Today I will respond to the third post in the 30-day Blogging Challenge for teachers, which asks me to identify an area of improvement that I want to focus on from my teacher evaluation instrument. There are several, but I will reflect on one in this post.
I want my classroom to be one where students are self-directed learners. When an evaluator walks in, they should see all students engaged in learning, not listening to me talk. The students should be collaborating and making decisions that will help them achieve their goals, with minimal directions from me. I would also hope that my students would be engaged in long-term projects that involve interactions with the outside world.
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| cc image by Sam Sheratt |
I should be seen as a facilitator, meeting with small groups of students, monitoring their progress, and learning alongside them. My students would be the ones monitoring and maintaining a productive and positive classroom climate. They would solve problems that arise and speak up for each other if someone is being mistreated.
There are moments when my class looks like this, but to be honest, it does not happen often enough. I find it difficult to create this type of classroom in 50-minute chunks, with a new group of students every period. There are other challenges, but I know that this type of classroom is not impossible. I will work towards it. I know I can create this type of classroom because I know my students are capable of it.
Anonymous
September 4, 2014 at 01:56
Excellent goal. Yes, the students are the learners. They need to be active and engaged. I am glad you see that students can do it.
Tim
September 4, 2014 at 21:58
I agree. It's a challenge to get all students engaged and to take ownership for their learning, but it's worth it. Thanks for the comment!