Non-negotiables

Throughout my learning this summer, I have come up with some “non-negotiables” that I will not sacrifice in my classroom this year.  One of these is community building.  I have always held relationships and connections as extremely important, but have let them go due to time restraints.  This year, I am going to put them first.  I feel that once trust and connections are established, instruction will come easier. 

Another concept that is important is whole brain teaching.  This is something I have learned about in my ROL research.  It is something I plan to implement this year to improve classroom management and reduce behaviors.  I will continue to research and learn more about this concept as I begin to put it into practice.

A third idea I have found to be important is leadership.  I have always thought the leader to be the most influential part of a movement.  This summer I have learned that there are others who are also valuable.  We learned about the idea of a “1^st and 2^nd dancer”.  These are the people who are the 1^st and 2^nd followers.  They are even more important than the leader as a leader with no followers is really not a leader.  This is important to remember in the classroom environment.  There are always going to be some of each and we need to remember all those roles are important.

Finally, I believe that play is an invaluable practice for any classroom.  All kids, regardless of their grade level, need to opportunity to play.  This is a great time for them to build relationships, practice social skills and use their imagination.  I plan to make time each day for the kids to just play and for me to hopefully play with them.  This practice will increase trust, form connections and help the kids to feel valued.