Three Core Values, As of Today

I decided to choose three values that were on the list we came up with the other day in class. While all of them are important aspects to the classroom environment I wish to create, these are the three that resonated with me the most.

Classroom as santuary
I think it was Ashley that first discussed this concept in her blog a few weeks ago, and I really love it. The term "sanctuary" as applied to the classroom encompasses so many important aspects of learning. To me, the classroom as sanctuary means that it is an environment in which every single student (and the teacher, too) feels safe, respected, and valued. This implies the importance of community among the students and within the school. How can we learn if it we don't feel safe enough to take risks? How can we learn if we cannot be emotionally invested in something?

Brainstorm strategies together in all situations
I liked this concept on the list very much. It goes along with my "create class rules together" idea from my 5 ingredients post. I suppose it also just boils down to community, as my first core value does, but I think it is an important idea to address. I was a "conflict manager" in elementary school, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. To this day, although I may not be as good at managing the conflicts of adult life, I still believe in acknowledging conflict and bringing it out in the open for discussion, leading to a fair resolution. Brainstorming resolutions with my students will be an important piece of my classroom. The brainstorming doesn't always have to apply to conflict, necessarily, either. All situations benefit from students' input, and I want to empower them by making sure they know their voices are valued in the classroom, in the school, and in the community.

Teach by your actions
This is becoming more and more important to me as I go through the teacher education program. It seems like it should be a given, but some teachers obviously do not think it applies to them. A teacher is a role model for everything. Students watch them for cues on social interactions, how to dress, what to do in sticky situations, and everything in between. Teachers should model behavior that they want to see in their students. Students should be able to learn from, disagree with, and question their teachers, which is only possible in a healthy classroom community. They should also see teachers standing up for social justice issues, and doing their part to change the education system for the better, hopefully instilling in the students the importance of standing up for their beliefs and proof that change is indeed possible.


PS
Did anyone see The Simpsons rerun last night? It was totally applicable to everything we've been discussing about standardized testing and NCLB (they called it "No Child Left Alone"). Not only are all the books we're reading related to each other, now the TV we watch is, too!