Rebekah Kreischer EDUC 302/303 Spring 2013

Rationale Have you ever really looked at a mosaic before? Making sure to take the time and notice the thousands of tiny pieces that come together to form that beautiful picture? Most people I know focus on the bigger picture and refuse to admire the individual pieces because they are not as important as the whole picture. I hold true to the belief that you cannot admire the big picture without first admiring the smaller pieces. Each one is unique and special bringing something different to the picture than its counterparts. The mosaic is a perfect example for my ideal classroom. If you take the time to admire the individual pieces you will be able to see how the pieces work together to create something even more beautiful despite the major differences between them. I believe that people are unique. No two people act the same, look the same, or even think the same. So, why are some teachers treating students this way? To avoid treating my students as cookie-cutter people I intend to learn as much as I can about them. I want to form a relationship with my students that will continually aid in a warm and welcoming classroom environment. I hope that creating such an environment will encourage my students to be themselves while they learn as best they can. I want my students to gain as much knowledge as possible. Knowledge is something that can only be gained through effort, focus, and participation. It is something that can be used in any part of everyday life and will never be non-useful. To achieve this goal I and my students must facilitate a good learning environment. Following the advice of Froyen and Iverson (1999)

Rebekah Kreischer EDUC 302/303 Spring 2013

the beginning of the year will be focused on developing rules and routines. Woolfolk (2010) tells us that without efficient rules and procedures, a great deal of time is wasted dealing with the same questions and issues over and over. (422) I want to make sure that my students have a part in creating the rules so that everyone is aware of the expectations of the classroom and school time. By allowing my students to help me create the rules I hope to instill a sense of importance and inclusion in the classroom function in my students. Similar to Graham (2003) I believe that school is more than success, failure, and standardized tests. It is a place to develop relationships and to try your hardest. With the help of my students I hope to create a classroom in which my students can see that I think this way and they will try as hard as possible to do well and learn a lot. Achieving all of these things will prove to be a challenge. However, I hope that my actions and the way I present the lessons will show more of my intentions and my personality. I plan to show my views of humans through my interactions with my students. My goal through interactions is for my students to be confident that I believe each and every student is special and can contribute something special and unique to our classroom. I want my students to rely themselves and on each other for help and support as much as they rely on me.

Woolfolk, A. (2010). Educational Psychology (11th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill. Froyen, L. A., & Iverson, A. M. (1999). Schoolwide And Classroom Management: The Reflective Educator-Leader (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall Inc. Graham, D. L. (2003). Teaching Redemptively: Bringing Grace and Truth into your Classroom. N.p.: Purposeful Design Publications.