Comments on: What does your best teaching look like? http://leadingfromtheheart.org/2009/10/17/what-does-your-best-teaching-look-like/ "classroom teachers are the only real agents of school reform..." Sat, 06 Mar 2010 12:02:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Tracy http://leadingfromtheheart.org/2009/10/17/what-does-your-best-teaching-look-like/comment-page-1/#comment-2538 Tracy Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:00:18 +0000 http://leadingfromtheheart.org/?p=1404#comment-2538 Joan, I have such similar experiences in Grades 10 and 11! We are not so far apart when it comes down to it. You wrote: "In Kindergarten so much time is spent on teaching kids to be responsible for themselves and able to regulate their bodies, emotions etc to be able to focus long enough to complete a task!" these same teachings continue throughout high school. I work with controlling impulse and emotion in order to diminish F-bombs and tears throughout the day, to not let 'drama' get in the way of their primary learning tasks, in order to ensure that students wake up early enough to get to school on time. And believe me, when 16 year-olds beg for more time to work it is just as thrilling! Thanks so much for your comment. Tracy Joan, I have such similar experiences in Grades 10 and 11!

We are not so far apart when it comes down to it. You wrote: “In Kindergarten so much time is spent on teaching kids to be responsible for themselves and able to regulate their bodies, emotions etc to be able to focus long enough to complete a task!” these same teachings continue throughout high school. I work with controlling impulse and emotion in order to diminish F-bombs and tears throughout the day, to not let ‘drama’ get in the way of their primary learning tasks, in order to ensure that students wake up early enough to get to school on time.

And believe me, when 16 year-olds beg for more time to work it is just as thrilling!
Thanks so much for your comment.
Tracy

]]> By: Joan Young http://leadingfromtheheart.org/2009/10/17/what-does-your-best-teaching-look-like/comment-page-1/#comment-2534 Joan Young Sat, 17 Oct 2009 17:48:39 +0000 http://leadingfromtheheart.org/?p=1404#comment-2534 I love this post! Although my "best teaching" looks quite different than a high school class of learners with laptops, your post reminds me of moments when I pull back after very challenging times and an aha moment occurs. In Kindergarten so much time is spent on teaching kids to be responsible for themselves and able to regulate their bodies, emotions etc to be able to focus long enough to complete a task! Sometimes its easy to miss that actual learning is taking place. This Thursday, after lunch, I put on music and reminded my students that they would have 30 minutes to finish their work in their desks and be prepared for it all to be sent home in "thursday envelopes". They were all so engaged and calmly working, occasionally showing me their completed work for approval, that I should have taken video footage! It may not seem like a big deal, but when Kindergarten students are begging for more time because they are engaged and working carefully, this is when my best teaching "can" take place! Thanks for an insightful post. .-= Joan Young´s last blog ..<a href="http://allkidscanflourish.blogspot.com/2009/10/industrious-little-people.html" rel="nofollow">Industrious Little People</a> =-. I love this post! Although my “best teaching” looks quite different than a high school class of learners with laptops, your post reminds me of moments when I pull back after very challenging times and an aha moment occurs. In Kindergarten so much time is spent on teaching kids to be responsible for themselves and able to regulate their bodies, emotions etc to be able to focus long enough to complete a task! Sometimes its easy to miss that actual learning is taking place. This Thursday, after lunch, I put on music and reminded my students that they would have 30 minutes to finish their work in their desks and be prepared for it all to be sent home in “thursday envelopes”. They were all so engaged and calmly working, occasionally showing me their completed work for approval, that I should have taken video footage! It may not seem like a big deal, but when Kindergarten students are begging for more time because they are engaged and working carefully, this is when my best teaching “can” take place! Thanks for an insightful post.
Joan Young´s last blog ..Industrious Little People My ComLuv Profile

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