quote from legendary basketball coach John Wooden that sums up my thoughts on this:
"If you're not making a mistake, you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes." -John Wooden
My primary form of classroom and behavior management is building relationships with my students and their families and the belief that students, with the right support, teaching and environment, can manage themselves quite well. I teach that fair does not mean equal, it means everyone getting what they need to succeed - I strive to treat children as individuals, not as a group. Therefore, what one student needs to succeed will quite often be different than another. My students have lots of freedom and choices but they also know that these are based on trust and that those freedoms and choices are privileges. If they are not managing those choices and freedoms well, they can be lost. Loss of choice typically works well as a consequence and often is the only one needed. On the converse side of this, I believe that praise, hugs, high-fives, positive notes, calls and emails home, as well as other sorts of positive reinforcement are the best types of "treasure" I can give a child. I help teach children the tools they can use to manage themselves and be self-motivated to succeed in all areas of their life. Children are invested from the beginning in the process of establishing a positive and productive classroom culture.
If your child is having difficulties managing him or herself at school, I will make sure you know and we will work together to find a solution that is individual to your son or daughter. My goal is for every student to be able to positively manage themselves and be intrinsically motivated to succeed.
1. Work Hard: I teach my students from the beginning that they WILL have to work hard in my class. I have high expectations for both academic work and their behavior. These are age-appropriate expectations and often different for each student, based on their own abilities and needs. I expect students' best effort and I almost always find that if I expect their best effort, I receive it.
2. Be Kind: We strive to be kind to others, kind to ourselves, kind to our immediate school environment, and kind to the greater world around us. This is extremely important to me - kindness first.
3. Be Brave: Take chances and appropriate risks. Don't be afraid to make a mistake - that's where the learning happens. I particularly love this quote from legendary basketball coach John Wooden that sums up my thoughts on this:
"If you're not making a mistake, you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes." -John Wooden
My primary form of classroom and behavior management is building relationships with my students and their families and the belief that students, with the right support, teaching and environment, can manage themselves quite well. I teach that fair does not mean equal, it means everyone getting what they need to succeed - I strive to treat children as individuals, not as a group. Therefore, what one student needs to succeed will quite often be different than another. My students have lots of freedom and choices but they also know that these are based on trust and that those freedoms and choices are privileges. If they are not managing those choices and freedoms well, they can be lost. Loss of choice typically works well as a consequence and often is the only one needed. On the converse side of this, I believe that praise, hugs, high-fives, positive notes, calls and emails home, as well as other sorts of positive reinforcement are the best types of "treasure" I can give a child. I help teach children the tools they can use to manage themselves and be self-motivated to succeed in all areas of their life. Children are invested from the beginning in the process of establishing a positive and productive classroom culture.
If your child is having difficulties managing him or herself at school, I will make sure you know and we will work together to find a solution that is individual to your son or daughter. My goal is for every student to be able to positively manage themselves and be intrinsically motivated to succeed.