Photo taken in my classroom.
A newer addition to my classroom was the feature wall shown to the right. I teach in a predominantly white, Christian school. Within our community at large, there isn't a lot of diversity. I believe that it is my job as an educator to make sure that students see themselves reflected in our classrooms but also to see people of color, people with disabilities and trailblazers as successful. I have thoroughly enjoyed the conversations that these posters have brought to our classroom community.
Another component to my classroom I believe is important is the implementation of a 'calm corner'. With the belief that Social Emotional Learning should be at the forefront of a child's development, making space for a Calm Corner has become increasingly important. As a class, we talk about the importance of the Calm Corner, how it should be used, the resources that are provided as tools and mindfulness strategies to help the Calm Corner be a successful spot in our classroom. Some of the tools I have included are:
Photo taken in my classroom.
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A LOOK INTO MY CLASSROOMI believe that there are several important aspects to a successful classroom. In each of my classrooms over the years, I have tried to make the room functional but also warm and inviting. It is important for students to find ways to connect to our classroom. I have provided that through 'The Fridge' as shown in the top photo. Here, I post the work that each student is most proud of. Another area that I devote a lot of time to is our classroom library. After a few years of tweaking the system, I sorted books by genre or collection so students could find the books that they were looking for in an independent way. Above the classroom library, I have incorporated character posters from some of the books we will read throughout the year. I was intentional in including characters of all cultures and across a variety of genres. It is my favorite thing to have students get excited about the posters after they recognize a character from a book we just read.
Photo taken in my classroom.
Creating a warm environment, with predictable organization is another important aspect in my classrooms. At the beginning of the year, I take a photo of each of my students to hang under the 'Future World Changers' sign. One of the big themes we talk about as a classroom community are 'trailblazers'. Through these discussions we talk about the brave men and women that have made big things happen in our world. We make the connection of trailblazers and world changers and soon learn that we can become the next group of world changers and trailblazers. This helps students to see their worth and grow in their self-confidence.
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