Ahh...the start of another school year. This time it is very different, as it is my first as a classroom teacher. My first day went smoothly, part due to the fact I have made a study of the book The First Days of School by Harry and Rosemary Wong. One of their suggestions is to be waiting outside of your classroom and greet your students as they enter your room. I love doing this. It gives me the opportunity to say good morning to all of my students and to chat shortly with them. I hope that it is evidence that they are important to me.
My goal is to blog weekly about the adventures in 4LW (I share my class with another teacher) by sharing and reflecting on what happens in our classroom, I hope to grow and learn as an educator and a person.
This week started as a “baptism by fire” sort of week. Day 1: a sick student, Day 2: pouring rain resulting in an inside recess and a major wipe out in PE (after talking calmly to a child who was sobbing uncontrollably, I was able to console the student and discover only his pride was injured), Day 3: inside recess due to a black bear in town and an emergency staff meeting, Day 4: The weekend!
What this week has taught me is the importance for children to feel safe in my room. The community faced the danger of a wild animal as well as a horrible tragedy. I pledged to my students, as they were throwing “what ifs” out about the bear, that I would keep them safe NO MATTER WHAT, including fighting a bear for them. While they might not believe me, teachers are super heroes of sorts and the teachers of Sandy Hook Elementary proved what we are capable of if “our” children are threatened. I strive to have a welcoming, warm environment where all children feel safe. In our room we are Rescue Heroes (a Hasbro cartoon) and their motto is “Nobody gets left behind,” I morph this into an inclusion exercise. I stress that because we are Rescue Heroes we include everyone in all the work we do. Whether it is in math, gym or on the playground; nobody gets left behind!
While we are still building our community I am grateful for The First Days of School as there are so many ideas on ways to express my care and concern for my students well being. This week I hope to get to know my students more, and I look forward to meeting their families at my first 3-Way Conferences.
That’s my view from The 86th Pew, Michelle
My goal is to blog weekly about the adventures in 4LW (I share my class with another teacher) by sharing and reflecting on what happens in our classroom, I hope to grow and learn as an educator and a person.
This week started as a “baptism by fire” sort of week. Day 1: a sick student, Day 2: pouring rain resulting in an inside recess and a major wipe out in PE (after talking calmly to a child who was sobbing uncontrollably, I was able to console the student and discover only his pride was injured), Day 3: inside recess due to a black bear in town and an emergency staff meeting, Day 4: The weekend!
What this week has taught me is the importance for children to feel safe in my room. The community faced the danger of a wild animal as well as a horrible tragedy. I pledged to my students, as they were throwing “what ifs” out about the bear, that I would keep them safe NO MATTER WHAT, including fighting a bear for them. While they might not believe me, teachers are super heroes of sorts and the teachers of Sandy Hook Elementary proved what we are capable of if “our” children are threatened. I strive to have a welcoming, warm environment where all children feel safe. In our room we are Rescue Heroes (a Hasbro cartoon) and their motto is “Nobody gets left behind,” I morph this into an inclusion exercise. I stress that because we are Rescue Heroes we include everyone in all the work we do. Whether it is in math, gym or on the playground; nobody gets left behind!
While we are still building our community I am grateful for The First Days of School as there are so many ideas on ways to express my care and concern for my students well being. This week I hope to get to know my students more, and I look forward to meeting their families at my first 3-Way Conferences.
That’s my view from The 86th Pew, Michelle
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