"What to look for in a classroom" (Blog #6)

 While looking at Alfie Kohns chart, I took away free quotes or examples from the chart that I thought was very important...

 "Students often address one another directly."

I think this is so important because the room that I am helping at, the students are not able to converse with one another and have to work independently all the time. I have seen the negative effects of this, students are disengaged...they are bored. This causes them to not do work and then overall begin to fall behind. Letting the students talk to one another and let them work collaboratively is so important not only for their social development but also it allows them to have fun while also learning. They also learn basic  skills like how to communicate and collaborate (especially with the younger children). 

"Covered with students posters." 

I chose this quote because its something that is pretty common in all classrooms, I think every classroom you walk in has to have at least a handful of students work and I think its so genuine. Teachers who allow students work to be plastered around the classroom know that the classroom is their students as much as it is theirs. When students see their work on the wall they even may get a feeling of motivation by that praise. In addition to that, parents and faculty who visit the classroom have something to look at and can know what exactly their the child is learning in class. 

"Teachers voice is respectful, genuine, warm." 

Going back to talking about the classroom I'm volunteering in. the teacher is on the older side so her voice is very rough and loud. I understand where she is coming from and why she projects her voice so loudly but there are also times where a student might just ask her a question and she uses the same mean tone. I think its important to know when to use a respectful tone. If you use that mean and harsh tone all the time, the children fear you. If you think that using fear to make kids respect you is the correct way...I disagree.