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I imagine my classroom to have a board at the front where I can write objectives for the day and any other concepts that I need to explain as well as assignments. I also would like a table up front for my own materials and notes. I will need to make sure the desks are arranged so that everyone can see the board, even if they have poor eyesight and can't afford glasses or if they need a particular seating arrangement.
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I would like to have lots of books in the classroom, since I will be teaching English. They will use the books for assignments and overlapping activities. I will try to collect a variety of books that portray people of diverse religious, ethnic, or other cultural backgrounds so that my students feel that they are represented. If I am in a school where more than one language is prominent, I would also like to have books in both languages.
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I want to have clear places for students to turn in their work and supplies locations where students can easily reach things to be used for projects. This area needs to be clearly defined and accessible to students of different needs. For example, it would need to be low enough for students in a wheelchair to reach if needed.
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I would like my desk to be organized and at the front of the room, where I can keep an eye on students if I need to use the computer and easily access things I need.
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I would like to have inspirational boards or quote boards that get students thinking, even if they’re mind is wandering from the present subject. A reading quote board they can contribute to their desire to read and participate. I would like to encourage students to bring quotes from a variety of sources that show something of their cultural background and that encourage them to do good things.What does the room look like? What resources are available for students? How are the resources used during the lesson?
I want my classroom to have plenty of storage space where I can put books for study and materials for classroom projects. In the cabinets might be scissors and colored pencils for literature related hands-on projects. I will also have other extra everyday supplies like notebooks and pencils. This way, students who have limited resources at home will be able to find the things they need for school work in my classroom. The access to these things will be free for everyone so that students won't feel embarrassed if they need to take supplies for themselves. Hopefully, above these will be counter-space where I can put a basket for turning papers. I can put other needful things here too such as a pencil sharpener. I would also like to have a corner with bookshelves of age appropriate literature where students can read for themselves during silent activities or extra time. This literature will include protagonists of various backgrounds, including minorities. I'd also like to have some nonfiction about famous successful individuals who are minorities to encourage my students to likewise succeed. I would also like for students to be able to learn about other people's lives and cultures from the books they find in my classroom. As some students finish before others, there will always be an opportunity for them to read. As they read, I can work with other students. This will allow me the extra time needed to give attention to students with particular needs that make learning harder for them. I can talk to students that are upset or talk to those who need to be talked to about bullying or other issues. I can also give extra help two students learning English as a second language or to disabled students during this time as needed. With the desk located at the front of the room, the students will remain in sight and there will be a place between rows where I can walk to oversee students as they work. On the walls, I will hang student work as well as encouraging quotes. On a board at the front of the class, where all students can see it, I would like to have listed the objectives and schedule for the day as well as the homework assigned and due.
Describe the students in the classroom. What are their backgrounds? What are their interests? What are they doing during the lesson?
My students will be from various backgrounds. They will probably be from all sorts of ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds. Some will have solid families and supportive parents; others may struggle in their home life. Some may struggle financially and others may face bullying daily. Some will be scholarly and some will care more about sports or video games. Some will probably struggle with mental or other disabilities. Some will be loud and others will be quieter. Some will prefer reading to themselves than speaking up in class while others who speak up in class may be restless during quiet actives.. They will each come from a different culture made up of many aspects that I might never fully understand. They will have interests varying from person to person in friends, media, sports, academics. There easily may be many people identifying with a vast range of racial, ethnic, religious, and sexual minorities. I may have LGBT students, immigrant students, Muslim students, Jewish students, White students, Black students, lower class students, etc. I can't even begin to lists all the cultural and other types of students that will enter the classroom. During the lesson, students will have time to share their ideas and speak out, but also opportunities to learn on their own and work with their peers (discussing readings and concepts or working on projects). Hopefully, they will mostly remain on task in personal work time and focused on me while the class learns together. They will be able to learn from each other. There may be issues with bullying and misunderstanding in class, which are things I will need to be aware of so that I can address and stop them early. I also need to be aware of the differences and similarities among my students so that I can help them learn from each other and have the best opportunities to succeed.
What are my classroom rules? What is my discipline plan? What are my homework policies?
In disciplining the class and creating rules, I would like to treat students positively and give them the greatest chances for success, managing them according to their motivations and doing my best to avoid direct confrontation that could lead them into more hostile behavior. I also want to treat all my students fairly and to make sure that I am not making biased assumptions about their behavior because of a few aspects of their identity or culture. I can do things like involve the misbehaving students, use proximity, and focus on that student’s learning by helping them one on one. I can also do things such as ignoring behavior until it can be addressed properly, avoiding direct criticism, and picking my battles. Having good relations and communication with students will be essential. I will respect all students of different opinion and culture so that they are more motivated to listen to me and to do well. If necessary, I will approach privately while the students are in independent work. If there is an ethical issue that needs to be addressed, I can when appropriate make it a discussion so that the whole class can learn from the experience. (For example, if students are using derogatory language or words like "fag," I can help them understand why this is not a good thing.) I will not ridicule them and will strive to keep the classroom as a safe learning place. As for rules, I will probably have a bathroom pass or two (depending on school policy) and let the students use it as needed. I will also have a library pass for students who finished their work and have a particular book they want to start reading that I don’t have. This will also help give more opportunity for reading to those with less reading resources at home. For excused absent students, I will have a missed worked folder for them to go to where they can find what they missed, but these papers will be marked so I know that they aren’t late, just absent. I want them to be able to not have to worry too much if they have to take off for religious or other important cultural events. About late work, I think I will accept it throughout each quarter, but with applicable late penalties on the grade if the work is not turned in within a week after its assignment (for example, taking off five points on late papers.) I understand that some students aren't used to a culture of timeliness and I hope that a policy such as this will help prepare them for the future while also valuing their way of doing things.
Describe a typical lesson you will teach in your classroom. What will you teach? What is the topic? Why did you choose this topic? How will you teach it? What is the main thing you want students to learn during this lesson?
At the beginning of class, I’d like students to come in and I will have an activity, such as a journal entry, for them to do as I take attendance and make sure I am prepared for class. An example might be that in teaching students the conflicts of literature I might have them journal about conflicts in their favorite movies or books. Journal entries such as this will help me to gain insight into my students' lives in case there is anything they are struggling with that I need to know about or if there is any cultural concept they have that I should be conscious of in teaching them. After this, I will go over on the board what we plan to do that day and the assignments. Then, I will proceed to teach the concept and reinforce it with an application activity that will allow participation of many students. I will model the application activity in order to provide comprehensible input for students to better understand what is expected of them. For conflicts, I might have a power point that explains each type of conflict. Then, I might have a short game at the end of it for the students to show what they learned. This way I will get a brief idea of how the lesson came across. Then, I will have them do a written activity that they can do about the subject. I will go around from desk to desk as they do it to make sure each student understands the concept. The concept of conflicts will help them understand literature better and help their reading comprehension as they move up in school. I hope that they will develop greater analytical skills and will be able to take these skills with them into the world as they face decisions and conflicts there.
What am I doing during the lessons? What are the students doing during the lesson?
During the lesson I will be moving about the classroom and checking on students’ behavior. I will keep my eyes open for harassment or bulling so that I can stop it immediately. I will also ask and answer questions as I go to help build understanding. During the personal assignment aspect, I will be moving among the students and helping them understand and complete the assignment. Hopefully, this will also build trust with my students so that I can offer them support if they need it as many may not be receiving the support they need at home. My students will be taking notes during the explanation part and working on the assignment later. Those who finish early will have silent reading time. Not all students will probably comply with this directly. Some will be off task or whispering to their neighbor. Some may not feel like working. I will be keeping a watch of the classroom and redirecting their attention where needed. I will keep them from harming other students and encourage them to succeed while also helping them to feel safe.
How will I assess my students' learning and achievement? How will I know they have learned?
I will grade the assignments that they did in class and plan a follow up activity if necessary. From the performance on the assignments, I can deduce if the students really learned what I intended for them to learn. If it seems that they are still struggling, I can follow up with them in the next class period or review for the whole class if things need to be clarified. I can talk to them one on one two, especially if I feel liker there is more to any difficulty that they are having that what I can see on the surface. I will try to grade them fairly, just as I will treat them fairly, no matter what gender, race, or culture they are or relate to. I will also try to be self-critical to make sure that the assignments I give are actually assessing learning and that I am being considerate of my students background and individual needs. What will be most important is if students learn to treat others respectfully and implement that.
Reflection:
When I started the second run of this assignment, I at first didn't see that there was much that I could add. I talked about having "various backgrounds" and such, but I left out specifics. I also talked about discipline and expectations in generally fair terms. However, this really wouldn't have been a very helpful outline when it came to real experiences and there were a lot of people and situations that I hadn't even considered or that I'd skipped over which would have been very important for some teaching situations. After studying the concept, I see that it is important to consider more specifically what things my students will face so that I can be better prepared to handle situations as they arrive. I can also act more to prevent problems from arising in the first place and even in small way improve the overall educational experience of the students I am entrusted with during school.
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