Teacher Response-Put It In Play Part 1

     Chapter 4 of Fulfilling The Promise is my new favorite chapter of the book.  That is a little strange as it started off by using a word that I am not very comfortable with when it is used to describe teacher student relationships, the word is friend.  Now my little opening rant has little to do with the information in the book (I will get to that), but has to do with the implications of the word friend.  One of the loyal followers of this blog and I have had conversations about being friends with students.  Being a friend implies that we are going to hang out after school, go to the movies, or go to the water park together in the summer.  The use of it by this book got me thinking for a new word to replace friend and I was having a tough time coming up with one that I liked better.  I decided that I would have to use the word friend, but just with some clarification.  As I continued to read the chapter the book gave me a better word, and that word is colleague.   The definition for colleague given by the book was just right as it made me think of people working together who supported and built each other up in order to reach a common goal.  Trust and kindness all fit when describing good colleagues.  Okay, enough of my personal thoughts and onto chapter 4.

     Chapter 4 is all about how we respond to student needs in the classroom.  Six topics are covered that all help teachers meet student needs.  The first three topics are the classroom environment, communication in the classroom, and guidelines for classroom Operations. These three topics will be covered in this post while the last three of classroom routines, support systems, and shared responsibilities will be covered in the next post, part 2.  As I said, chapter 4 is my favorite chapter so far because not only is the information very good, but the examples of how each subject can be used and applied is very helpful.  Often times we get information on how to make are classrooms better, but no instruction on how to apply the information.  Chapter 4 shows ways it can be applied to the classroom.

     The first subject covered in chapter 4 is The Classroom Environment.  It may be just a guy thing, but I have always wondered why it was important to have the classroom "decorated".  I have received instruction on what and why we need "stuff" on our walls and in the classroom, but to be honest I do not think I ever bought in completely.  The information provided in this text made sense to me.  It made sense to me why it was important to have items in my class and on the walls that welcome and excite students.  The text also points out that included in the classroom environment is the attitude or atmosphere of the classroom.  The pages of the text make it very clear how both physical and affective characteristics can be combined to create a positive learning environment.  Teachers must place items on the wall and in the classroom along with getting to know their students to create the correct atmosphere.  If teachers get to know the individual student's backgrounds and cultures along with handing out sincere praise the classroom will become very dynamic.

  Secondly, the book covers Communication in the Classroom.  Communication is key to building a sense of community.  Effective communication will allow for the students can get to know each other and the students and teacher to build connections.  A classroom that communicates well will be able to come up with sayings or, as the book calls them "shorthand" for communicating praise and motivation very quickly to each other.  Communication can be be verbal, written, or even make use of signals.  The book mentions the communication can be digital, for this medium I have an example.  At one of the elementary schools that I am familiar with 5th and 6th graders are each given IPODS.  One teacher 6th grade teacher has loaded an application on each of these devices that allows for the students to input a message each morning about their wellbeing that day.  I think this is a great communication tool that allows students to be open and honest while allowing the teacher to get to know her students better.

     The last subject for this mornings post is Guidelines for Classroom Operation.  Guidelines, or rules, are critical to making the class operate and maximum efficiency and effectiveness.  Rules that are made up by and enforced by the teacher are less likely to be followed than rules created and agreed upon by all members of the class.  By students having input into the rules governing the class they are given ownership of the class and how it operates.  The book talks about four simple rules that I thing are solid.  Respect each other, work hard, keep trying, and accept responsibility.  These rules are simple, but if followed a classroom will run much more effectively.  In my classroom I may add one more rule, be positive, but other than that I like what the text suggests.

     Make sure and stay tuned for Part 2 of Teacher Response-Put It In Play where the last three subjects of chapter 4 will be covered.