I saved the best for last with this series. If you haven't read the first two parts, I encourage you to go check those out before reading this one. Here are the links for part 1 and part 2.
This final question is big. Hence, this question gets its own post.
Here's the question: What is my vision for my ideal classroom?
In education, we spend too little time thinking about that. We spend so much time thinking about what we have to do. We talk about our required curriculum, the behavior system we're supposed to use, and even the newest initiative that comes down the pipe. I'm not saying those aren't important (though sometimes I absolutely think they are giant wastes of time...sometimes).
What I'm saying is that if we don't spend enough time focusing on our own vision of what we want our classroom to be, we have no filter or framework through which we can process anything. We see a cool strategy and adopt it right away. We find a worksheet on Teachers Pay Teachers that looks really good and pull it in. We go to a training and think we need to implement all of it right away.
What I've learned is that without spending time thinking about my vision for my classroom, I end up really frustrated. Things don't go as well as I planned, and I feel like I'm being pulled a million directions. This becomes especially important as we bring technology into the classroom. Often, the way we use technology doesn't line up with our values, and it ends up being a complete waste of time.
So, I started with a really simple phrase for myself. Here is my vision for my classroom:
Yours may look widely different from mine. That's fine. These are the things I value, and you may value something different. However, what's important is that you've made your values explicit by creating measurable indicators that help to focus your teaching, inform your planning, and facilitate reflection.
Maybe I'll break these apart and write posts about the indicators and why they matter to me, but for now, I just want you to focus on one thing: create your vision and indicators.
If you have them, your classroom will end up being so much more meaningful, both to you and your students, every single day.
What are your indicators of a meaningful classroom?
This final question is big. Hence, this question gets its own post.
Here's the question: What is my vision for my ideal classroom?
In education, we spend too little time thinking about that. We spend so much time thinking about what we have to do. We talk about our required curriculum, the behavior system we're supposed to use, and even the newest initiative that comes down the pipe. I'm not saying those aren't important (though sometimes I absolutely think they are giant wastes of time...sometimes).
What I'm saying is that if we don't spend enough time focusing on our own vision of what we want our classroom to be, we have no filter or framework through which we can process anything. We see a cool strategy and adopt it right away. We find a worksheet on Teachers Pay Teachers that looks really good and pull it in. We go to a training and think we need to implement all of it right away.
What I've learned is that without spending time thinking about my vision for my classroom, I end up really frustrated. Things don't go as well as I planned, and I feel like I'm being pulled a million directions. This becomes especially important as we bring technology into the classroom. Often, the way we use technology doesn't line up with our values, and it ends up being a complete waste of time.
So, I started with a really simple phrase for myself. Here is my vision for my classroom:
I want my classroom to grow passionate people who are excited about learning and empowered to make a difference.
This is now the lens through which I view everything I do in my classroom. It makes my daily work so much more meaningful. Does this lesson excite students? Nope, let's replan. Am I helping students see their value in this world? Nope, so how can I do it in this lesson?
Having a statement like this is crucial. Can I do it every single day? I wish. I'm human. Some days aren't the most exciting days in my classroom. Sometimes I just have a really hard time making students passionate about grammar (surprise, surprise). What it does it help me reflect on those and keep my focus on what's truly important: developing people who will be successful.
If you have your vision statement, now what? Well, what I've found works best is to develop indicators with things to look for in the classroom. This helps me know in-the-moment how closely I'm connecting with my vision. It also helps me a ton when I'm planning learning experiences for students.
When you make these, they should be actionable statements. Verbs that you can actually see students doing in your classroom.
Here are the ones that I have currently:
A meaningful modern classroom empowers students to...
While it may seem like a lot, I have it broken down into three strands, which makes it more approachable for me. In blue are my indicators of personal development, in green are my indicators for the products I'm asking students to create, and in red are the processes I'm asking students to engage in. A meaningful modern classroom empowers students to...
- Discover and pursue their passions and interests
- Develop social-emotional intelligence and apply it in the classroom
- Work efficiently and develop organizational skills
- Communicate clearly and effectively through a variety of different medium
- Connect with a meaningful audience both inside and outside the classroom to share products and learn new information
- Create authentic products that are modeled after real-world products
- Find and solve real-world problems to learn how to make a difference
- Consume and process information critically through a variety of different mediums
- Engage deeply in inquiry, including the time and space to pursue the answers to their questions
- Receive and act on timely feedback
- Seek out resources to address individual gaps in learning to develop their own agency in learning
- Achieve mastery of content and skills by learning at a pace appropriate for their needs
Yours may look widely different from mine. That's fine. These are the things I value, and you may value something different. However, what's important is that you've made your values explicit by creating measurable indicators that help to focus your teaching, inform your planning, and facilitate reflection.
Maybe I'll break these apart and write posts about the indicators and why they matter to me, but for now, I just want you to focus on one thing: create your vision and indicators.
If you have them, your classroom will end up being so much more meaningful, both to you and your students, every single day.
What are your indicators of a meaningful classroom?
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