(Credit: writing.com)
This is something that I would hang in my classroom as a poster. I like this because it's not only appealing in its humor to my (future) students, as they will (most likely) be high school age, but it's educational and definitely applicable for their age and (some of the students') levels of writing, of which my brother's 12th grade essays are proof.
I imagine that my classroom will be a clean and inviting place. I don't want it to be so full of posters and bulletin boards that my students pay more attention to reading/examining the things on the walls that they forget to pay attention to what is happening at the front of the classroom or what their peers are saying, but I want them to feel comfortable and ready to engage. I like the idea of grammar and literature humor for the walls, and a bookshelf with a wide assortment of books ranging from the classics to "escape" fiction for their enjoyment and for projects where they might get to choose the book rather than it being assigned to them. I intend to have "emergency supplies" or something like that where maybe someone forgot to bring their pencil or some paper and they can have a weekly pass for that station. I also think the idea of a phone-charging station would be interesting because not only does it get their phones out of their hands, but it helps them to know that I understand how important connection is to them.
I imagine that my students will come from many different backgrounds, and that means that they will have many and varying needs. I imagine some will come from wealthy backgrounds and others will come from poorer homes. Some will have functional, healthy familial relationships, and others will not. Most of them will feel the need for affirmation. Because of where they are, in a young-adult/adolescent stage, they will be experiencing changes and won't exactly be knowing where they fit in, who their friends are/should be, how they should act in school and out of school, etc. They will be uncomfortable in their bodies or at least very self-aware, and they will be in a constant struggle to feel accepted and to achieve an elevated social status. Some (many, I hope) will be interested in literature, but they'll all be interested in the themes of identity and "finding" oneself, since that is so applicable in their stage of life. They'll be interested in their cell phones and in dating and having fun. They'll be interested in going out on the weekends, learning how to drive, and probably sports or going to the high school sports games. In class, I anticipate some of them being on their cell phones, even if that isn't the ideal. I also imagine that some will be paying attention, learning, thinking, and expanding their own ideals and opinions. Some will be distracted by passing notes, or flirting with the cute classmate sitting across from them, but most will be eager to get good grades, so they can get into college.
Cell phones: I intend to engage the students via their devices, whether they have laptops, tablets, or cell phones. BUT. At the beginning of class, unless I say otherwise, they go to the charging station, where I will have a couple of power cords so they can plug their phones in, and when I say, they can go and get them from the charging station for classroom use. If I see someone using it during instruction time, they get one warning. If I see it again, then it goes in phone prison, which will probably just be a little basket, and they have to come and get it from me at the end of class.
Tardiness and Absences: I imagine there will be a school-wide policy, but I intend to be fairly lenient about absences so that my students don't feel overwhelmed by all of their classes' workloads. Absent work will be due by the next week. If they're tardy, it might be fun to ask them to write me a two-to-three paragraph story--fictional or truthful--about why they were tardy. If it's creative, colorful, or satirical, with good grammar and spelling, then I won't mark them tardy.
Be Respectful: Students can't laugh at other people's opinions. Literature is focused on learning truths about humanity. Humans can be cruel, but in my classroom we will not.
Homework: It's due when I say it's due. Late work will be marked down 20 points each day it's late unless you have a reason you discuss with me personally. I might give them 3 late passes and 1 no homework pass per semester.
Romeo and Juliet: I imagine Shakespeare will make up a large part of what I teach. If I were to teach Romeo and Juliet, I'd like to involve the class. I think it would be fun to have an inner-class competition between study groups. Each would get a scene to perform, maybe the same scene, maybe different ones. They would have to be creative, use what they have to make costumes, be innovative, whether that means changing their method of speaking or the time period of what they're acting, and the class would vote for whichever team was the most well-presented, the most accurate, or the funniest. While they are preparing with their groups and rehearsing, I would walk around, give encouragement or ideas, help with the language, especially since Shakespeare can be very hard to understand, and give them feedback. I might be helping them come up with what they can use as the backdrop on the projector, or some background music. I would try to interact with the kids as much as possible while allowing them to think and be innovative themselves, and mostly have fun while they were learning the themes of each scene.
I might ask them if they liked Romeo and Juliet, what themes they noticed about love and family and things like that. I'd ask them what they didn't like, what they would change if they could, why those changes would matter and how they would affect the themes of the story. I chose this topic because I think not only is Shakespeare the Father of the English Language, but his stories are about flawed, selfish people. While there's always an element of the fantastic, his themes are about real people trying to get what they want, and their actions always affect those around them. That's an important lesson to learn.
At the end of their presentations, they have to come up with at least 3 themes prevalent in their scene (the number is likely to change; 3 is preemptive) and how they apply to their own lives. They can write this down or they can say it to the class as a part of their presentation, but I expect them to be able to interpret and understand the themes that are most relevant to them such as love, family, revenge, death, etc. I will know they've learned something when they can apply Romeo and Juliet meaningfully to their own lives.
Re-Imagined Classroom:
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(Credit: Mrs. E from "Teacher, Teacher I Declare" at http://teacherteacherideclare.blogspot.com/2013/01/seating-chart-possibilities.html)
This is an example of an arrangement of desks that I would like to have in my classroom. I like having groups in classrooms because I think group work is essential. Learning from peers often has more impact than learning from teachers. I think it's also important that they get to know one another, and that my students have the chance to feel like they belong to a group, since group-think is so essential in adolescent behaviors and development. I hope to stimulate the kind of atmosphere in which this group-think will be positive and uplifting. I plan on making these seating arrangements completely random, hopefully to allow student to get to know other students who they might not know very well due to social class, race, culture, or religion. I hope to do a lot of group work in order to allow them to really get to know each other, especially discussing the themes of social justice in novels and critical works that we read in class. I also plan to make enough space in the seating in order to allow students with physical disabilities to access the group seating so that they don't feel different or like they have additional difficulty in participating in group work. |
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(Credit: pinpicture.com)
This "Quotation Station" is something that I would like to incorporate into my future classroom. It would be fun to pick a quotation every week from something that we read that the students especially liked; whether interesting, profound, or funny, it would be good to get to know what interests the students and what they get out of our readings and the texts that I may assign. It would be cool to have quotes pertaining to issues such as Black History Month and Women's History Month, or quotes that we find significant or change our way of thinking. I want them to be able to choose quotes that have an impact on their perspectives. |
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(Credit: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5keVtNLwvELmxJ9aE3DZ2-7bBDPsCeGEAwgoQKVXjVyDB9slh37Cbw63QWIJuW8G7xE5ohU352nxdebCRrqO1GjrVJcvf3D-YuGhpTNGtpKUTyTaTYW83jHEc_PJ7M23zfLbC6jQS-iI/s1600/Our+Favorite+Books.jpg)
This is an example of a bulletin board that I would like to incorporate into my classroom. Not only does it allow us as a class to focus on the things we like about literature, but it allows us to learn more about each other as people, about our interests, and I think it would be fun to add to it as the year progresses in order to get some feedback from the students for myself and for them to see how their tastes have changed. I think toward the end of the semester I could put up a new poster that could say instead "Books that have Changed our Perspectives." We could have discussions about why these books have made a difference, what has helped us to change our minds about issues relevant to society and how we can continue to change our perspectives through literature. We could even have a poster of our favorite characters exhibiting the similarities and differences between them and ourselves. |
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(Credit: @lessonswithlaughter instagram.com)
This bookshelf is something that I envision in my classroom, but with perhaps more advanced books for my students. I love that it's fun and colorful and it will not only give my students freedom to read and to learn, but it will give them responsibility as well--to return the book, to treat others' things with respect and care, and to be instructed and delighted on their own time. I also plan to include books with diverse topics and main characters. I plan to include LGBTQ literature including novels and literature by LGBTQ authors. I also plan to include literature about and by African American authors, Latino authors, and disabled authors. I also plan to include novels or historical fiction and non-fiction in regards to poverty, social class, prejudice, and oppression in addition to fun, easy-to-read books. |
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(Credit: writing.com)
This is something that I would hang in my classroom as a poster. I like this because it's not only appealing in its humor to my (future) students, as they will (most likely) be high school age, but it's educational and definitely applicable for their age and (some of the students') levels of writing, of which my brother's 12th grade essays are proof. I plan to make sure that my students understand the differences between Academic English, Spanglish, Black English, and other various dialects, but also understand that those separate dialects are okay to use and help form their identity. I plan to help them to understand the way society works--when society deems it appropriate for them to use Academic English or their own dialect, and encourage them in their creative writing to include dialect as that forms their own personal voice and will help these dialects gain traction in society.
I imagine that my classroom will be a clean and inviting place. I don't want it to be so full of posters and bulletin boards that my students pay more attention to reading/examining the things on the walls that they forget to pay attention to what is happening at the front of the classroom or what their peers are saying, but I want them to feel comfortable and ready to engage. I plan also to include posters of different writers and minority activists like Khaled Hosseini, Gloria Anzaldua, and Toni Morrison. I like the idea of grammar and literature humor for the walls, and a bookshelf with a wide assortment of books ranging from the classics, to social justice novels and non-fiction, to "escape" fiction for their enjoyment and for projects where they might get to choose the book rather than it being assigned to them. I intend to have "emergency supplies" or something like that where maybe someone forgot to bring their pencil or some paper and they can have a weekly pass for that station. I also plan to have a little "bookstore" in addition to the emergency supplies where students can come, take what they need, and do little tasks around the classroom in order to "earn" or "buy" supplies that perhaps they or their parents cannot afford or do not have access to. I also think the idea of a phone-charging station would be interesting because not only does it get their phones out of their hands, but it helps them to know that I understand how important connection is to them. However, there may be students who cannot afford cell phones and feel isolated and singled out because of this, so perhaps instead of doing this, I will simply enforce rules about cell phone use and take them away if I have to warn my students more than once about using them.
I imagine that my students will come from many different backgrounds, and that means that they will have many and varying needs. I imagine some will come from wealthy backgrounds and others will come from poorer homes. Some will have functional, healthy familial relationships, and others will not. All of them will feel the need for affirmation. Because of where they are, in a young-adult/adolescent stage, they will be experiencing changes and won't exactly be knowing where they fit in, who their friends are/should be, how they should act in school and out of school, etc. They will be uncomfortable in their bodies or at least very self-aware, and they will be in a constant struggle to feel accepted and to achieve an elevated social status. Many will be unsure about how to reconcile their own culture, the dominant culture in the school, and the culture of society. They will be trying to integrate themselves into a culture they identify with. My aim is going to be to enable all of the students regardless of background to achieve academic success in the manner they want. Some (many, I hope) will be interested in literature, but they'll all be interested in the themes of identity and "finding" oneself, since that is so applicable in their stage of life. They'll be interested in their cell phones and in dating and having fun. They'll be interested in going out on the weekends, learning how to drive, and probably sports or going to the high school sports games. In class, I anticipate some of them being on their cell phones, even if that isn't the ideal. I also imagine that some will be paying attention, learning, thinking, and expanding their own ideals and opinions. Some will be distracted by passing notes, or flirting with the cute classmate sitting across from them, but while many will be eager to get good grades so they can get into college, other students might not be very motivated. Many might be involved in gangs or drugs, or may struggle with schoolwork because they have to work after school in order to help support their families, or they might not think they are capable of performing well in my class. I will also have students whose first language is not English, but I intend to evaluate every student individually based on ability, maybe having an assignment at the beginning of the year in order to judge skill level and ability.
Cell phones: I intend to engage the students via their devices, whether they are laptops, tablets, or cell phones. BUT. At the beginning of class, unless I say otherwise, they go to the charging station, where I will have a couple of power cords so they can plug their phones in, and when I say, they can go and get them from the charging station for classroom use. I intend to encourage the use of devices, but if they do not possess any, hopefully the school will and we will be able to use those. If I see someone using it during instruction time, they get one warning. If I see it again, then it goes in phone prison, which will probably just be a little basket, and they have to come and get it from me at the end of class.
Tardiness and Absences: I imagine there will be a school-wide policy, but I intend to be fairly lenient about absences so that my students don't feel overwhelmed by all of their classes' workloads. Absent work will be due by the next week as long as the student's absence is excused. If they're tardy, it might be fun to ask them to write me a two-to-three paragraph story--fictional or truthful--about why they were tardy. If it's creative, colorful, or satirical, with good grammar and spelling, then I won't mark them tardy.
Be Respectful: Students can't laugh at other people's opinions. Literature is focused on learning truths about humanity. Humans can be cruel, but in my classroom we will not. There will be no hurtful comments or racial slurs. Everyone is valued, and our classroom is a safe space for people to express their opinions, interpretations, and ideas.
Homework: It's due when I say it's due. Late work will be marked down 20 points each day it's late unless you have a reason you discuss with me personally. I might give them 3 late passes and 1 no homework pass per semester.
Romeo and Juliet: I imagine Shakespeare will make up a large part of what I teach. If I were to teach Romeo and Juliet, I'd like to involve the class. I think it would be fun to have an inner-class competition between study groups. Each would get a scene to perform, maybe the same scene, maybe different ones. They would have to be creative, use what they have to make costumes, be innovative, whether that means changing their method of speaking, dialect, or the time period of what they're acting, and the class would vote for whichever team was the most well-presented, the most accurate, the most creative interpretation, or the funniest. I would encourage them using their own voices and their own backgrounds as a basis for their interpretation so that they could apply the situation to their own lives. This would help them better analyze the play and the situation and would validate that their lives and backgrounds are notable. While they are preparing with their groups and rehearsing, I would walk around, give encouragement or ideas, help with the language, especially since Shakespeare can be very hard to understand, and give them feedback. I might be helping them come up with what they can use as the backdrop on the projector, or some background music. I would try to interact with the kids as much as possible while allowing them to think and be innovative themselves, and mostly have fun while they were learning the themes of each scene.
I might ask them if they liked Romeo and Juliet, what themes they noticed about love, family, prejudice, preconceived notions, and the damage that those things can cause. We can also broach the subject of suicide, and I would want to make sure that my students realize that it is not an easy or light-hearted topic. I'd also want them to know that there are resources available to students who are dealing withsuicidal thoughts. I'd ask them what they didn't like, what they would change if they could, why those changes would matter and how they would affect the themes of the story. I chose this topic because I think not only is Shakespeare the Father of the English Language (and this is an English class), but his stories are about flawed, selfish people. While there's always an element of the fantastic, his themes are about real people trying to get what they want, and their actions always affect those around them. That's an important lesson to learn. I'd also let him know that while Shakespeare shaped the English language, our language is constantly being shaped by the different cultures introduced into the English language.
At the end of their presentations, they have to come up with at least 3 themes prevalent in their scene (the number is likely to change; 3 is preemptive) and how they apply to their own lives. They can write this down or they can say it to the class as a part of their presentation, but I expect them to be able to interpret and understand the themes that are most relevant to them such as love, family, revenge, death, prejudice, etc. I will know they've learned something when they can apply Romeo and Juliet meaningfully to their own lives.
Reflection:
The changes I made to my Imagined Classroom reflect the desire I have to make everyone feel welcome and to validate my students cultures and make their difficult transition through puberty easier. I intend to help my students better understand culture and how to play a part in it and change the conversation in literature to better reflect the United States' changing cultures. As a teacher my purpose is to enable students to be confident in their knowledge and understanding of academia and culture. I intend to teach them about the way that our society is through literature, and I want to be an example of a teacher who can inspire, uplift, and build my students' confidence in who they are, their abilities, and their aspirations. I hope that the things I changed in my portfolio better reflect my desires to help my students.
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