My Core Beliefs

One of my core beliefs is that all students should feel like they belong. Each student should have the belief that the adults in the school care about them. In my classroom I will nurture a sense of belonging and cultivate caring student/teacher relations by offering experiences that will show students that they are valued members of our community (the classroom).
Prior to fostering connection among students, I feel it is my responsibility to commit to making a connection with every individual in my class. To begin that effort, I will do my best to acquaint myself with adolescent culture (ie. music, tv, video games, pop culture, etc.). Simple points of connection are made when we come to know and understand the culture of our students more fully. I will
Students thrive in a classroom where everyone has the opportunity to participate and contribute, and students are accepted and affirmed. Each day during our class meeting, I will incorporate class and team building activities from Tribes. These activities are designed to help students feel included and appreciated by their peers, respected for their differences, actively involved in their learning, and challenged by high expectations. Our class will honor the four Tribes agreements. The first agreement is “attentive listening”. Giving attention to the speaker shows that you respect and value them and what they are saying. The second agreement is “appreciation/no put downs”. Activities are designed to affirm one another, not put each other down. The third agreement is “mutual respect”. Finally, the final agreement is the right to pass. Sometimes we just don’t feel like sharing and we want to pass. If a student passes every time, a modification might be made that you can only pass twice in a row depending on if the activity is during instructional time or personal sharing