As I stared out onto my empty classroom following my classes, reflecting on my day, I felt a bit uninspired. Nothing remarkable happened in class today, either good or bad. My lessons went swimmingly, my students worked hard, and I felt as though I motivated, challenged, and supported my students well. So, now what? How can I use what happened in the classroom today to grow and develop as an educator? How can I better help my students?
Rather than mentally beat myself up over my inability to brainstorm a topic on which I can reflect this afternoon, I decided to get creative. If I can’t think of anything to reflect upon, why not ask my students for help? So, I did just that. During our afternoon advisory period today, I posed a few questions to two of my students. I told them to be candid, open, and honest. They were more than willing to help.
What do you like best about the sixth grade program?
“The program is really fun because we can see different things. We went on field trips to Canaan and had a fun sleepover at the CORE House. The sixth grade program is really fun and engaging.”
Describe me as a teacher.
“You are really friendly to us and you help us whenever we need help even if you are busy or not teaching the class at that time. I see you answer students’ questions even when it is not your class. You have us do great projects too.”
“In the sixth grade, you are a really good teacher because you try to make things fun in the class. You make students feel loved and you wear a cape. While that’s a little weird, it’s super cool and fun too. You move your body around the class and make things fun and not boring.”
What does Mr. Holt need to work on to grow and develop as a teacher?
“Patience. You need to give us more time and put less pressure on things like being on time to class. When a few of us came into class late today, you rushed us to get ready and I felt a lot of pressure.”
“Add more things like Weekly News Quiz and Trivia Time. You can let the students use critical thinking to think about lots of stuff in the world so that they can know more. You need to teach students with action and less words. I want to learn more and things like that really help us.”
Does Mr. Holt do a good job managing the class? Why or why not?
“Well, I understand that you can’t be in more than one place at a time, but when we are working on group projects, sometimes teasing takes place in the groups when you are not watching or observing. When we are altogether as a class, you do a good job managing the class and making sure everyone behaves well.”
Does Mr. Holt talk to the class in a clear and understandable manner?
“Yes, you explain things very clearly. We understand what you say.”
What does Mr. Holt do to support or challenge students?
“You talk a lot to us and give us courage. Whenever we have really big projects, you tell us, ‘I can feel the energy in the air guys.’ You give us extra time to work on projects.”
So, clearly, I’ve created an atmosphere of fun and creativity in the classroom. The students are having fun learning and growing as students. That’s good news. I need to work on making sure I’m observing students more effectively during group projects so that my students don’t feel open or able to tease or make fun of others. This will be tricky as I can’t possibly observe and help everybody at once. I need to empower the students to help guide their peers in making good choices. Perhaps I could work this in during our next group project so that the students understand the expectations and their role in helping to foster a sense of community and kindness in the classroom. Overall, the two students I interviewed, seemed very pleased with the sixth grade program I’ve worked hard to create over the past ten years. That’s great to hear, very reaffirming.
Despite not having a topic or idea for today’s entry, I was inspired by my students. When they feel lost or confused, they ask me for help, and so I did the same with them today. I reached out for some guidance and advice, and received much quality feedback from them. Again, my students never cease to amaze and impress me. Wow!
Holteacher Perspective 