all types of learners can find success in their classrooms.
the favorite teacher’s classroom recognizes that all students are exceptional learners, and that each learner is invaluable to the classroom dynamic. In these classrooms, whenever accommodations are made, they are made joyfully— with the understanding that all learners will require some degree of accommodation.
on the first day of school, i remind students that nobody has it all. i tell them that, “we all have something we can learn,” with the opportunity to finish this school term sharper, wiser, more compassionate than we began it—including me, the teacher.
we’ve all started at different points, some of us have homework help at home, and some of us have family members that need our help.
some of us are clever at maths, some are skilled with technology or the arts .
some excel in sports, others are trustworthy friends.
none of these are accomplishments to be sneezed at.
early on, we discuss privilege and the different forms it can take, like transportation privilege, two parent privilege, religious privilege, and able-bodied privilege.
here’s some methods i’ve used to shape an affirming classroom:
first, celebrate your own self: your students are picking up on the way you speak about yourself, or the way you may openly condemn yourself for the very traits they have or may express.
congratulate students when they raise hands, for right and ‘wrong’ answers alike.
making celebratory calls home to celebrate student achievements & milestones. remember this cardinal rule of teaching: that which you give your attention to, will continue to GROW.
setting aside time for social emotional learning activities: on tuesday, i had students in my last period write their names on a scrap of paper and we added the scraps to a tin. each student had to pull a classmate’s name from the tin and share a memory they had with them. SEL is always relevant and always necessary. it's not “taking up” instructional time. it is instructional time.
giving children a say-so in their own learning journey: independent reading and independent writing are pillars of my curriculum. i keep my classroom stocked with books of interest. students choose their own books. for independent writing practice, they write in their own diaries. it's one way to free students from the trap of comparison.
giving end of the quarter awards! i do give out awards for the highest grade and highest attendance because they deserve to be celebrated, but my favorite are the awards for citizenship, bravery, and friendship—named after figures we have studied in class.
classroom jobs: in my second period classroom, we have a door holder, classroom secretary (phone answerer), classroom assistant (chief passer-outer), and a teacher bodyguard (my shadow who ensures i get “me-time” during recess, but tbh i needed a fourth job). to earn these positions, students had to fill out job applications, complete with short answer questions and potential references. i had my younger cousin choose the ‘winners’ from my narrowed down choices. she announced the new job-holders LIVE via FaceTime during class. click here to see the applications my students filled out. you’ll notice that these are paid positions, okkkk?
these uplifting and validating practices, no matter how small they may seem, stay with our students for a LONG time. i’m an URBAN teacher, and proud of it. i'm raising who will inherit family homes and become block captains and stewards of community gardens, and hopefully, one day, be stoop-sitting-elders. the strength in our neighborhoods comes from the varied ways of being. the favorite teacher's classroom incubates and cultivates this variety.