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These are words I hope
to live out every day. However, it’s not always that simple. I would like to
think that my students will remember me as a person that made them think
outside the box, and who truly nurtured their needs as learners.
When one teacher sees
over 100 students a day, it can be a challenge to support each of those
individual needs. One way I we try to make this a reality at ESMS is through
the practice of instructional rounds. On December 4th, I had the opportunity
to participate in a half day of instructional rounds. This experience
reinforced values I have as a teacher, and even taught me some new ones.
Attitude is (nearly)
everything… that is one big take away I had during instructional rounds. The
excitement level of the teacher directly affected student engagement. I saw
teachers using humor as a tool to get kids involved. I saw students in those
classrooms that felt comfortable enough to be vulnerable and share their
thinking aloud. I’ve found that the days I make a conscious effort to be
positive and excited, the kids feed off my mood and tend to be positive and
excited too. I loved seeing this take place in other classrooms around the
building. This was a powerful reminder of the importance of a good attitude.
Another takeaway I had
from instructional rounds was a sense of empathy for the kids. I tend to
forget they move through 8 different classes each day, and sometimes assess
in several of them. I was excited to see students able to converse with each
other about classroom objectives, and move around the room to perform
specific tasks. Formally assessing student progress is important, but I also
think it’s important to allow students opportunities to learn together, and
from one another. It was awesome to see this taking place at the middle
school.
The instructional
rounds process is one I’m proud to say I’m a part of. It is a way for me to
grow and gain new perspectives. Sometimes I forget that there are things
happening outside of my classroom, and rounds are a great reminder and
motivator to challenge myself to look beyond my comfort zone.
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