A-1) Based on Principal Allan's presentation on Wednesday, what are your current thoughts about morning meetings and their potential to build a caring, trusting community in a classroom? What are you thinking in terms of trying morning meeting, yourself, when you are a teacher?
After listening to Principal Allan's presentation I'm more "hooked" on morning meetings than I've ever been! I believed that they were an amazing thing but after listening to things first hand I realized that this truly is a magical thing that will build caring, trusting communities years after years. Thinking about my classroom morning meetings makes me wonder how it will really work because I want to teach the younger grades. I wish she would have hit on doing morning meetings with younger kids instead of just focusing on her experience while in fifth grade. Although I'm still going to try it and will just have to experiment just like Principal Allan did when she started morning meetings.
B-1) In chapter 3, Tomlinson discusses five specific ways in which a teacher can respond to students' needs for affirmation, contribution, power, purpose, and challenge. What are those five ways (list them briefly, from pages 27-35)? Explain what really speaks to you about Tomlinson's discussion of these specific responses.
Invitation
It is important that the teacher gives each student an invitation into her class. Invitations much be given as the learner first comes into our classrooms and must continue through the rest of our time with the students.
opportunity
It is teacher's responsibility to give students opportunities to learn and grow. We need to plan and teach so that students can reach as high as possible while with us.
investment
Invested teachers are what we all should be striving to be. An invested teacher is someone who carea and is dedicated to the learning and growing of their students. These are the teachers that stick out like a sore thumb because of their enthusiasm and success as a teacher.
persistence
A persistence takes place when teachers have a smooth rolling day in which they believe anything is possible and press on with continually growing and helping their students grow. Persistent teachers are continually being original, thinking outside the box, and doing everything in their power to help their students succeed. Learning is never over in their head.
reflection
We need to make sure we are continually using the magic of reflection. Each lesson we present, each moment we speak to a child, each conversation with other adults (parents and coworkers) should have to reflected on and should be helping us, as teachers, become to best we can become.
Great reflections on how a teacher's responses can mean so much in a child's life. They're certainly worth putting your heart into, as often as you can! I'm glad that you see Morning Meeting as one way to be a "magical" and responsive teacher. I think you get it... it doesn't really matter what grade you end up teaching -- you'll still have to make things work for YOU and YOUR students... upper grade or lower grade, you'll find just the right routines and ways of doing them. It will take some trial and error, and persistence, and reflection, and invitation, investment and opportunity! 4 points
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