Establishing routines, behavior norms and connecting with students' interests are all strategies to maintain a high quality learning environment. Even so, it is possible that a teacher can employ all these strategies and still be unsuccessful at communicating students full potential.
Student goal setting is another level of strategy to creating an engaged, high-level learning environment. Engaging students in setting their own goals implies a level of accountability that may or may not exist if the goals are simply imposed upon the student. As we learned in Module 3 that setting clear objectives for a lesson plan leads us to clearer teaching strategies, having students involved in setting their own goals can lead to greater learning connections. Students that have a goal in mind can approach lessons knowing that the learning will move them closer to their goal. The motivation behind the learning goes beyond the request or expectation of the teacher and moves towards the interest and self-motivation of the student.
Displaying or sharing student work is another means by which educators communicate the value of student work. In The First Year Teachers Survival Guide (2007), Julia Thompson writes, " If your students know that their work will be placed on display, published, read aloud or shared over the school public address system they will take it more seriously than if you are the only person who will see it". While part of that seriousness may be a fear of embarrassment, there is also a greater sense of pride when a student knows that s/he will represent their class, peers or community. Seeing representations of themselves is a validation of the students and the importance of their work.
Lastly, as noted in Marzano's Art and Science of Teaching (2007), it is necessary for teachers to reflect on their own perceptions of student ability. Teachers should consciously devote equal eye contact, rapport building strategies and active listening for all students, in order to eliminate subliminal or overt cues regarding expectations.
Thinking about incorporating these ideas into my own classroom, I know that I will need to be diligent, patient and consistent with both my students and myself. I expect the first week or two of school to be primarily focused on 1) community and rapport building and 2) creating routines in the classroom and expectations in regards to behavior, communication and transitions during the day. Once those routines and expectations have been established they will need to revisited regularly and consistently. That being said, once the work has been done, it is much easier to build on those routines and expectations and start diving into the deeper work of encouraging self-motivated learning!
Having student involved in their own goal setting, allowing them to assess their own progress and sharing their work with their larger community are all strategies I plan to employ regularly. I also am happy to see the wealth of resources and ideas that exist, which makes this daunting task seem a bit more manageable!
In regards to the group assignment this week, I have mixed feelings. I have a tight schedule which requires that I am diligent in planning ahead to complete my work. While one of my group members plans and works in a similar way, the other group member had a different timeline and a different communication style. This is not the first time I have had this experience on a group assignment (not with the same people) and it is definitely a challenge. The issue is more about communication than anything else. When people don't communicate their availability and don't respond to emails or other forms of contact, it makes it very difficult to manage my own time around the assignment. I have the impulse to complete the assignment on my own (or with the more involved group members) but I also value the input of others. I have a particular perspective and I do enjoy how my ideas or perceptions of the assignments change when working in a group. It is challenging when people have different schedule limitations and different communication styles.
Citations
Marzano, Robert J. (2007) The art and science of teaching : a comprehensive framework for effective instruction. Alexandria, VA; Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
Thompson, Julia G (2007), The First Year Teacher's Survival Guide: Ready to Use Strategies, Tools and Activities for Meeting the Challenges of Each School Day. San Francisco, Ca. Jossey-Bass.
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