Personal Style and Philosophy
In my middle level math classroom I plan on creating a safe and supportive culture that supports the social development theory of Lev Vygotsky. I truly believe that every student can achieve greatness when given the necesary tools to succeed. While I am confident that I have many tools and strategies to provide for my students, I recognize the importance for them to learn from each other whenever possible. It is essential for my students to have social interactions within their learning environment, especially at the young adolescent stage in their lives. They are at a stage where they are learning that they have choices and preferences and they are constantly exploring their limits. My rules and consequences will be clear and while I will have the final say in what my classroom rule are, I will ask the students their input of what they think is important for them to have a safe and supportive culture to maximaize their growth.
Classroom Organization
The following is a visual representation of my ideal classroom:
In my ideal classroom, there are no individual student desks. The four corners of the room are set up with kidney tables that are ideal for small group instruction and would maximize student-student interactions for learning. Each center would be equipped with a white board to encourage collaboration and organize student ideas and understandings. The teacher's desk is present mostly for logistics to have a place to keep my personal belongings and as a place to turn in work for grading and retrieve graded work. The center of the room could be used for group meetings and also as a space for independent reading after classwork is completed. I would love to start class each morning on the rug with a math talk where students can warm up their math muscles with a puzzle that they must talk through as a group. There will be a word wall where all the academic vocabulary they have learned throughout the year is posted so when they are completing an Everybody Writes or participating in group discussions they have access to and are using the appropriate vocabulary. There will be positive and motivational quotes posted throughout the wall space around the classroom to promote positive attitudes and interactions among students. The area labeled as the "Writing Center" would also be used as a Manipulatives center that students can utilize for more hands on problem solving when necessary. It is not labeled, but in front of the classroom library, there will be a smartboard where I could present power point slides and any other technology to enhance a lesson. I would like the majority of my classroom to be student led small group instruction where my main role would be a facilitator of learning. I would have a center that is dedicated to computers where the students could have differentiated learning opportunities with Khan Academy or ST Math. One of the centers would be dedicated to reteaching a previously taught lesson for students who did not master the objective on the day it was taught. There would be a fluency center where students can practice skills previously learned. There would also be a problem based learning center where students would have to use their problem solving skills to persevere through their assignment.
Classroom Routines, Procedures, and Transitions
I would give many of my students different roles to facilitate the procedures in our classroom. I would have a student in charge of taking attendance daily (and an alternate in case that student is absent). I would have a student assigned as the supplier where I would give a list of supplies necessary for the day's lesson and they will make sure the supplies are prepared before the lesson and properly stored after class. I would have a technology director who is in charge of computer distribution and proper storage including ensuring every computer is plugged in to charge at the end of each day. I would have a student in charge of checking in daily homework. There would be a line leader to help facilitate classroom transitions. There would be a great deal of focus at the beginning of the school year devoted to reviewing classroom procedures and rehearsing how these procedures and transitions are properly executed.
For example: Transition out of Class: I would queue the line leader and they would stand in the front of the class and hold up the number 1, this is the queue to get to a voice level 0.
Once the room is silent (at voice level 0) the line leader will hold up a number 2, this queues the students to stand up and push in their chairs. Once every student is standing at a level 0 behind their chairs, the line leader will hold up 3 fingers, this queues the students to line up at the door in a girl line and boy line, at a level 0, with their hands to themselves. If the class is unable to complete this transition according to those expectations, they will be asked to return to their seats and do it again until they can do it successfully, as instructed. Since the classroom is focused on and set up for small group instruction and different learning centers, I will have a timer for each center and I will play music for 1 minute, indicating to students that it is time to finish up at their current station and transition to the next center.
Creating a Community of Learners and Motivating Students to Learn
I want the theme of my classroom to like an actual workshop with tools, toolboxes, and different items you would find in a handy man's garage. This will set up the tone that the learning that occurs in this space is a work in progress that might need to be fixed, refined, or just cleaned up a bit. I plan to wear a tool belt while teaching that holds a timer, a calculator, pencils and different items I may need for the day's lesson. I want to convey the message that math skills are simply a series of tools that I will supply to them and they will need to practice using them. I am hoping this creates a community where the students can learn from each other as well as from myself. I do not want my students to be afraid of math and am hoping that this them could add in some engagement and motivation. Also, since it will look like a workshop, this may be a good way to introduce some hands on, real world problems and we could have projects where the students can practice accurately measuring materials and build some models using the math skills we are learning in class. As mentioned in the Classroom Organization section, the physical set up of the class is set up to promote a community of learners where the students will have opportunities to learn from each other. I will constantly remind my students verbally as well as through posters in the room that it is essential that they always give their full effort. Trying and inquiring are more important that providing a correct answer.
Resources and References
Guillaume, Andrea. K-12 Classroom Teaching: A Primer for New Professionals (4th Edition)
Jensen, Eric; Snider, Carole. Turnaround Tools for the Teenage Brain: Helping Underperforming Students Become Lifelong Learners
Powell, Sara. (Pearson) Introduction to Middle Level Education Third Edition