Your balloon suggestion is SUCH a great idea. I’m going to steal that for next year. Brilliant work!
I think your list of suggestions would make an excellent series of posts - maybe a story or case study of an individual where you’ve noticed that’s made the kind of impact we know it can. I’ve thought about doing something similar on my own relationship-building strategies because they’re so powerful and so informative.
Regarding your ethos (sorry, I’ve got so much to say!) - I worked in a lot of different jobs before training to teach at 28, but I always wanted to get to teaching in the end. I think a lot of my ethos of the classroom is influenced by that. Still, you only really see that once you have a classroom.
So glad that the birthday balloons sound like they would work alongside your ethos. I love the idea of making the suggestions more tangible. Sounds like you are bringing so much life experience along to the classroom and absolutely this will have a positive impact on the culture which you cultivate.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and positive feedback, Jack!
I loved your statement, "...it is our responsibility as educators to curate a learning environment that is productive and conducive to learning.". I teach at the high school level, but have experience with primary teaching as well. I'm often surprised when teachers invest no effort into crafting the ecosystems of their classrooms. While high school is a little different in that we share our classrooms with other teachers, I always spend time to ensure my classroom is conducive for the sort of activities I am leading. It seems to me that much of the 'attention crisis' can be resolved by spending more time ensuring that the ecosystem and content delivery lead students into engagement.
I couldn't agree more, Ryan. Thank you for sharing your insights as a a High School teacher. I always think it must be so difficult having a shared space. I have witnessed this as an International Primary teacher, where multiple lessons and languages have been also been taught in my classroom space. I have always advocated for the importance of these teachers having a dedicated area where they can capture key ideas and display vocabulary and learning journey prompts. It doesn't have to be 'all singing and all dancing' does it? Just an intentional display/space which quickly recaps and reignites previous learning - as well as ensuring that your ethos and expectations shine through.
I wonder if there may be something in you sharing some of your ideas and recommendations in one of your future posts? I can see that you write about really interesting topics on your page. This could be an area to explore further.
Thank you, Laura. I have a post on this in my drafts queue. I'll bump it up to the top so that I can respond. Thank you for your kind words of encouragement.
For me, ecosystem goes beyond the material use of the space, it's also about the manner in which we conduct ourselves. It's the way we take our shoes off when entering a home, the tone of voice we use when entering a library or a church, and the care we express when giving our seat to someone who needs it more. As an educator, crafting these elements is one of my favourite activities. Having once been a chef, I treat my classroom like dressing the table for a dinner party.
I absolutely love the connection between the ambience required for setting the tone and mood of a dinner party and your learning space. A perfect example of transferrable skills and experiences. Your students are very lucky to be the recipients of your personalised approach - as I am sure are your colleagues.
This, this and this again! I wholeheartedly agree with your ethos of “I wanted every child to feel like they belonged, that I was creating a safe space for them to learn, to make mistakes and to be unapologetically themselves.” Great article!
Thanks Colin :) It is such a useful exercise to do isn't it? Reflect on what we want for the children in our care, aside from anything else, and audit if this is what we are truly currently offering away from some of the "noise" that can start to take over in education!
Another great post, Laura! The balloon idea is amazing! I've often fund making pupils breakfast upon their arrival is key to a good morning! You're right, unfortunately a lot of pupils arrive hungry and tried to school.
I've also used different items to make a sensory corner in the classroom and allowed children to use it freely. Admittedly this was in a class of 9 SEMH Pupils, so it was much easier to create!
Thank you :) So glad the birthday balloon idea has resonated with you. A simple idea with big impact.
I love the idea of a sensory corner and allowing that self-directed access time. I think this all comes back to giving the children the responsibility to self-regulate (more about this in this week's post). Thinking ahead to purposefully creating and resourcing this area empowers the pupils and shows them that you value their individual needs. It sounds like your classroom is a truly inclusive and child-centred place to be.
Your balloon suggestion is SUCH a great idea. I’m going to steal that for next year. Brilliant work!
I think your list of suggestions would make an excellent series of posts - maybe a story or case study of an individual where you’ve noticed that’s made the kind of impact we know it can. I’ve thought about doing something similar on my own relationship-building strategies because they’re so powerful and so informative.
Regarding your ethos (sorry, I’ve got so much to say!) - I worked in a lot of different jobs before training to teach at 28, but I always wanted to get to teaching in the end. I think a lot of my ethos of the classroom is influenced by that. Still, you only really see that once you have a classroom.
Just lovely work Laura.
So glad that the birthday balloons sound like they would work alongside your ethos. I love the idea of making the suggestions more tangible. Sounds like you are bringing so much life experience along to the classroom and absolutely this will have a positive impact on the culture which you cultivate.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and positive feedback, Jack!
Great article! Thank you for sharing your ideas.
I loved your statement, "...it is our responsibility as educators to curate a learning environment that is productive and conducive to learning.". I teach at the high school level, but have experience with primary teaching as well. I'm often surprised when teachers invest no effort into crafting the ecosystems of their classrooms. While high school is a little different in that we share our classrooms with other teachers, I always spend time to ensure my classroom is conducive for the sort of activities I am leading. It seems to me that much of the 'attention crisis' can be resolved by spending more time ensuring that the ecosystem and content delivery lead students into engagement.
I couldn't agree more, Ryan. Thank you for sharing your insights as a a High School teacher. I always think it must be so difficult having a shared space. I have witnessed this as an International Primary teacher, where multiple lessons and languages have been also been taught in my classroom space. I have always advocated for the importance of these teachers having a dedicated area where they can capture key ideas and display vocabulary and learning journey prompts. It doesn't have to be 'all singing and all dancing' does it? Just an intentional display/space which quickly recaps and reignites previous learning - as well as ensuring that your ethos and expectations shine through.
I wonder if there may be something in you sharing some of your ideas and recommendations in one of your future posts? I can see that you write about really interesting topics on your page. This could be an area to explore further.
Thank you, Laura. I have a post on this in my drafts queue. I'll bump it up to the top so that I can respond. Thank you for your kind words of encouragement.
For me, ecosystem goes beyond the material use of the space, it's also about the manner in which we conduct ourselves. It's the way we take our shoes off when entering a home, the tone of voice we use when entering a library or a church, and the care we express when giving our seat to someone who needs it more. As an educator, crafting these elements is one of my favourite activities. Having once been a chef, I treat my classroom like dressing the table for a dinner party.
Fantastic! I will look forward to reading :)
I absolutely love the connection between the ambience required for setting the tone and mood of a dinner party and your learning space. A perfect example of transferrable skills and experiences. Your students are very lucky to be the recipients of your personalised approach - as I am sure are your colleagues.
This, this and this again! I wholeheartedly agree with your ethos of “I wanted every child to feel like they belonged, that I was creating a safe space for them to learn, to make mistakes and to be unapologetically themselves.” Great article!
Thanks Colin :) It is such a useful exercise to do isn't it? Reflect on what we want for the children in our care, aside from anything else, and audit if this is what we are truly currently offering away from some of the "noise" that can start to take over in education!
Another great post, Laura! The balloon idea is amazing! I've often fund making pupils breakfast upon their arrival is key to a good morning! You're right, unfortunately a lot of pupils arrive hungry and tried to school.
I've also used different items to make a sensory corner in the classroom and allowed children to use it freely. Admittedly this was in a class of 9 SEMH Pupils, so it was much easier to create!
Thank you :) So glad the birthday balloon idea has resonated with you. A simple idea with big impact.
I love the idea of a sensory corner and allowing that self-directed access time. I think this all comes back to giving the children the responsibility to self-regulate (more about this in this week's post). Thinking ahead to purposefully creating and resourcing this area empowers the pupils and shows them that you value their individual needs. It sounds like your classroom is a truly inclusive and child-centred place to be.
Loved this one Laura! Lots of great ideas
Thank you Jen :)