Staying in the Groove
Spring seems to be here, and classroom routines are in place for the most part. I'm trying something new but also staying focused on emphasizing the ideas and concepts that I value in my classroom. Takeaways: Emphasize and reinforce what's important. For example, I often want my students to discuss our learning together. Whenever I see a student group want to default to working on a question independently I gently remind them that I learn from them everyday, and I've taught this subject for many years. I make it clear that if I can learn from them they can certainly learn from each other. I take the opportunity to reiterate the significance of academic discussions. I'm remembering to acknowledge student birthdays on or as close to the student's actual day as possible. Yes, it does take forethought and planning (I have 140 students) but it matters to me, and it seems to be appreciated by them. LEGACY . It's everything, especially in the spring as these 8th Grad...