Join Them Whenever Possible

So today's topic may sound like common sense to many teachers, but here we go!

Life frustrates me to walk by classrooms when the students are obviously getting the opportunity to complete sustained silent reading, and the teacher is at his/her desk grading papers.

Huh?  First, the teacher is missing a wonderful opportunity to read.  Who doesn't look forward to that?  Second, and perhaps most important, though, is that the teacher is sending a mixed message to his/her students.  The teacher is saying to his/her students, "Class, it's important for you to read, but I'm too busy and/or really don't enjoy reading and/or really haven't taken the time to find something of interest to me."

What about when a class is assigned to journal write?  Yup, there is the teacher at the desk grading papers or checking email while the timer is running on the screen and the students are writing.  Huh?  Once again, the teacher is not only missing a great opportunity to have fun writing a journal entry, but he/she is sending mixed messages to the students.

One more example - what about when the teacher shows a film or a video clip or something visual to the class?  Does he/she roll the video and find something "more important" to do?  Why should the students see the importance of the video if the teachers don't?

Please understand one important thing before I wrap this up...joining them means sitting with them in a desk in the class with them.  I know that can be scary, and teachers obviously need to have first established class room atmospheres where they can comfortably and confidently sit with students and not have discipline issues.   I find, though, that by sitting with them we (students and teachers) all get a chance to feel like we are together in this thing called education.

So when I laugh at something funny in my book I'm reading during "free read Wednesdays" the students around me hear me giggle.  When I'm writing my thoughts in my journal, and I pause to quickly consider a new topic, they see me.  When that video is playing, and the climax is nearing, they see me on the edge of my seat - 1st period, 2nd period, 5th period, and 7th period (I have two prep periods and 4th period is Publications.)

So yes...I have four sessions of silent reading, four journal entries, and I watch that same video four times!  And I give my best effort to show students that the fourth time of the day is no different than the first.

Join them whenever possible.  They are great kids full of potential.  We are all in this together.

JBiz