My Expectations

Classroom management is a group responsibility. Not only do I need to set forth my expectations, but the class has to have an agreed set of expectations of the teacher, each other, and themselves. During the first week, we will create a co-constructed set of criteria that are agreed upon norms for behaviours that acceptable by all and create an anchor chart with the criteria up on the wall. There needs to be a understanding that the I have a caring relationship towards my students without it being recognized as a friendship. One of the most motivating factors for students to excel in their classroom is the feeling that the teachers care about them and care about the work that they do. Students perform better if they feel that they are valued members of a community in the classroom. Behaviours and relationships are paramount to building a sense of community. When teachers present themselves as the purveyors of knowledge or the sage at the front of the classroom, it immediately makes the students 2nd class. A facilitator role where the teacher shows that they are learners as well, promotes the ideal that learning happens for everyone everyday does more for building effective relationships in the class and models traits like resilience and patience. In my experiences, I rarely had teachers that took on the facilitator role. It just didn’t happen. We didn’t have internet access like we do today and teachers were the “owners” of the knowledge in the classroom. I wish my experiences were more like the relationships I tend to have with my students. I enjoy being a teacher and I enjoy my students and I never fail to show that I make mistakes and learn from them.