Creative Teaching From A-Z

Chapter 15

O is for Ownership in the Class

It is very important for students to feel they have an ownership in the class. The easiest way to do this is by simply referring to the class as “our” class and not “my” class. The classroom jobs talked about in chapter 10 are another great way for students to have ownership in the class. Most teachers have the classroom rules and consequences made out in advance of the first day of school. However, allowing students to make their own rules and consequences as a class at the beginning of the year is a better way to have them understand the governing process of the classroom.  Finally, I always had a decorated flowerpot in our classroom and slips of paper next to it where students could write down class concerns or ideas. It was called the “Growing Pot”. We would sit down in a circle once a month and read the ideas or concerns in the pot. We discussed them one at a time in a circle with each child having an opportunity to speak or pass. We could settle differences and problems in the class in an organized and safe setting. We could also discussed creative ideas that students came up with and I would implement their ideas in the classroom or in the curriculum. Discussing their ideas and concerns was a growing process for the students and the teacher. This is why we called it the growing pot.

Chapter 16

P is for Paragraph Writing

When it comes to writing from a writing prompt, I explain to my students that they need to differentiate between the “fluff” and the “stuff”. The “fluff” in writing prompt is all the background information added to a prompt to give extra information. The “fluff’ is not the main topic the prompt is asking you to write about. The “stuff” is the main points the prompt is asking you to include in the paragraph or essay. For example, look at the writing prompt on the following page.