Value's In the Classroom

Values are everywhere in life, society, and the classroom. Value is important to have in the classroom because it helps determine the hierarchy of importance. It helps teachers establish rules and boundaries for students. Teachers can purposely create these values by enforcing them, or they can do it by accident. Either way values can be a very tricky thing in the classroom depending upon what is decided to be or treated like the most important thing.

My teacher in my service learning placement does an amazing job of teaching and enforcing values. The students always come first. She makes sure that they know that their physical, mental, and emotional help are the most important aspect of her classroom. At the beginning of almost every day, unless something out of the ordinary occurs, she has the whole classroom sit on the rug. They sit on the rug and one by one pass around a stuffed globe and get to talk about how they are feeling this morning. The students can also tell her if they would like a minute out in the hall after the group meeting so they can talk more and she can give them a hug. All of her students know how much she adores them and that she is there for them if they need anything.  

My teacher has also done an amazing job of creating a loving and respectful learning community. The students do not have arguments and they do not make fun of eachother. And in the one instance where there was a scuffle between two girls, the teacher immediately pulled them out into the hall way and monitored them while they talked it out. It took all of five minutes and stopped what could have been a huge distraction for the entire class had the fight gone any further. Pulling them out and listening to both students also showed them that she respects them and values their side of the story. Due to this amazing learning community, all of the students genuinely feel comfortable sharing their feelings in the morning meeting. They feel safe, listened too, and respected. 

My teacher also values the curriculum of course, but never at the expense of her children. She knows what topics she needs to cover but purposely makes them appeal to her students. Every single kid in the classroom speaks Spanish at home so my teacher makes sure that their reading books have characters that represent them. Every book they have read has a character or a family that represents a different culture. This shows them, that even in the curriculum they are important and valued. 

My teacher calls her classroom the “kindness committee”. I think that this is just another example of the values she has created in her classroom. I love going there because the power is balanced throughout the classroom. The students know that their teacher is in charge but they also know that they will be listened to and their opinions will be heard. The values in this classroom are strong and structured so well.