Chapter 3 of Ayers’ To Teach: The Journey, in Comics and the Hopkins chapter, Five Key Themes for Creating the Restorative Classroom, both discuss creating a good learning environment. Ayers discusses the design of the classroom, while Hopkins discusses creating a ‘restorative classroom’, both with the goal of creating a respectful learning community. The main points that I liked from Ayers’ chapter were:
-The teacher that presented three rules which were: the ability to wear hats, to chew gum, and finally, to treat everyone with respect and compassion. I like this because he gives two rules that the kids will love, which I believe will make them buy in and increase their value in the third, most important rule.
-Malik allowing his ESL students to write about whatever they wanted to, which would increase their comfort in using the language. Also that he asked them if there’s anything he should know or could do better to help them, since he had learners from twenty different language backgrounds.
-His ideas regarding the classroom: a class pet to create a sense of group responsibility, having a common work space rather than a teacher’s desk, creating a space where everyone is equal, doing group activities such as cooking to learn about chemistry and world culture, etc.
Hopkins outlines 5 themes for creating a ‘restorative classroom’: 1) everybody has their own unique and equally valued perspective, 2) thoughts influence emotions; emotions influence actions, 3) empathy and consideration, 4) needs and unmet needs, and 5) collective responsibility for problem solving and decision making. These themes can be used proactively to create a good learning community, but are also used restoratively when a conflict arises. When conflict arises, these themes can be used to create questions which guide the group in resolving the conflict in a restorative circle, where everyone is allowed their input.
I like the suggestions presented in each chapter and will use them in my classrooms in the future. My ultimate goal as a teacher is that my students will learn to appreciate and respect each other, and I believe that the ideas in these chapters will help to promote these values. Also, I’d like to talk to my AT about using a restorative circle in one of his classes where many students laughed at another who was reading aloud and fumbled some words (my AT was not there that day).
When teaching skating, I use similar principles in my classes. I establish on the first day that we are all here to learn to become better skaters together, and that it's never a competition. I've noticed that when I simply make this statement, that the kids encourage each other rather than the skilled kids saying "I'm the best skater" or "I finished first", or the weaker kids getting discouraged or intimidated by the skill gap. I look forward to applying these ideas in my own classroom one day.
-The teacher that presented three rules which were: the ability to wear hats, to chew gum, and finally, to treat everyone with respect and compassion. I like this because he gives two rules that the kids will love, which I believe will make them buy in and increase their value in the third, most important rule.
-Malik allowing his ESL students to write about whatever they wanted to, which would increase their comfort in using the language. Also that he asked them if there’s anything he should know or could do better to help them, since he had learners from twenty different language backgrounds.
-His ideas regarding the classroom: a class pet to create a sense of group responsibility, having a common work space rather than a teacher’s desk, creating a space where everyone is equal, doing group activities such as cooking to learn about chemistry and world culture, etc.
Hopkins outlines 5 themes for creating a ‘restorative classroom’: 1) everybody has their own unique and equally valued perspective, 2) thoughts influence emotions; emotions influence actions, 3) empathy and consideration, 4) needs and unmet needs, and 5) collective responsibility for problem solving and decision making. These themes can be used proactively to create a good learning community, but are also used restoratively when a conflict arises. When conflict arises, these themes can be used to create questions which guide the group in resolving the conflict in a restorative circle, where everyone is allowed their input.
I like the suggestions presented in each chapter and will use them in my classrooms in the future. My ultimate goal as a teacher is that my students will learn to appreciate and respect each other, and I believe that the ideas in these chapters will help to promote these values. Also, I’d like to talk to my AT about using a restorative circle in one of his classes where many students laughed at another who was reading aloud and fumbled some words (my AT was not there that day).
When teaching skating, I use similar principles in my classes. I establish on the first day that we are all here to learn to become better skaters together, and that it's never a competition. I've noticed that when I simply make this statement, that the kids encourage each other rather than the skilled kids saying "I'm the best skater" or "I finished first", or the weaker kids getting discouraged or intimidated by the skill gap. I look forward to applying these ideas in my own classroom one day.