My intentions with this piece were to sum my teaching style up so I thought a collage would be a good way to show more of what happens in my classroom. I love the larger image because it reflects my relationship with many of my students. I love to initiate an activity and have my students take control of the steering wheel. I have found that a student learns more when they can do or teach.
I also included two pictures from the walls of my classroom. Across my board is the quote from Shakespeare, “All the world’s a stage.” Over my curriculum map is the “Now Showing: Roper Productions, Inc.” sign that I made for my classroom. I wanted to make the theme of my classroom a theatre because being an actor in a play is like being a student in a classroom. We have roles, parts, cues, and all must act together as a team to be successful. I expect for my students to participate in class as actors would on stage. I like for students to be vocal and interact with discussions. They are required to be able to interact in collaborative partners and groups to perform a given task, and all of these methods are implemented to try to make class more entertaining in hopes that student will become vested in the curriculum. If students are having fun with the curriculum, they learn without realizing it sometimes. This is shown in the last two images. Students are working together, sharing the load, to build on each other’s knowledge and expertise.
I first wanted to capture an image of an interactive and fun activity with me included because I am usually all over my classroom (seriously, I bought a $500 iPad so I wouldn’t be confined to the front of my room). I love to get out of the front of the classroom or my desk and work with my students. Hearing the things that come out of their mouths sometimes makes me not so scared about the future.
Next I wanted to demonstrate the method of collaboration that I implement on a regular basis. I love to have my students work with one another. Hearing ideas bounce off of one student to then another excites me.
I liked the vintage oval because with the placement of the oval, it kind of greys me out and shines the spotlight on the students, which is my whole purpose for teaching. Next, I wanted to include the boarder because my entire classroom is black and white. I thought it was fitting. So this image mirrors both myself as a teacher and mirrors the set up of my classroom.
Roper Rules 