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What are one or two practices you’d like to implement that would allow you to demonstrate your care for and commitment to your students? If you already have practices in place, what are they?
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We begin and end each day in my classroom with prayer. We often stop during the day to pray when things are difficult or students are worried about a test. I also write encouraging notes to my students on their papers, separately, or in response to their journals about the things I am noticing in their work, attitudes, and behavior. I tell them that I love them often and I am proud of them. I have high standards, hold them accountable, and teach them that each of them is precious to the Lord so we will treat one another with that same preciousness. We are a family and we each have something to contribute. I try to figure out early what they are good at and encourage them to contribute in that way to our course environment. Their individual contributions become a necessary part of each day. I would like to take time to add something I might call a “Let Another Praise You Jar” this year that I think would be a great way to end each week together. During the week students would add notes of encouragement to their classmates for things they noticed. For example, someone might write, “I saw Chloe hold the door open for Jay when his hands were full. Thank you for showing kindness to a classmate, Chloe!” I would also add things I am noticing and want to encourage the kids to continue. We could read them together before we go home at the end of the week.
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To demonstrate my care and commitment to them, I want to make my classroom feel like a safe and comfortable place where each student knows (s)he matters. To do this, I would focus on creating a community. One of the best examples I saw of this was a teacher who would start the week every Monday sitting with her students in a circle and asking each person to share what they did that weekend. The students knew that they were valued because the teacher took a sincere interest in them, and they also grew as a whole. This was in a public school setting where there were limitations. In a Christian school, I would take the opportunity to also ask students if there was anything they’d like me/us to pray about. Once everyone had their turn to share, we could go over their assigned “jobs” for the week. When everyone has a role in the course, they know they are contributing in some way.
I’d like to invest in these children spiritually and academically. Hands-on learning is so important and incorporating extra opportunities for them shows them that we are committed to their success; therefore, I hope to offer those “extras” that go beyond the lesson. I hope to offer opportunities that get their wheels turning and challenge them…. But most importantly, I want to incorporate God into every lesson.
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One thing I do at the beginning of the school year is to interview my students, one on one. I learn about their interests, family, favorite things, what they like about school, etc. I also get information from parents about the students. Then, as the ESL teacher I look at their standardized scores and make a student portrait to share with other teachers listing things about the student, their family and ways that teachers can help the English Language Learners. Before I share it with other teachers, I show it to the student and ask them if it is accurate. Together the student and I also set learning goals based on the academic data. I think this helps me show the student that I care about them as an individual as well as a student. My message is that we are in this learning together, we both have a role to play. I will help them and I expect them to work hard too.
One idea that was shared by a friend is to make a home visit at the beginning of the year. I like that idea but do not know how feasible it would be. I always learn so much about my students when I see them in other situations like drama, sports, chapel or outdoor education. I think seeing their home and meeting their families at the beginning of the school year would be a great way to build relationships with the student and family.
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One practice that I desperately need to put into place in my classroom is challenging the students to try harder. For example is our weekly student sketchbook assignment. I can tell that some students do not put any time into the drawings and I think it is because they compare their drawings with other more capable student drawings. They don’t seem to care or they are embarrassed with how the outcome of their drawing. I am learning that they need to be challenged in love and kindness and maybe a little extra instruction.
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One of the practices that I implement that shows I care for my students is opening my classroom to any academic help that they need. I taught a 10th grade Algebra II course for sophomores coming off of Covid-19 and they struggled with the concepts early on because of having to go virtual the previous school year during the second semester. This really paid off for a few of my students and it really built their confidence as the school year progressed. The other practice I implement that showed my care for my students was that I would open my classroom in the morning before school started to allow any student that wanted to talk to come in and do so. I helped develop a regular routine with a couple of my students and I greatly appreciated those times.