Reframing our Vision:

Considering Dialogic Instruction

Mentors and Interns: Ideally within or before the first week of the school year, you should discuss your
vision for the year, including how you might include dialogic instruction (student talk) in your classroom.
Your vision should become a regular topic of conversation throughout the year as you co-plan, observe,
and teach.
Interns: Please name the file the following way: LastName_TE802_VisionHomework
(ex: Bell_TE802_VisionHomework)

Due: Friday, Sept. 5 by class

Complete this section individually.
Mentee/Beginning Teacher
What is my vision for effective teaching (what will my
classroom, students, teaching, etc. look like on a day-today basis)?
My vision is focused less on the technical aspects
of an English classroom, and more on the philosophical
and big-picture aspects, for the same reason that, when
learning a language, we develop conversational skills
before understanding grammar. Ninth grade students
should hone their general reading, analysis, and discussion
skills before being berated by grammar and research.
My students can focus on understanding the
impact of a text on the world and on the self. They can
evaluate what they do or do not agree with, and they can
form their own opinions both about representations of the
human condition, and about the human condition itself.
On a day-to-day basis, I envision students
explaining why they like or dislike an assignment and why
they think they have to do it. I would love for the students
to create their own way of valuing their education. I want
my students to be intrinsically motivated.
I envision myself asking more questions than
giving answers. Instead of answering a students question,
I would like for the student to guess, and then to
contemplate why their intuition lead them to that guess.
In order to maintain a successful classroom, I
need to be aware that intrinsic motivations must exist
before students will be willing to socialize their
enthusiasm for a topic, that making meaningful semantic
connections is the best way to retain information, and that
the form of these motivations and connections will vary
significantly from person to person.

Mentor Teacher
What is my vision for effective teaching (what will my
classroom, students, teaching, etc. look like on a day-today basis)?

I think effective teaching is teaching that focuses on

the skills rather than smaller daily assignments.
For example, while understanding the play Romeo
and Juliet is great, students need to be able to find
examples of characterization, work within small
groups, collaborate, interpret, etc.
Our school focuses on the Cultures of Thinking
so on a day to day basis we try to make learning
visible. In my classroom you will see students
discussing, collaborating, working with partners or
groups, and sharing ideas. There will be evidence
of their learning in the classroom. I think it is
important for the teacher to be more of a facilitator
rather than a giver of information.

Launch Into Teaching, All Rights Reserved, Copyright 2014

MAPSA TEAMS Project, 2014

Reframing our Vision:

Considering Dialogic Instruction
Complete this section together.
Vision
What is the vision we will collectively strive for by the
end of the year? (This should include ideas connected to
dialogic instruction.)

Action
How will we do this? (This is your plan of action and
includes concrete steps you will do at the beginning of
the year to establish classroom norms, procedures, and
routines connected to classroom management AND
dialogic instruction.)

We want our students to enjoy class. We dont want

to cold call, but rather would have students eager to
volunteer their opinions. We want to consistently ask
students for their own thoughts. Students should not
feel stifled by the classroom environment.

We will implement the curriculum in a dialogic

way every single day. We will maintain order in the
classroom by setting a tone of authority but will
also invite students to be comfortable speaking out
in class. The opinions of the students matter
significantly in the classroom. We will inform
students that classroom participation is highly
important to us because we genuinely care about
what they think.

Launch Into Teaching, All Rights Reserved, Copyright 2014

MAPSA TEAMS Project, 2014