Teaching Essentials, Chapter 1

Today was a strange kind of day. I felt like I was getting sick yesterday, and the sub situation here is so bad, that if you don't call in early, well, your teammates have to split your class up. And nobody likes having 6 or 7 extra little friends around, no matter how nice they are. 

Soooo - I put in for a sub last night. And I don't feel terrible, just not a lot of energy... and a lot of chills or warmth. Might be a fever. 

But I Am Going tomorrow! It's the Valentine's Party for pete's sake!


So I'm reading this:




Chapter 1: Look Beyond What You See
And if anybody wants to chime in, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Right at the start of the chapter, Routman says, "We need to suspend our preconceived beliefs and judgment each time we meet a student, to assume that every child is capable." 

Sometimes I think I don't necessarily have preconceived ideas, but as I'm around my class, I get set in stone notions. This child is never going to learn double digit subtraction; or that one will never move up in Reading. 

She says two more things that go along with this:
1 - "assume all students are smart and treat them that way."
2 - "Students immediately pick up on whether or not we view them as capable."
{I am so battling with one little friend on that right now - I think, no, I know! he is capable, but he doesn't believe it. This is a hard battle to win.}

Routman also writes that she has "never been in a classroom or school where the expectations are too high." Yikes! I definitely want to find that balance between high expectations and realistic expectations. I'm not sure how to do that, or where that line is. 

Happy Valentine's Parties tomorrow - hope they aren't too crazy and you get just enough chocolate!