Blog #4

Quotes from 3 & 4:
" I want to be a leader in creating a place where each of you becomes more keenly aware of the possibilities in yourself, the people around you, and the power of knowledge. I this place, I want us to find together a good way to live."
This quote is important to me, because I truely belive as teachers we need to show kids and strongly point out how great they really are, they are the worlds next generation and they are capable of so many things. Students also need to realize the power of knowledge by learning what the world would be like with out it! They need to find their strengths and others' strengths, everyone is good at something. The last sentence of this quote I also really like, because if teachers and students find a good way to live together at school, it will help students more to find a good way to live as part of a community outside of school as adults.

"We don't just keep them busy. We are giving them an opportunity"
I think this is a an awesome quote, because as teachers we need to remember we are not there to "keep kids busy" but we need to give them an opportunity to succeed and feel accomplished. Students need to excel in the classroom. Busy work is pointless, as teachers we need to make sure that what we have our students do needs to give them an opportunity to test their knowledge and make it grow!

The teacher states this quote after listing the class goals/rules/ideas "You'll see those things in me as your teacher. Ill expect to see them in you as individuals and in our class as a whole"
I really liked this statement by the teacher because it shows that she is going to abide by these so she expects her class to. It shows team work and that the teacher only expects out of her students what she expects out of herself. The teacher is straight forward with what she expects and I feel that is very important for students to know what exactly their teacher is looking for, this way they can do their best in the classroom. It shows the teacher is looking for a tight community calssroom from the last part "our class as a whole". It shows that she expects the whole class to work together to make the classroom work and a successful learning enviroment.

Blog #3

AMAZING! This would be the word to describe Silvia Allen's vistit to our classroom. She seems like such and awesome person. She is so talented! I was so engaged with everything she had to say, I could tell she has a deep passion for teaching. If I can be half the teacher she seemed to be, I will be delighted! She has me sold on morning meetings. After hearing all her experience with them, it seems hard to believe that any class can function through a day with out a morning meeting. I never knew there are so many things students gain from a simple morning meeting. There are so many benifits! I am looking forward to participating in morning meetings with my own class one day, I can't wait to see the outcome first hand. Anyways, I definatly earned how important creating class community is too. This ties into morning meetings. In morning meetings students learn how to interact with one antoher, accept everyone, make friends with students they would not normally play with, and most of all become comfortable with their peers. If the students are comfortable being themselves in the classroom they are more likely to succeed because they feel comfortable participating and answering questions. The students will be less stage freight and more outgoing in the classroom. This means they will dare to take risks! I dream of a classroom where all my students communicate with one another, help those who need help, and dare to say the wrong answer, this would make a successful learning enviroment. I wish my teachers would have help morning meetings so I myself as a students would have dared to participate more. I was always the shy, quiet one and still can be today! I feel like if I would have practiced morning meeting skills early on I would not struggle as much with participating in class disscussion!

Ch. 2 Blog

2a: "...Emotions Trump Learning" What I feel this quote means is that, our emotions rule our learning ability. We will only learn what we feel we can. If we are nervous or scared in school our learning is going to be greatly effected in a negative way. However, if we feel happy to be at school, comfortable and excited, our minds will be more likely to soak up the knowledge during class time and we will be more involved. I feel that this is why creating a "safe learning enviroment" for students is so stressed. If they do not feel safe at school negative emotions will be created and it will put a damper on their learning experience. I believe with positive emotions students will greatly succeed in the classroom.

Chapter 1 Blog

1a: I really liked this quote from the book. To me, it means if we as teachers are willing to get to know our students and create ties and connections to them along with the rest of the class, they will be more open to share their knowledge because they feel more comfortable in their surroundings like they would around a family member. This will help students be themselves knowing that they are different but somewhat the same. If you allow yourself to make ties with the students as a teacher, you will be able to better help your students and help them in the best ways possible. An "ahh" popped into my head while reading this, when I was younger I was super shy. When my teachers would ask me questions about my life outside school i would feel more comfortable and more important. Just the simple ties my teacher would make with me really helped me be myself in that certain class. I think it is very important to make ties with our students.