Top 5 ingredients in the lasagna that is an active learning classroom

1. Teacher modeling
I think that it is vital for teachers to model the actions they expect of their students. Teachers need to be actively engaged if they expect the same of their students. I am a firm believer in leading by your actions. This requires some reflection on the part of the teacher. It helps to think about what you value in the classroom and how your actions can reflect those values.

2. Sense of community
People are happier when they feel that they belong, that they are an important part of a group. With that in mind my classroom will engage students in groups that work toward a common goal. Giving students some ownership over what goes on in the class will also help with the sense of community. I also love the idea of morning meetings from this weeks reading.

3. Clear expectations
Leah and I seem to share the same ideas on classroom expectations. I had a mentor teacher that provided students the opportunity to make a set of expectations for behavior at the beginning of the year. This made behavior management easy. The teacher was no longer the ‘bad guy’. Students wrote the rules and they were accountable to each other. This also ties in to creating a sense of community and giving students ownership in their learning.

4. Willingness to be share ideas
I want every child in my class to feel that they can say what they think about any subject without ridicule or their thoughts being dismissed. As the teacher I will have to model this behavior for students and encourage them to speak up. I was a very quiet child and I think it affected my ability to think critically in elementary school. Actively interacting with the material means being active! Setting expectations about behavior should help students to treat others and their ideas with respect.

5. Attitude/fun
This last ingredient ties into all of the others. I think that the teacher’s attitude affects the classroom environment. Learning can be, and is, fun! If a teacher has the attitude that class can be fun, students have insights that matter and that everyone benefits when people speak up then the class will pick up on it. If a teacher thinks that math is just boring or that some students just aren’t smart it will manifest itself in the classroom.

I believe children need a place where they feel important, confident and safe. I believe teachers should work to provide this place and treat their students as partners in the learning process. I believe schools should strive to provide equal opportunities for all students as well as be a focal point of the community.