My classroom is an organized, inviting space.

There are motivational quotes on the walls and decorations that go along with the class theme. There are word walls and posters for students to use as resources. Students work is displayed on bulletin boards, and in the hallway. This is based off of the theory that an organized, bright workspace is important for inspiring learning and curiosity. There are many comfortable places for children to read such as a comfy chair, many carpeted area with reading pillows, and even a reading cave. Books, art supplies, and math manipulatives are organized and easily accessible for the students to get on their own to help them solve problems. Instead of desks, I prefer teaching with tables because it encourages students to collaborate and work in groups. Some of the theorists that I agree with and incorporate into my classroom are Friere and Dewey. I do not think banking education where the teacher simply lectures about the content and expects the students to listen and pay attention is an effective approach to teaching. I encourage students to share with the class so they can learn from each other. Also, this enables me to create lessons that connect to the students prior knowledge and get them interested and engaged in the content. Deweys idea of providing students with authentic experiences is also a part of my personal philosophy. If a child learns something on their own through trial and error, discussion, or service learning projects, it will be much more interesting and memorable. It is important to instill to students that they should be lifelong learners through inquiry-based projects. I believe in having the students actively participate in creating the creating the classroom environment. I frequently hold class meetings where the students can discuss what they would like changed in the classroom. For example, several students were forgetting to bring their Rocket Math papers home, so at a class meeting they decided to make a poster in the shape of a

stop sign to hang near the door reminding themselves to bring their Rocket Math home. I post all procedures and classroom expectations with a list of consequences directly next to it. If a student is not following one of the expectations then I will tell them exactly which rule was broken and have them change their color on their Rainbow chart. Each child starts with their rainbow on green. If they break a classroom expectation they move to yellow, orange, or red, (with consequences increasing in severity). They also have an opportunity to move to blue or purple and enter their name in a raffle to win a prize at the end of the week if they make a choice that shows a great character. I also believe the Nurtured Heart management system can have great results. I use specific praise for students who are following the directions and ask students who are misbehaving to stop and reflect for a moment before they rejoin the class. This gives positive attention to students behaving, rather than focusing attention on negative action and keeps the classroom atmosphere more positive. Along with each students individual rainbow behavior plan, I use a Wheel of Fortune whole class reward system, so students can realize that their individual behavior affects the learning of every other student. I involve community members and communicate with parents through a weekly newsletter containing information about what is happening in class, a class website, and individually through email or phone calls. I collaborate with other teachers in the building to learn what has worked well for them, plan together, and create lessons that are interdisciplinary. Students feel they are a part of a strong school community, as opposed to each classroom being separate. Students should never feel like they do not know what to do next in the classroom. That does not mean that students who finish early should be given more work, such as an extra worksheet. Rather, activities should be differentiated so that some students will be given

extra support and others will be given more enrichment, all covering the same content they are learning together. For example, in a lesson on the issue of Illiteracy in the novel Holes for 5th grade the more advanced writers were able to take out a piece of paper and write a letter to a representative about how they would like to see the issue addressed. The on-level group wrote the letter with a template to fill in certain parts. The below-grade level group was given a template with even more structure so they can learn the format and how to write letters. Another way to differentiate is by giving struggling spellers a shorter list, while adding on challenge words for other students for enrichment that all follow the same phonics pattern. Upton & Lee-Thompson along with several other language theorists have proven that students learning English who are able to use their first language are more successful because they make connections across languages. I allow students to speak in their first language and code switch. I also strongly agree with the SIOP protocol for sheltering classroom instruction for English language learners. Some of the techniques I use in my classroom are posting daily objectives, stressing vocabulary, using visuals and manipulatives, and speaking clearly and slowly. I ask students to bring in things from their culture and celebrate all students cultural and linguistic differences. An important aspect of differentiating instruction in my classroom will be how I organize groups. For some lessons, such as reading groups, grouping students by ability level is the best option so they can have adapted instruction to their level. Other times, heterogeneous groupings will be used so that the students can learn from each other. Another way I will differentiate is by offering the students choices. It is very motivational and gives them autonomy in their own learning. This can be done through various centers where the children pick which they would like to work on that day, or through different assessments. For example, a student could write a

traditional book report if they like writing, draw a comic strip, or act out a short scene from the book. All of these choices would achieve the same goals, just in a different way. Technology is an important part of our society, and is especially important in a person's professional life. Students in my classroom use computers during centers time, a SMART board, and go to the computer lab each so they can build these necessary skills. Whenever appropriate and possible I use interactive activities on the SMARTboard to enhance lessons. My classroom is an organized, colorful room, filled with student work and several areas for students to work together. I strive to establish a positive, inquiry-based learning environment through the nurtured heart approach and student agreed upon rules and consequences. My lessons incorporate technology and are differentiated to meet each learners needs.