Page 11 - Norwood Spring 2019 Magazine

“You’re setting the tone and building trust so everyone feels safe to be

themselves, to connect with each other, and to take risks.”
- Terri Woodard, Third Grade Teacher

Maria Lostoski, who teaches music to Norwood’s youngest ‘That was a great presentation!’ or ‘Can we work together on
students, begins the year with a story and a symbol. Holding this?’ For the teacher, relationships sound like, ‘Tell me about
a paper heart, she tells a story of a student who experiences your family traditions’ or ‘Tell me the story of your name.’”
emotional setbacks and rejection. With each heartbreak, she
crumples an edge of the paper heart. She then tells another It’s not just about building a genuine connection between
version of the story, this time with the student receiving teacher and student; the student-to-student relationship is
positive feedback and kindness, which uncrumples the paper just as important. When children build personal relationships
heart. “The heart is full-sized again, but it is still banged up,” with each other, they get to know each other better. When they
Maria says. “I ask them why. They usually figure out that even realize they have a lot in common, children are less likely to be
though the good things happened, the bad things still hurt. I put hurtful and unkind. “In order to keep my class child-centered,
a red heart in the upper corner of each of my boards, and I point I try to incorporate as much about my students’ personal lives
to it whenever I sense an opportunity for the students to be as I can,” explains Aafia. “I also try to provide lots of reading
mindful of the story.” The heart represents an age-appropriate materials that reflect a variety of cultures. And I work to create
classroom agreement to be kind and respectful to one another as much space as possible for the children to do the talking and
for young children. the working—less of me.” The result is a classroom community
where children know and respect each other, creating a
safe space for everyone to contribute without fear of others’
Respect, Responsibility, reactions or comments.
Rigor & Relationships
GENUINE CONNECTIONS “When we have worked together to identify our hopes and
In her middle school English classes, Aafia Talib begins dreams, then students have ownership and motivation to work
the year with a discussion of hopes and dreams, another together to ensure that we will achieve these dreams by doing
Responsive Classroom technique. From there, she and our best in every way in class,” says Aafia.
her students work together to write a classroom code of
conduct, and then a classroom agreement that helps everyone
accomplish their hopes and dreams. “This year I focused on Being Heard
the four R’s: respect, responsibility, rigor, and relationships,” EVERYONE HAS A VOICE
Aafia shares. “I had students work together to identify what In every classroom, there are big voices and small voices—all
each of these looks like and sounds like for students and for ready, in their own way, to contribute something valuable to
the teacher. For example, for students, relationships look like a lesson or conversation. But how do teachers make sure that
working together with lots of dierent people and sounds like, every voice is heard and respected?

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