Sunday, June 19, 2011
chapter 12
Making connections with students is important. They need to know they are loved and that you are there for them. Building a rapport can be hard with some students, but it is vital in order to create a great learning enviroment. I think chapter 12 is my favorite because it talks about reducing the workload for educators and students. Our time before and after school should not to be always grading papers, creating centers or making lesson plans. Just as we spend too much time overwhelmed with work, our students also grow tired of completing too much homework the night before. Writing should be fun and not overwhelming. This chapter says we should relax and enjoy our job. I think we can all agree with that!
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I love the part about reducing the workload too! I just need to find a way to document the conversations I have with students without creating a new workload.
ReplyDeleteThe students also need to have their workload reduced. I like the idea of placing more on free reading, I would just need a creative way to get the students to free read who claim they hate reading.
Leslie, documenting free reading is something I wonder about, too. I love the free writing notion and am thinking about brief book reviews about books read on their own.
ReplyDeleteAshlay, you are so right about the importance of making connections with our students, and the ones who can be the most difficult tend to need it the most. Meeting those kids' needs are why we went into teaching and part of what makes it so rewarding. When we get all hung up on paperwork we are missing out on the joy of teaching.
Comments by: Jacinda
ReplyDeleteI agree that we need to find joy in our job. I try to everyday! Even on my most trying days, I remind myself that sometimes school is the only place where some kids can be just kids. Sometimes I forget that they have other demands outside of school, just like we do. I think all teachers should learn to relax and enjoy what each of their children has to offer.
I have to agree that it is important that we remember why we went into teaching. Most of us want to inspire students and challenge them. It can be overwhelming with all of the demands we have placed upon us by administrators and the district. I think that it is great how you talked about the stresses we, teachers, place upon students with homework and meaningless assignments. We need to make the work we give students count!
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