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Identify one or two practices you could implement to further nurture your students.
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I would like to implement at the end of the day a wind down period. The day can rigorous for their young minds and full of learning and demands but I liked the suggestion of having the last few minutes be a period of reflection and bonding. Also, spend some time with them one on one in the cafeteria and take interest in their hobbies and likes.
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One practice that I could implement in my classroom is to model for my students how to nurture one another. I think most teachers in the elementary school do a good job of this, but it can be challenging for kids to look outside themselves from another person’s perspective. Team building exercises, structured group work, reading specific books, and creating social stories (role modeling) of specific situations can help them demonstrate how to serve one another, keep each other accountable to Biblical principles, and lift one another up.
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There were several ideas mentioned that I need to implement, but one is to spend more time informally with the students (leave a few minutes at the end of each period or eat lunch with them) and consistently build in extra credit (time for them to show knowledge beyond the lessons) on tests.
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It was very encouraging to hear some of the things I have been doing are exactly what the lecture mentioned. I’ll ask other teachers what they do at my school. And will also continue to greet students by name, eat lunch with them, keep my classroom organized, materials ready, and for them to know and feel safe to ask questions. I have been thinking about field trips as well, so I may try to implement that this year.
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I found this lecture to be very convicting. While I think there were times last year that I *did* nurture my students well, I was still reminded that there are many opportunities for me to do better. Remembering that nurturing students involves giving our all in every lesson, in going the extra mile to be there for students, and also how being organized and prepared can give them a sense of security, makes me want to do better in these things in the future. Ironically, this is the second time recently that someone has suggested making sure to make a personal connection with each student at the beginning and end of course. This felt like a little nudge to remind me to use this activity in my classroom next year.