When I first started this blog, I had a vision of what I wanted my ELA classroom to look like. Through the collaborative sharing of ideas and inspirations throughout the duration of this course, this vision has been brought into focus. I began this course with a philosophy for my future ELA classroom, and I am coming away from this course with a clearer idea of how I see this philosophy being applied through specific lessons and activities.
I envision a classroom where the imaginations of students are stimulated by stories with larger than life characters and universal themes, and where students are inspired by non-fiction texts that teach them about the marvels of the world they live in. In this classroom students will encounter a wide variety of activities and strategies which will help them to see the value of literacy and oracy as it relates to their own lives.
I see my future students experiencing oral and written language through the sharing of stories that connect their own experiences to the experiences of others, and help to create a classroom community in which sharing and communication are valued. In this classroom community each individual child will contribute their own unique voice to a collaborative collection of stories and voices.
In my ELA classroom students will be the authors and the voices of authority on the subjects of their knowledge. Students will be actively engaged in writing, speaking and listening, and will be given the tools to become self-motivated, lifelong learners.
Thanks for your good thoughts, Siri!
ReplyDeleteI love that you see the value of co-authoring the classroom with your students. I believe we can do this while maintaining our role as the experienced adult in the room. There is a lot of power in having students take some ownership in their own learning - this is a lifelong habit we can begin to nurture.
Thanks for your positive contribution in class, and best of luck next term and in practicum!