How to Change My Teaching

How to change my teaching is a question that I am asking myself. Innovation is my key word. But how do I innovate? How do I do it and still meet my curriculum and standards? Here are my first steps:


Self Directed Learning:
How will I find time to have the students discover their passion and self direct their learning? We have a 15-20 minute morning warm up time where they come in and do a task I gave them. Next year they will come in and discover their passion in this time. Using our iPads as a tool not a toy they can unlock incredible information. I will come up with guidelines but I do not want to limit them. I will conference with individuals to track and monitor progress and I will set a finish date. Ideally I will do one "find your passion " (working title) per quarter. I want them to show case their learning at the end of it and I am thinking of letting them present in the way they come up with. Can 3rd graders do it? YES! Will it take modeling, time, patience? YES! I will get back to you about this one.

Changing The Traditional Classroom Setting:
Desks, tables, hard plastic chairs, sitting in those all day to learn? Check, check and check! How can I make my ideal learning for all learners and not break the bank? I am going to start little by little this year.

I want interactive spaces through out my room. I want the students to share their thinking and see mine! I love the idea of having constantly changing spaces to share thoughts and ideas. I am going to post "idea dots" around the room. I will use dry erase circles posted in various places to have the students write ideas. I want one about what we are learning, one for facts and then several on a work space table. I saw these on pinterest and then found them on Amazon.

Ditching the chairs! Now in my ideal world I would want a classroom set of cool chairs. They would not all look the same because not all kiddos need the same thing to learn in. Does the traditional work for some kids probably... does the different type of chair work for every student probably not. I am working on a little bit here and there and here is what I have found and they are coming!

I also want some lap desks for the kids who don't want a chair. I am working on this piece and how I want it to look. 

Is this innovative? A little... but I think it is a step in the right direction to transform my classroom. My next steps and how these ideas work and change I will share with you.  I do not think that this work space will happen all day. It will happen part of the day. I will get to know my students and see what works for them. I am not going to be stuck in a box for my students education.