Week 4 Response

I really enjoyed these chapters and found some really great quotes... It was hard to pick just 3!

1. "Teachers are not perfect people. They lose sight of the vision from time to time. When they do, however, they understand that they have lost their compass, and they hunt for "North" until they find their way again. They have no road map for the journey. It is their expectation, nonetheless, that they will learn more than they teach and that each discovery will reveal another step along the way.
This quote really opened my eyes to see that teachers really are NOT perfect and will make mistakes just like anyone. I realized that as a teacher, we need to realize that everything will not go as planned. I think it is important that we take each mistake we make, and learn from it. I am excited to take risks in my classroom, and if something doesn't go as planed, I need to learn from it and realize that it is just another step along my journey!!

2. "The classroom must be ours, not mine. The rules for living in the classroom must be our rules. The solutions to problems must be our solutions. The procedures we follow must come from a shared logic about how things need to work here for each of us to succeed."
I really liked what the author said here because it is SO true! I feel that a classroom should be a community and everyone should be united. I liked how everything was used as "ours" not "mine" the text made me realize how important it is to have your students involved in the class and make sure everyone is welcome. As soon as I read this the first thing that popped into my head was morning meeting!! I really love the concept of morning meetings because it truly will help your class be unified and feel welcomed. I definitely will incorporate morning meeting every day because I really feel that it not only benefits you, but your students as well!

3. "Environment will support or deter the students quest for affirmation, contribution, power, purpose, and challenge in the classroom. Environment also will speak to the presence or absence of invitation and opportunity to each child individually and, ultimately, to the class as a whole. It will often be the first messenger of how learning will be in this place."
I liked this quote because the environment in your classroom can really alter how your class will be during the year. I believe that if you, as the teacher, have a positive attitude then your class will be positive as well. It is so important to create an effective learning environment because your students depend upon it! Again, I think morning meeting definitely sets the environment for the school day and really has the power to change students attitudes!