Tuesday, January 29, 2008

My Personal Mission

It's so hard to narrow down what my personal mission is! I think that what I would like my students to leave my class with is the feeling that they have worked really hard, pushed themselves to their educational limit and come out feeling that they have done their absolute best and learned to work together. One of the greatest things that my kids do at the end of the year is look back at lists and lists of things that they have done throughout third grade and it always amazes them to see what they have accomplished. What's more amazing, however, is when I then remind them about the other things that we have done like cooperative learning groups and activities, helping each other complete work, classroom stories and challenges we have solved as a classroom family....the things that they will really take with them throughout the years both inside and beyond the walls of the school building.

2 comments:

PrincipalStein said...

That is a great mission. It is important for our students (as it is for teachers) to reflect on the work they have accomplished throughout the year. I think it would be great to create a portfolio where students put different pieces of work in it throughout the year. You could even have them write a journal entry every month and put it in the folder. Then when they reflect at the end of the year you can give them to the students, for further reflections and a trip down memory lane. Just an idea......

Jay said...

I stress these concepts in my class as well. It is important that students are pushed so they can look back at their progress and be proud of accomplishments. Students need to understand and see the benefit of hard work. Nothing in life is easy and they need to learn that in the end hard work will lead to success in whatever they choose to accomplish in life.