During our first week together, we focused on creating a
positive learning environment, where learners are encouraged to think outside
of the box, feel safe to take risks and most of all love learning!
Together we created our class social contract based on how
we wish to be treated and how others should treat us. We started as writing down what we thought
was important as individuals, shared with our table groups and then came
together as a class to write our social contract.
With building a positive classroom, comes working together
as a team. As I worked with the learners
of Room 304, I realized that our 4th graders are beginning to come
into their own, learning how to express their ideas and work together as a
team. We completed several cup
challenges, discussing after each challenge, what went well and areas where we
can improve. As a teacher, I quickly
learned who the leaders were in each group and who worked well together. After the first day of cup challenges, our
learners were frustrated but determined to make it work. I love how they didn’t give up but came back
the next day ready to try again.
Conversations about listening to each other and how we talk to one another
evolved into successfully completing the cup challenges.
A major highlight of our first week together was chromebook rollout! You would have thought it was Christmas with how excited our Bears were to get their chromebooks.
As I left school on Friday afternoon, I felt at peace about becoming
a 4th grade teacher and know exactly why God brought me here!