Is Reaching Every Student Impossible?

Day 4 #blog365

How do we reach every child? How do we find the time to mentor and guide students to success? How do recognize their abilities and capabilities?

I have heard many teachers claim "This student just has no motivation, I give up." or "You just can't reach some students." or "Do you have this student, they are unteachable." Nothing makes me more sad then hearing teachers give up on a child. Every child can learn, they all learn differently and it is a teachers responsibility to find the motivation, learning style, and interests of every student. When teachers tap into a students mindset and listen to them, and find their strengths, the sky is the limit.

The most important skill in a teachers arsenal is learning every students name quickly. Build a mindful portfolio of every student not by 504 or IEP or ESOL folder, but by name and personality and student interest. Ask lots of questions and find a way to have a one-on-one conversation with every student the first week of school. I set up a stations activity on the first day of school. The stations were varied: lab safety, classroom design, getting to know me, goal setting, and most importantly introduce yourself to me.

Every student when they reached a certain station had to come over to me and introduce themselves to me with eye contact, a handshake, and three cool facts about themselves. I asked them questions and genuinely was interested in getting to know them. On day two students completed a lab activity, and I walked around the room and introduced myself to them with eye contact, a handshake, and repeating their names three times in a row. It was awkward for them at first but by day 3, I knew every name and cool facts about each of them.

When students feel safe and free to explore and take risks they will be more involved in the classroom. When they see other students engaged, motivated, and active they will follow suit. I have set up a flexible seating classroom where they chose their own seats. They are with their friends. We also, created a set of community intentions for the classroom. They wrote them, I just edited and put them on a poster. Following directions, listening, respect, and trust were the main objectives. So far, students are following these goals and they self-monitor and redirect each other because they created and have taken ownership of these expectations.

I wrote a mission statement for the class based on my own vision for the class and shared it with my students:

I will empower students to be scientifically and technologically literate through the use of authentic and active learning experiences. This will be accomplished by creating lessons that engage and motivate students. 

When students are in a student-centered classroom and they are provided with opportunities for collaboration and student-choice. Every student has a voice. The key to reaching every student is to give them a voice and to provide a safe classroom in which they can use it. Not every student will enter the classroom with a smile, nor will they enter free from hardship or stress, it is our obligation to envelop every child into the classroom and make them feel a part of a community. They may remain quiet but if they feel safe they will be engaged and open their minds to learning.