Classroom Visions

Thinking about what your goals are is a great idea that is often overlooked. We usually dive straight in and then find ourselves drowning in a world that we haven't been in for a decade. Middle school is a crazy time for students with all of the hormone filled rooms. It is a teacher's job to direct their attention to the material they need to learn. My goal is to inspire children by teaching them that they can do math. I want to give them the self confidence that tells them they can succeed.
I want my classroom to be a place that children are excited to enter. I prefer chalkboards, although I can deal with a whiteboard if that is whats offered. Chalkboards offer not only the satisfying smell of chalk-dust instead of toxic marker smell, but they also make fun squeaky noises while you write. I plan to have a large stash of chalk in all sorts of colors so I can organize the notes that I write on the board by color coating them. The colors are also so that I can write problems on the board in one color, and students can come up in small groups or individually to solve them in a different color. The small details count to me :)
The desks will be facing forward most days so when I'm chatting students don't have to crane their neck to see what I write up on the board. When we do group work, we may shuffle the desks into groups. It will hopefully be faster to have the students each turn their desks than having me move through the classroom in between classes trying to straighten all the rows. Group work was never my favorite or strong suit as a student, but after participating in it in a math setting I realize that it can be quite beneficial. Students can teach each other, and even the "smartest" student may be taught a thing or two by the "slower" student in their group.
Grades will be posted by the door for all students, with their I.D. numbers instead of their names. This allows them to compete without feeling put down by their peers if they aren't at the top of the class. Also cool math things like a fun clock with equations and pi will be posted around the room, along with student work as each year progresses. Projects will be based on real world ideas and they are going to be student driven. I will approve them, but with the only criteria being that they come up with a tangible finished project that will show a mathematical concept. The students can then keep their projects or choose to display them in the classroom
My classroom will not be just my classroom, it will be a place that caters to all the students who decide to poke their head inside. It will be open before, after, and during school hours. There will be a study corner with couches and coffee for those who choose to spend their free time doing homework, or just taking a lunch break with friends. I hope students will feel free to come to me with their dilemmas so that I can offer some post-hormonal knowledge. Overall, I hope that my students will learn lots about math, but the life skills and friendships they develop while under my care are the most important things that school can teach. Students will create, and not only learn math, but understand and enjoy it.