When thinking about classroom expectations and inspirations one thing comes to my mind. You have to make the class fun and hook your students. What do I mean by hook them? Hooking them means to grasp their attention and control that attention. Not by malevolent means, but through the uses of humor and storytelling. Perhaps, ever so often, acting out something so that the students are able to really engage that much more. Therefore, in order to inspire students, you need to provide them with either credibility, or something that is so out of this world they can’t help but pay attention. Now with acting and using humor, some students will want to lash out. Not of malevolent intent, but because they think they are being funny. How do we set a standard that allows the students to have fun, yet not go overboard? We need to make it clear what our expectations are: pay attention, take notes, engage and speak with us. But while engaged and speaking, keep it appropriate. No profanity, no dirty jokes, and only one person may ask a question at a time. How do we keep the class engaged and having fun but still being strict at the same time. As stated in the Project Based Learning, we need to keep the class environment detailed but flexible. This means that we need to have a game plan. We need to know what our objectives for the day are and have an idea of how to get through them. How do we do this? We make a list of objectives for the class period. Not too many but not too few. In doing so we leave room to teach, but also time for the students to try new things on their own and if they’re not getting it, they have time to ask questions. This will keep their minds engaged and enjoying the process of learning much more than if we have them taking notes on a different subject the whole class period. By inspiring the class to learn and giving them space to have fun and learn is important, but so to is setting the expectations. If we are able to find this balance between being detail oriented and yet flexible, we will surely promote learning in a fun and healthy environment.
You make an interesting point by noting the to make the classroom environment fun, but to also keep it on track. This is important and something I didn’t think about because kids will take a mile once given an inch. We can’t forget this is a classroom and there must be some sort of order.
Shamus,
Your response shows how much of a performance teaching is! I appreciate you thinking though this balancing act, and I wonder what kinds of surprises, or affirmations you’ll have when you actually observe. I look forward to that report, and I do wonder which of the readings brought up particular teaching principles to support your thinking about flexibility, like student voice and choice, or registering your authority while giving students ownership.
MAJ Hodde