Chapter 4

Well, hello Toolbox! Chapter 4 is the "How To" chapter on how to affirm each of my students' needs to feel important and validated in my classroom. It is going in my Teacher Toolbox! :]

Guidelines: We all need clear expectations and rules. I know from personal experience this semester that when expectations and rules are missing, I am not motivated to learn or do my best work. I also don't care about the teacher because I don't think the teacher cares about me. My students will be the same. They need expectations and rules because then they know the teacher cares about their success, their learning, and about them as an individual. (Thankfully, the teacher of that particular class I am referring to has made drastic changes and he is trying to do a better job and as a result my desire to learn and do better has done a 180!)
Routines: AMEN! Based on my experience as a mother , when we don't have routines it IS chaos. The summers are the worst when it comes to keeping routines and we feel it. Everything just kind of falls to the way side (family prayers, FHE, family scriptures, reasonable bedtimes, eating as a family for dinner (come and go, eat when we think of it sort of takes over), varied wake-up times, etc.
Support Systems: Vygotsky, Vygotsky, Vygotsky! ZPD :]
Shared Responsibility: Yes! This gives the students' ownership in what happens in their classroom, how they feel in their classroom, and how it affects their learning.