My goal for the classroom is to develop an environment where, rather than lecturing the entire time, I want to aim for open discussions, exploration, and communication between one another. Part of the Common Core Standards for mathematics emphasizes the notion of group work and exploration of the concepts. Having been a student that was always hesitant in asking questions, I would like to emphasize the participation of students as much as possible. In other words, I would like to facilitate group discussions and assist in the development of skills to find answers and solutions through exploration. This poses a challenge to myself as their teacher as I will have to prompt them in various ways to move them towards discovery rather than just piling the knowledge on them. …show more content…
On the first day of class, I will not introduce the subject or go through the syllabus, but instead begin with a team-building and communication ice breaker. I must set the tone for the class and have the students develop interpersonal relationships with one another in order to build a foundation for what is to come over the duration of the school year. On the second day of class, students will have the opportunity to choose an “island” (group). The students on an “island” will work together for the duration of the grading period. Giving students the freedom to choose their first groups will allow them to be comfortable. It will also allow myself as their teacher to assess how they do in their groups, if they are comfortable speaking to others, and how they might possibly be affected if I put them