Hopes for the year!

As I prepare and plan my journey for the 2011-2012 school year, I have a clear picture in my head of what it is I want to accomplish.  I want to create a student driven, collaborative classroom.  I decided on this topic because I am tired of being the engine everyday.  What I have been doing everyday in my classroom has been focused on what I do, not on what the students will do.  I am going to change my practice from a teacher led lecture-discussion format to an active learning-constructivist classroom.  When I talk to past students, I am disappointed in their comments of what they remember from class.  They focus ed on fun things that had nothing to do with the content.  I want to change that, and in order to do that, I need to change my approach to teaching.  I teach in an affluent community.  We are a small suburban district that is desired by many families from school districts that surround us.  We have a total student population around 2500 students.  Currently there are 624 students who have open enrolled into the district.  The middle school that I teach in has 853 students.  92% are caucasian, 3% black and Asian respectively, and the final 2 % are native peoples of the Americas.  As a district we have 9% of our students on free and reduced lunch.  We are very fortunate that the community invests greatly in our schools.  If we need something, be it volunteers or equipment, we do not need to wait long.  I am lucky to teach in this district.

In order to set up my classroom for the vision I have for my new approach to teaching, I first need to establish the proper tone for the type of environment needed for this change.  My action research is centered on establishing and maintaining this environment.  The question that is driving my research is, how can I engage the most students on a daily basis in an U.S. history classroom. To establish the proper tone, I need to build a trusting relationship with my students.  I have to communicate to them right away that this class is about them.  They are the most important part of the class. In order to do this I will be giving an interest survey about school and social studies.  I want to hear their voices. Next, I will be having students reflect on their past learning experiences in order for them to better understand who they are and what works for them.  All along, I will be sitting down one on one with students throughout the first quarter to show them that I am interested in their lives.  I will continue to meet with students throughout the year to maintain that connection and get feedback on how class is working. I have never done this with students.  I always assumed my relationship with students were fine, and that was good enough for me.  I only cared about them in terms of my class, and I did not share much about me with them.  I realized that if I was to transform my environment to one that will feel safe, provide a positive learning experience, and be enjoyable for students, I needed to connect with them. 

I want my class mantra to be "student voice and student choice."  I need to keep the focus on them.  Give them the attention.  The more I can involve them in their education, give them the control in a safe, inviting environment, the more student engagement I hope to achieve.  Until next time, Happy Teaching!!