If this is your first year teaching or your twentieth, you know that students come to you from very different backgrounds, languages, experiences and needs. Getting to know your students is never easy. Even with parent conferences, documentation from previous teachers, or questionnaires, your goal is to know your students well while providing a safe place to learn and grow. My greatest memories as an elementary school teacher are not of the students who were outspoken, commanded attention or were "good" at everything. It was of the students who came into the classroom painfully shy, uncertain and a bit overwhelmed. Those were the students who needed me most. They needed a boost of confidence and a place the build their self-esteem. The suggestions I provide may not work for everyone but they certainly helped with ways to jump start discussions and to build a classroom community. Here's a snippet of my latest resource.
The Magic Box
At the beginning of
each school year, a decorative “Magic Box” is passed around to each
student. Ask students to look inside the
box but to not say a thing. At the end of the Magic Box sharing session,
students are asked to talk about what they have noticed. Inside the box is a mirror. Student are encouraged to talk about their
own reflections and why “they as students” are the most important component of
a classroom community.
