I am so excited to be a part of this book study. I L-O-V-E Debbie Miller's books and am really looking forward to sharing ideas with other teacher bloggers!
When I read this chapter, I spent a lot of time thinking about my ideal classroom. This is always a work in progress. I moved to my current classroom two years ago and I make my own curriculum. This is both a blessing and a curse. After two years, I feel like I have a strong curriculum in place and am ready to focus my attention on my ideal classroom.
My ideal classroom is bright, happy, inviting, hands on, and full of strong academic conversation. I love being in a well organized and colorful classroom. I also want my students to be able to use their surrounding such as word walls, anchor charts, books to help them learn. As a teacher, I want to provide lots of hands on activities to help foster curiosity through guided exploration. I want my students to leave kindergarten with the seeds to grow into lifelong learners.
Students: Working both independently and collaboratively. Curiosity drives learning. Students feel comfortable to try their best, make mistakes, and learn from each other.
Teacher: The teacher is facilitating discussion, working with students one on one or in a small group, and providing lots of hands on learning opportunities.
I have most of the materials I need to run my ideal classroom such as a teaching easel, a Smart Board, books for guided reading, and a math curriculum. I recently moved my word wall to a magnetic whiteboard so it could be interactive. We also have access to a small outdoor space right outside my room and a kitchen.
As I read this chapter, I thought..."my ideal classroom won't make itself." I needed a change. So, I redecorated and moved furniture around so that the space is more open and collaborative. I think I might even try the no desk movement...EEKK!!! I am excited but scared at the same time.
My classroom library! This is one of my big goals for the summer. I have boxes and boxes (and boxes and boxes) of books. My students always love to help me change the books each month. Reading this chapter and thinking about my ideal classroom made me realize the importance of a classroom library that can house all of my books at the same time.
I am excited to see what chapter 2 has in store for everyone!
See you next week,
