Woof

Tyler Livingston has divided his white board into sections with tape. Genius. This allows the students for each day and class to see exactly what is expected of them, what’s due, when it’s due, and the daily agenda. I love that he physically writes a daily agenda on his board. I think this obviously benefits his students, as well as helps him with organization and time management. His schedule looks like this:

• Warm ups/Announcements
• Mini-lesson
• Progress check
• Directed activity
• Workshop activity
• Closure/all class activity

Each of these elements of his schedule completely compliments the set up of his room. Tyler has set up his room in different sections. He has clearly developed a community of learners, and an effective learning environment because each student knows and understands his rules and expectations. The front of the room is where a student goes when he or she is still working, needs to work with others, or ask for help. The middle of the room is a “copy center” if you will, as this is where most of the classroom supplies are kept for student access. The back of the room is “no man’s land” where students can go for a quiet place to work, or a private conference with him. Tyler is clearly conscious of how and what his classroom affords him and his students, and what it does not. Speaking of room set up, who in the world constructed these classrooms? Clearly not teachers. The middle of the classroom cannot be seen when either in the front or the back of the room. Hence, why it’s for taping, stapling, etc., then leaving. Constantly being aware of space and how it is and can be used is a sign of a good teacher. He clearly has his students benefit on his mind, not his own. Now if only he could do something about the lack of doors!

Open classrooms are difficult. There is a ton of noise coming from other rooms at all times. It obviously takes a lot of skill to drown this out, ignore it, and hold control of your own class. I understand open schools are trying to build a sense of community, but it you have to take the doors off your classrooms to do this, something is clearly wrong in the first place, in my opinion. However, this also goes back to how one builds their personal classroom community. Some teachers and classrooms have it, others do not. Community should not have to be forced.

Tyler has such a presence in his room. There was an individual that needed to take a break today and check his behavior. Tyler simply needed to point to the chair in the back of the room without disrupting his lesson; the student understood and was able to self-regulate. One of my peers today gave a perfect example of what this presence means. It’s the difference between the big dog and the little dog. One simply needs to give a singular woof, while the other incessantly yips. Tyler has a great woof. This begs the question: when do we pick and choose our battles at the expense of class disruption and possible student humiliation? It’s trial and error I think, something one discovers over time, what is worthwhile and what can be left alone.