As you enter Mrs. Minerâs sixth grade classroom the first thing you notice is that all students are on task. Students are everywhere but all seem to be engaged in the learning target set forth by the teacher. Moreover, everyone seems happy! Students sit close to one another, smile often, and their quiet whispers are often punctuated by laughter.
The room is clearly arranged to meet learnersâ various needs. About half of the tables at the center of the room are filled with small groups of students talking quietly as they work on gathering and sharing information for a project. There are three study carrels on the back wall with signs above them that read, âShhhh! Quiet Study Area!â One of the carrels houses a child who is independently reading and taking notes from an article.
Along another wall is a tall table with barstools for seating; there, students are working in groups of two with laptops open. Mrs. Minerâs desk is in the far back corner of the room but it is empty. She sits at a kidney-shaped table near the front door working with three students. You notice that she occasionally points to the chart on the wall behind her to emphasize a point.
When Mrs. Miner needs the attention of her class, she rings a bell and raises her hand. In seconds, all students but one turn toward her. Mrs. Miner politely asks the one student who has not come to attention to please follow directions. The student apologizes and looks at Mrs. Miner. She shares information with the students and asks for volunteers to summarize the work they have done. Many hands shoot up, as students are eager to share. In sharing, students are attentive, ask each other follow-up questions, make connections with one another, and often laugh.
As students finish up, Mrs. Miner asks them to put away their work and get ready for lunch. When the children get in line, Mrs. Miner puts a hand on shoulders here and there and stops to chat with individuals who want to share one last thing with her. As she walks them to lunch, she smiles and wishes all a nice break.
The Big Idea
Most teachers would love to have a classroom like the one described above. It is a classroom that buzzes with cheery productivity, and that type of classroom is wonderful for all who have a stake in it. From teachers and students to parents and administrators, everyone wins when classrooms are focused on learning, yet joyful. Mrs. Minerâs classroom is an example of a place where learning and joy go hand in hand, and that is what this book is all about.
In a nutshell, the theory of this book is that the most effective classrooms are those where students and teachers alike are happy and hardworking. Having spent 22 years as a teacher and curriculum coach in a wide variety of grade levels and schools, I have come to realize that the best classrooms are those that have heady doses of both fun and high expectations.
My Five-part Philosophy
What is your philosophy of education? This was the question a professor asked in the second year of my teacher education undergraduate program. Philosophy of education? I had no idea. In fact, it wasnât until very recently that my philosophy was anything but an inchoate slush of ideas, inclinations, and questions. Though I know that my philosophy will grow and change, almost 25 years after that question was asked, I think I have an answer.
Your Turn!
- Reread the scenario that describes Mrs. Minerâs classroom. What did it look like, sound like, and feel like for the students and the teacher? Think about what you would like your own classroom to look like, sound like, and feel like. Use the chart below to jot notes about your hopes for your classroom.
- Ask a trusted colleague to observe your classroom (or video record a lesson or two). Compare your thoughts about what your classroom looks like, sounds like, and feels like to the comments from your observer.
- Note any gaps between your hopes and the current reality in your room. Think about what you can do to close those gaps.
I have taught grades 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7 and remedial classes in high school. I have worked as a mentor, a cooperating teacher, a professional development coordinator, a reading specialist, and a librarian. Among other places, I have loved students in tiny Yupik villages on the Bering Sea Coast, in inner city Las Vegas, and in rural Wisconsin. I have sat on every possible type of committee and attended more meetings than anyone should ever have to attend. I earned National Board Certification, published in journals, presented at conferences, and embraced the connective power of the internet to grow my own personal and professional learning networks. Most importantly, each year I have loved my profession more deeply and each year has been seminal in my growth as an educator and as an educational philosopher.
Today my philosophy boils down to a list of five things I know to be true about teaching and learning. In my experience, these are among the most important truths for successful educators.
The Five-part Philosophy
- 1 Every single student can grow, learn, and achieve at high levels. All students should be offered a rigorous curriculum that focuses on growth.
- 2 Joy is critical for learning. When students are joyful, they will take more risks, meet more challenges, and generally learn better.
- 3 The best teachers are coaches, not facilitators or bosses.
- 4 Motivation is key, but the way we think of motivation must change.
- 5 Classroom management is absolutely foundational to teaching and learning.
Now that youâve taken a minute to read through the five-part philosophy, letâs look at each point in greater depth.
- 1 Every single student can grow, learn, and achieve at high levels. All students should be offered a rigorous curriculum that focuses on growth.
Identifying a Philosophy of Education Can Help Teachers:
- Focus their efforts on what they believe is truly important.
- Stay true to their core values.
- Rejuvenate their love of teaching and remind them why they became a teacher in the first place.
- Make decisions about whether a given school will be a good fit for them.
- Find allies and thought partners to widen their professional connections.
All children want to learn and all crave challenge. Students thrive when they work to meet challenging goals in supportive learning environments. So-called âfailure is a part of learning and should be celebrated as part of the process.â Later in the book, you will read about the research on growth mindset by Carol Dweck (2017), as well as encounter the scholarship on harnessing the power of âfailureâ as a way to help students recognize themselves as active learners.
Students with teachers who support the goal of helping them make at least a yearâs growth in a yearâs time are bound to achieve more than are students in classrooms where no such expectation is maintained. Take reading in a fifth grade classroom, for example. A student who begins the year reading approximately at the seventh grade level should be challenged to grow to approximately the eighth grade level by yearâs end. Similarly, a student who begins fifth g...
