A Different Classroom- by K.McCutcheon

 March 19, 2022      Do you ever feel like you have a voice? Have you ever wanted to say something, but didn't? At what point, do we finally decide to speak?      This is the reason I started this blog. I noticed there are days that I have something to say. In many cases, I will call my mom, say it, and move on. Sometimes, I'll go talk to a fellow colleague. This usually leads to discussion or reflection. More than often, my thoughts float around in my head.      I'm a writer. I always have been, even that time in 7th grade when my teacher made my paper more red than white. I'm good at getting my thoughts down on paper better than I am at talking. Talking gets me in trouble. Can any one else relate?      I often wonder, how does this flow over into our classrooms. Who do our students talk to? What thoughts are floating in their heads? How can I get those thoughts out and give them time to speak in the classroom? I want the...

 .  March 12, 2022     What is your classroom theme? Do you have a classroom theme? It's funny how we dream about what our classroom will look like. Then, we are given that blank slate. Every now and then, we have regulations to follow from administration, district, or fire codes. For the most part, the space is yours!      New question: what is your classroom personality? I love thinking about the classroom personality. It changes from year to year. It connects everything within the classroom. The classroom personality bonds the students, the teacher, the teaching, the interactions, the connections, the conversations, the thoughts, the behavior, and even the writing. It's like magic. It's what makes students want to come to school everyday.      The classroom personality is what's created when you set up your room and invite students into it. After visiting RCA, I wanted to create an atmosphere in my room. I wanted to set the scene...

March 12, 2022      This is one of my favorite topics and one I think many fail to think about. Do you ever have those moments where students come up to you to tell you everything? When I say everything, I mean EVERYTHING! They want to tell you what happened at home. They want to tell you how they feel, what they want, and even random thoughts that cross their minds. This is the best one, they even want to tell you what everyone else is doing in the classroom. We typically call these the "tattle tells."      I do not believe in "tattle tells." In my classroom, I believe we are ALL teachers. I believe there are moments when everyone has an  opportunity to teach someone. This can be teaching them how to read or write numbers. It can also be teaching them how to do the RIGHT thing. Instead of running to the teacher to tell on a friend, I encourage my students to help their friend. If they see something is wrong, then they should be the friend to step up a...