bhmartin
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Provide rich teaching for students ...
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Week 5 of 5
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My Commitment Journal
 bhmartin
September 27, 2021, 6:16 PM
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bhmartin
September 27, 2021, 6:12 PM
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The Engagement Mindset: StickK Post 5 a. Name of Mindset: Engagement Mindset b. Results of Self-Assessment: I know that in my classroom, 100% of students are not always engaged 100% of the time. However, I do try my best to make that happen. We start out class talking about how we are doing and how our day is going. I make sure to ask them if everything is going good with them and if they need anything. I also have juice and snacks at the front of my room at all times in case anyone is hungry. I know that if one of my students is hungry, they didn’t sleep well, or they are worried about something at home, I can be talking to them about the coolest thing in the world and that won’t matter because they are focused on something else other than what we are learning. One thing that I do in my classroom to keep my students engaged is have them up and moving around. I know that if I tell my students we are going to do an activity where they get to get up and find a partner, they are going to be interested in what we are doing. If I see that students are starting to drift away from the lesson, I usually bring them back to the lesson by having them move around the room or by asking the class to repeat the directions back to me and tell me what they are supposed to be doing. It is really difficult as a teacher to get students motivated to learn because they just want to instead of learning to pass the class. This is the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. I believe that students are intrinsically motivated when they are learning about something that they are truly interested in. When I can see that not all my students are intrinsically motivated, I usually offer an incentive for the students who are extrinsically motivated. That way, they may not be interested in what we are learning, but they are still engaged. c. Three new insights/questions: While reading the engagement mindset, I learned that not only is meeting the needs of students important to ensure engagement, but lowering the stress levels in the classroom are really important as well. I really liked how the author described some stress-lowering tools that the students can do themselves at any time they need to. I think that taking a second and stretching (extend, compact, and release series) will work very well to reduce stress because it gives the students an opportunity to relax and take a minute to breathe. Mindful breathing is also another stress-lowering tool that I learned about. I would like to try this with my students because I think that this can also help me lower my stress level as well. I realize that when my stress level is high, it can sometimes rub off on my students. I also really liked the stress-lowering tool, walk to the music, where the students walk around the room to the beat of the music. I think this would be very helpful, especially on high stress days such as testing days. This activity gets the students up and moving around and gives their brains a break for a short time. d. Strategy: The strategy that I would like to implement in my classroom this week is to “Engage for maintenance and stress”. I would like to implement this because it is super important that our students learn how to manage their stress levels. Especially with COVID-19 so relevant right now in our schools, this strategy can be really helpful for them to not feel too overwhelmed or stressed. I really like the “Ownership strategies” where the students get to feel involved and be accountable for their work. Students love showing off that they have their work or that they have finished. Also, teaching middle school students, this strategy allows students to work with a partner and hold each other accountable. |
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bhmartin
September 20, 2021, 5:35 PM
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Rich Classroom Climate Mindset: StickK Post 4 a. Name of Mindset: Rich Classroom Climate b. Results of Self- Assessment: After reading this section, I have a feeling that my classroom culture is well-known, however I’m not so sure about my classroom climate. I would hope that my students can feel comfortable, welcomed and needed, but then I ask myself, what do I do in my classroom to make them feel this way? In my classroom, I encourage students to take risks and feel comfortable, but my hope is that I am not so focused on the classroom culture that the classroom climate gets forgotten about. In my classroom, we have certain rules, procedures and expectations just like any other classroom. My students understand that they are to be prepared, on time and stay on task when we are working. They understand that they are to respect their teachers and classmates. I do not have many rules, just the “common sense” ones as I say. Our classroom climate changes from day to day. I feel like some days the students are working together in groups, talking and discussing. Some days, they are creating projects and working together to complete activities. Other days, the students are quiet and working individually while I come around a conference with each student. I like to do this because I think it makes the student feel important and that I care about their learning. I work very hard to make sure that my students feel safe in the classroom. I start from day one explaining to the students that we are all here for the same reason, to learn. That not one of us is perfect and we will all learn from each other and grow together. I explain to my students that I will even learn things over the course of the year and we will all change and grow together. Making mistakes is a MUST in my classroom, because that is when we are learning. c. Three new insights/questions: In the readings, I learned the difference between classroom culture and classroom climate. I learned that classroom climate is how my students feel in my classroom and classroom culture is the procedures and expectations. I honestly did not know that there was a difference between the two words, but now that I think about it, it does make a lot of sense. An easy way for me to think about it is that the classroom culture at our school is the same across the board in each classroom. We all have the same rules and expectations as a school. However, each classroom climate is different depending on the teacher and the students in the classroom. I love how the author describes a “rich” classroom environment. In a classroom with a rich climate, the students are engaged, feel comfortable, safe and have a positive spirit, vibe and outlook. When the students are safe and feel comfortable, it inspires them to take risks and not be afraid to ask questions and dream big. d. Strategy: The strategy that I would like to implement is going to be to “Foster Academic Optimism”. I want my students to be able to truly believe that they can do anything that they put their minds to. I want them to set gutsy goals for themselves, and not be afraid to go out of their comfort zone to reach those goals. In order for me to do this, I have to make sure that the classroom climate is right. We can do some team building activities to form trust and bonds with each other. I need to set high expectations for my students and expect them to follow through and hold them accountable if they do not. I need to encourage my students to take responsibility for their own learning and explain to them if they fail, try again until they get it. Even the smartest people in the world have made mistakes, that is all a part of learning and growing. |
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bhmartin
September 20, 2021, 3:53 PM
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Positivity Mindset: StickK Post 3 Name of Mindset: Positivity Results of Self- Assessment: My students come from very low income families. Most of the parents (if the parents are in the picture) work very hard, long hours for very little pay to keep their households afloat. A lot of my students are at home by themselves and most of them are required to supervise their younger siblings. Every student at my school receives free lunch and we also even send home “snack packs” for the weekends for select students. I worry about my students constantly when they are not at school. I worry about them being safe, clean and fed. I have had students wear the exact same, dirty clothes for days. I have had students that look like they haven’t had a bath in a week, then find out that is because they do not have running water at home. This absolutely affects my teaching and their learning. If you are hungry or do not feel safe, the last thing you want to do is sit in a chair and learn about figurative language. It is really hard sometimes for me to stay positive because it breaks my heart for these kids and also makes me feel angry. Angry that they have to live that way when they didn’t choose to and angry that there is nothing that they or I can do about it. However, when I think about the way that I can make them feel here at school, that makes me happy. I know that there IS something I can do about it when they are with me. I know that every single one of my students will be fed, have clean clothes to wear and feel safe while they are at school. I encourage my students to learn life hacks and about their personal hygiene habits. I explain to them that their lives do not always have to be a hussle. I encourage them to branch out and break the cycle of poverty by overcoming their obstacles and challenges by working hard and growing in their education. Three new insights/questions: When I think about having a positive mindset, one article that I love comes to mind. It is called “Find Your Marigold: The One Essential Rule For New Teachers” by Jennifer Gonzalez ( Click to find the article here: https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/marigolds/ ). In this article, the author separates teachers into two categories, either positive thinking or negative thinking. The negative thinking teachers the author refers to as “walnut trees” because walnut trees are known for consuming all the nutrients in the soil and eventually killing everything that they are planted next to or around. The author refers to the positive thinking teachers as “marigolds” because the marigold flower is known for deterring mosquitos and other insects and places an invisible shield around all the other plants that it is planted around to keep them safe and alive. When we are around negative people, their negative thoughts and vibes rub off on us and make us unhappy. When we are around positive people with positive thoughts and vibes, we are happier and healthier. In my years of teaching, I do have to admit that there have been times where I have been quite negative. However, when those negative thoughts start, I find my marigolds. These are the people who I know will lift me up in positivity and not bring me further down. I learned from the readings there is a difference between sympathy and empathy. I need to be empathetic to my students, but sometimes that is really hard when I grew up totally different then these kids that I work with. In order for me to become more empathetic, I have got to learn everything about these kids and their lifestyles. Instead of just feeling sorry for them, I need to be able to understand and share their feelings with them. Strategy: the strategy I would like to implement is to “Build Positive Attitudes”. I really love this strategy and I think that it can be a strategy that I try and implement not only in my classroom and professional life, but in my everyday life as well. By working hard to implement this strategy, I can become a better teacher, mother, wife, friend and person. I start by looking at all the things that I am grateful for like my family, my home, and my job. Then, start doing small acts of kindness for others around me. This builds a positive attitude in myself and allows me to spread positivity to those around me. |
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Sep 27, 2021
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