How to Respond to Students Different Needs!

Hey there Bloggers! 

Responding to every child's different needs can be a lot of work, but it is very important to remember that that no child has the same learning needs. One thing that I need to remember is all the differentiated work needs to be respectful and engaging work for all students. Some ways that you can provide differentiated work for students in the following ways.. 

• Incorporating complex instruction that are at a high level.
• Using a variety of rubrics to guide quality, not every student should be graded the same for their work. 
• Provide learning contracts that allow teachers to focus students on work necessary for their own development and growth. 
• Aim high because we often underestimate our students abilities.
• Take a "No Excuses" Stance by accepting no excuses for work that is undone or incomplete. 
• Help students to realize that success comes from the result of effort and hard work. The most successful students understand that their results and success come from their own hard work. 
• Establish a peer network that will use a Think-Pair-Share strategies because they promote learning. 

There are many things that come along with responding to students needs. The most important thing to remember about teaching is that THERE IS NOT A ONE SIZE FITS ALL!!! 

Till next time... 

A Vehicle for Students

Hey Bloggers,

For the next three weeks I have the opportunity to be in a second grade class for school. Today was the first day and so far I love it! My cooperating teacher happened to be telling me about how important curriculum is and even showed me a curriculum map that the second grade team designed. A vehicle for students? What does this even mean? Well it is a vehicle for addressing students needs based on curriculum and instruction. As I started reading tonight, I found that the next chapter was about curriculum and instruction. In the classrooms, we run our students like a hamster in a wheel going through the curriculum to try and get everything taught in one day! One way that we can find a way to make sure to get everything taught are..

IMPORTANT-What we study balances knowledge, understanding, and skill

FOCUSED- Whatever we do is unambiguously aligned with the essential learning goals.

ENGAGING- Students most often find meaning in their work and provokes their curiosity.

DEMANDING- The work is often a bit beyond the reach of the learner.

SCAFFOLD- The teacher teaches for success, use modeling, organizers, and other strategies to point out success.

By providing all these things in our curriculum we can use these tools as a vehicle for student success with the curriculum. By providing curriculum and instruction that is important, focused, engaging, demanding, and provides a way to scaffold will give the opportunity to establish an environment that is crafted on relationships and procedures that will maximize the likelihood of success. We need to expect great things from our learners! We need to see a more that one size fits all solution for students. Every child has needs that require differentiation to every child to succeed!

Till next time!

Classroom Routines for Flexible Teaching!!

Hey there Blogger Friends, 

Lets talk about routines, not dance or gymnastics or ice skating routines. This is even better. CLASSROOM ROUTINES. And to add the cherry on top of that.. FLEXIBLE classroom routines. Having routines is great especially if you can reach out to the various learning needs of each child. This is where the flexibility comes in. In order to have flexibility in your routines you have to help your students develop a sense of autonomy with the regular classroom routines so where there is a change in the day they know how to react and are able to stay on task. We need to strive to teach our students to do things for themselves because as teachers we become skilled at "doing things for them". Some ways that I have found very helpful and that I am going to try to implement in my classroom are.. 

• Use visual cues- Have signs posted around the classroom so that the students know what they are doing and where they are supposed to be. You can also incorporate signs like holding up a fist so students know when to stop and listen or to transition. 
• Pre-Established Groups- This is where differentiation comes into play. Tell the students which group they are going to be in so that way there is no fighting about where they are going to be. Make sure that you are constantly switching up the groups so that the students don't fell neglected or stuck with the same partners all year long.
• Use Goal Cards- These are when students are working individually or in small groups and then they can write their goals down or steps that will help them to complete the activity. 
• Teach for Smooth Transitions- There is going to be a process for everything in the classroom so why not teach those transitions and processes to be smooth? Have the students practice these so that they know what is expected of them. Give them feedback every time so that they know how they are doing with their transitions! 

By having these flexible routines you will be able to have a classroom that is connected, self-sufficient, and differentiated to the best of your ability for the hallmark flexible use of time, space and materials. The key thing to remember is to plan ahead for flexibility. It's hard to think of on the spot so be prepared. I know that in my classroom I will do my best to be flexible in all my procedures and keep in mind the different needs of all the learners in my class!

Till Next Time... 

Fostering Classroom Communication

Hey Bloggers, 

So, I got an internship! Woohoo! As I was thinking about how I wanted next fall to play out a thought came to my mind about how to communicate effectively and properly with my students so they feel comfortable and successful in my classroom... So I decided to blog about it. 

Communication is an early and fundamental decision that needs to be made before the school year begins. There is a broad array of how you can have effective communication in the classroom. Some of the ways that I found are to... 

• Build a group identity
• Ensure that the teacher has ways of getting to know each student better
• Enable the teacher to share their own thoughts about teaching
• Provide a shorthand for quick communication among members of the classroom. 

One way that I have decided to foster communication is to have morning meeting in my classroom everyday. This is one way that all students will feel 100% successful and be able to share their thoughts and concerns. I will also have a mailbox where students can leave me notes about anything they want to talk about. This way I will be able to respond to them thoughtfully and on my own time without having to interrupt class. Another way that I found in the book that I really liked is hold goal setting conferences with the students. These are when the student and teacher meet to talk about their progress and they examine some of the students work, their strengths and their weaknesses. Another way to establish good communication is to use Dialogue Journals. These are designed solely for the purpose of allowing students and teachers to communicate and talk in ways that are not possible during class. The entries can be about anything they want and then they turn it into the teacher and she writes back to them by showing interest in their writing. I really love this idea. I think that it would really help students who need someone to talk to. Sometimes writing things down is a lot easier for kids than talking about it. 

I want to be able to have the type of relationship that student will be remember for a life time. 

Till next time, 

A Differentiated Classroom Environment

Hey Fellow Bloggers, 

Today we are going to have chat about Classroom Environment.. Okay? Ready, set, go! 

Classroom Environment includes both physical and effective attributes that individually and cumulatively establish a learning atmosphere that is positive and welcoming to all. It is a place where you can feel that learning an teaching can take place! A few attributes of a great classroom environment are.. 

WALLS- Decorate the walls of the rooms with bulletin boards and other things that showcase the work of all the students from your different learning groups. Each child should get the opportunity to show their work no matter what level they are on. This is showcasing the hallmark of respectful work for all students! 

FURNITURE ARRANGEMENT- This is something that is so small yet so crucial for a good classroom environment. The arrangement can speak volumes about a classroom, it represents the presence of interests, learning needs, talents and materials for various activities.  It is important to remember that when making your differentiation groups for the different subjects to have a place for all the students to go so they can work together and scaffold each other in order to learn more and expand their knowledge!

THE TEACHER IS THE ARCHITECT-The teacher invites the sense of learning into the classroom by how they speak to their students, their excitement level about subjects, by showing equal respect to all students, and by having humor that is positive and energizing. 

By remembering these three things, any teacher can create a great classroom environment. It is important to remember that you need to do what works for you and your students. If something isn't working, then change it! The environment of a classroom communicates loudly to your students, their parents, and the administration. It tells others of your personal affirmation, potential for individual contribution, purposefulness, and also a high challenge. I know that in my classroom I want to create an environment where all children feel comfortable to do their best and be themselves no matter what level of learning they may be on compared to the class. 

Till next time.. 

The Teachers Response

Hey Fancy Bloggers!

So, have you ever thought about how to respond to students needs effectively? Well I know I have. Being a "almost new" teacher I think about it all the time. I want my students in my class to feel like I am responding to all their needs. A few ways that I have found from researching and reading are the following..
Invitation:When you are invited to do something you are more inclined to want to participate in it. This is the same for children. As a teacher it is very important to invite each child to learn and grow through out the school year. This invitation needs to happen when the students first enter the learning environment. You want your students to feel like you have time for them and that you believe in them wholeheartedly.
Opportunity: Think back to when you were in elementary school. Was there a time when your teacher wasn't giving you all the opportunities possible to develop your skills? I know I had a few that gave me all the opportunities possible. One that comes to mind is my 4th grade teacher. She was a wonderful example of opportunity. She not only provided all of us with individual tasks based on our levels but she also provided each of us with the opportunity to serve the community, be apart of something great and gave us the opportunity to make new friends by building a classroom environment where we felt safe. She also challenged us so that we would push ourselves to become better. One attitude to remember when thinking about how to provide opportunity to your students is by saying to them that you have important things for them to do today and that the things that I ask you to do will open up possibilities for your future.
Investment:Being a teacher is a huge time commitment. You want all your students to know that you work hard to make all this work and that you love to find new pathways to success for each individual student. Being invested means that you will immerse yourself into the classroom in every way that you can. Invested teachers are often the ones that share their thoughts about the classroom with the students and also whose classroom has students in it before school, during lunch, and after school just because they LOVE to be there. Be invested!
Persistence: When I think of a teacher, the first adjective that pops into my head is hard working. Classrooms can get messy, busy, and imperfect. There are procedures that are set in place to help everything work smoothly but sometimes it just doesn't work out the way you want it too. This is when you just have to pull your boot straps up and move on to bigger and better things. Being persistent means that when one route doesn't work, there are others that you can find. Also that there is no finish line in learning! Show your students that you genuinely believe in the possibilities that are there for each of them and you will not give up or be discouraged. You want them all to succeed no matter what it takes!
Reflection: This could easily be the most important part of being a teacher. I have heard from numerous professors at UVU that this is crucial to being a great teacher. The reflective teacher not only questions daily practices but reflects on things like: "To what degree am I being an example of the kind of learner and person I ask my students to be?" or "Am I aiming for the norm for my students or for the best each child has to offer?" By asking yourself these questions it will reflect to your students that you try to see things through their eyes and that you watch and listen very carefully and systematically. One easy way to reflect is to ask yourself "How can I do this better?"

By combining all of these different responses, I really do feel that you can become a great teacher. All of these things show your students that you really do care about them and that you know that they can succeed if you and them put the best foot forward and strive to achieve the highest potential. In my classroom, I am going to focus on all of these elements in order to become a responsive teacher to all my students individual and different needs that they may have!

                                     

Well, till next time! 

Morning Meeting Ideas!

Hey fellow bloggers,

So I know that I have already once talked about Morning Meetings and how beneficial they are, but while doing some research for our class Morning Meeting assignment I found some FANTASTIC ideas that I thought were really great so I thought I would share! These ideas are for the what I feel are the hardest part of morning meeting.. The Themes, Greetings, Class Game, and Sharing time!

First lets start with the THEMES:
Morning Meetings can ALWAYS relate to the core subjects of math, science, reading, and social studies but sometimes it is just pure fun to mix it up a little with things that are interesting to the students. Some ideas that I thought were fun and different were..

• The Wizard Of Oz (My Personal Favorite) This can be used to teach Fairy Tales. Best part about this one is that you can combine it with reading and math throughout the week!
• The Wizard of Oz
• The Wizard of Oz (Part 2)

            

• How to Be a Peace-Maker. This is great for the first weeks of school. I think it would really help students to learn how to work together all year!
• PeaceMaker

• You can also find things for all the holidays! Pinterest is a great Go-To place for holiday activities for.. 
• Valentines
• Thanksgiving
• Christmas
• Presidents Day
• Martin Luther King Day

Next lets Talk about GREETINGS:

This site has some wonderful greetings. My favorite Hit the floor! It goes like this..

Everyone stands in a circle and chants,

“1-2-3-4!

Come on, __________, and hit the floor!

We’re so glad you’re here today,

Hooray, hooray, hooray!”

Once a student’s name is called, he/she jumps out into the middle of the circle and dances during the end of the chant
Check out the link for more fun greetings!

Greetings

Now onto Class Games:

Now, onto the next hardest part.. coming up with a game or activity that the whole class can participate in.. 

                                                                The Toss and Talk Ball 

Pass the mask
Students sit in a circle.The first student makes a face and passes that face to the next
student. That student them imitates the face and then changes that face. The changed 
face is passed on to the next student. Each me a face is passed the face is imitated
then changed

Next is the Sharing Time:
Sharing time can be hard for kids because they will want to make it a time where they vent, you have to keep the atmosphere positive. Some ways you can do this is by asking good prompts. Some ideas for these are.. 

                                                                    30 Jar Questions

I Wonder Questions

You can also do a lightning share about.. 
Favorite colors
Favorite sport
One quality about themselves that they like
or one quality that makes a good friend

Well I hope you all enjoyed my post and can find a way to incorporate all these great ideas that I found online. I know that by using engaging things in the classroom during Morning Meeting everyone in the class will have a better and happier day!

Till next time!