Live What You Believe

While reading Chapter 3 in Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom by Carol Ann Tomlinson, I came across the quote, "Live what you believe." That was pretty powerful to me. I think we all want to be amazing teachers that touch the lives of our many students, but not everyone ends up doing this. In the chapter it emphasized focusing on what you can change versus what you cannot change. Students have needs for affirmation, purpose, contribution, power, and challenge. So how do teachers meet these needs?

The Response of Invitation
I think it is important as teachers to really respect our students. I think that it is very easy for teachers to look past some students. A lot of times teachers are responsible for over 30 students so it would be easy for some to get overlooked, but it is our responsibility to make each and every student feel special and to make sure they know that we have time for them and that we believe in them.

The Response of Opportunity
It is important for students to be given opportunity. They need to know that what they are doing in school is important and they can provide new possibilities to them. They need to know that they will be pushed in the right direction and all these things will help them become all that they can be. We as teachers need to help our students become better learners and students.

The Response of Investment 
Teachers spend a lot of time in teaching and putting together lesson plans, the classroom, etc. Students need to understand that we work hard to make the classroom work for them. It is important to have the classroom reflect the students. That could mean putting their work around the room. Students need to understand that we want them to succeed and to grow as learners. It is important to notice when the students are not understanding the concept. Go to the students and tell them that you noticed that the majority are struggling and its okay to have to reteach some things.

The Response of Persistent
It is important to know that procedures needs to be in place for the class to work. Sometimes students will not understand for a while but it is important to keep at it. It is okay to adjust procedures if they are not working. Students will always be growing. Never give up!

The Response of Reflection
It is always good to reflect on what is working and what isn't working. This should probably happen on a daily basis. It is necessary to ask the questions, "How can I make this better?" I love that because none of us are perfect and we can always be improving.