Thank you to Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy and Dr. Shira Loewenstein for sending me to Responsive Classroom training. I learned so much about creating an engaging classroom!
I am so excited to implement what I learned! I chose four specific areas of focus for the beginning of the school year.
1. Get to know my students and build relationships.
Getting to know my students and their families is always a priority, but now I have some more ideas to use to get to know them while building a community. For example, I am excited to try I Am, We Are, an activity where students think about their identities and discover what they have in common.
2. Establish and discuss classroom expectations
Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy Middle School has established expectations that I will use in my classroom:
- Respect each other
- Respect the learning environment
- Respect the materials
- Work hard and do your best
As we discuss these expectations, we will also take time to think about what each looks like in practice.
3. Help students set SMART goals
Setting SMART goals, or Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely goals will allow students to think about and articulate what they would like to get out of the school year. Once they have set their goals, we can discuss how the expectations will help them to achieve their goals.
4. Establish and practice classroom procedures.
As we learn about each other, the expectations, and set goals for the year, we will also learn and practice brain breaks, submitting work, class and small group discussion, and how our class time will be structured.
What are your goals for the school year, or for my non-education people, what are your current goals?
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