"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn."
- Benjamin Franklin
Our classroom is a safe and productive place where we will all actively participate in cooperative learning activities while displaying respectful, responsible, and resourceful behavior.
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| Bloom's Taxonomy Poster in My Classroom |
My goal for you is simple. By the end of the year, you will be able to read, write, listen, and speak efficiently and effectively. Each day, we will work on developing these skills using research-proven strategies that
will build on each other. We will read books featuring empowered, compelling characters from whom you can learn valuable life lessons. We will write authentic texts of various types for diverse audiences. My ultimate hope is that you will not only learn how to analyze textual information and write informative essays this year, but that you will also discover how you can be productive and moral members of society.
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| The Six Traits for Writing Display in My Classroom |
Similarly, from a classroom management perspective, my goal is to teach you about the importance of rules and consequences so you can develop positive behavioral habits you can one day exhibit in the profession of your choice. I want to have a positive classroom where you feel safe and want to come and learn every day, and to make that happen I will clearly communicate my rules and expectations to you. I will teach the classroom rules in depth the first week of the year and then reinforce those rules through my words and actions throughout the year. I will also uniformly administer the consequences of broken rules throughout the year. Because unequal enforcement of the rules renders them unfair, I will strive to treat each of you
exactly the same when it comes to disciplinary issues in my classroom.
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| Technology in My Classroom |
However, I will strive to treat each of you
differently when it comes to instructional issues in my classroom. This means that I understand that everyone in the class learns in a different way and that it is my duty to meet the evolving needs of each of the diverse learners I have the privilege to teach. Moreover, it means that I know that all of you will benefit from learning differently, meaning you will not only be given traditional instruction but also stimulating and enjoyable challenges that require you to interact with your peers and apply the knowledge you are acquiring in real world settings (including technological settings). I plan to utilize the 4MAT method of instruction in order to make you all confident, balanced learners who will be able to independently achieve your academic and professional goals after you leave my classroom.
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| Daily Lesson Display in Mr. Hall's Classroom |
Finally, I want you to know that I believe in the “I Do, We Do, You Do” method of teaching. This means for every skill I expect you to be able to do for a grade, I will first show you how to do it, we will then all do it together, you will then do it in small groups, you will then do it by yourself, I will then give you feedback on your individual performance, and then - and only then - will I ask you to do it for grade.
