How will you respond if or when my child struggles in class?

When I notice that a child is struggling in my class I will first set up a meeting with their other teachers to see if they struggling in their other classes. If they are then we will discuss what may be the root issue and develop a plan of action to proceed with helping the student. If the student is only struggling in my classroom, then I will set up a meeting with the student to discuss what is going on and develop a plan of action. This may be setting up further meetings with the counselor or developing a study plan with the student.

I advocate for student choice and freedom when it comes to developing solutions to presented problems and while creating models and presentations. Within the classroom students are driven to develop critical thinking skills and creativity through guided and open inquiry research projects. Students will think outside of the box to develop solutions to open ended questions and design lab experiements to test their hypotheses.

The majority of our assignments are based on open ended questions. Open ended questions don't have one answer so, students will have to research and critically think through the problem to develop a unique answer.

Reading with your child and providing them with a variety of books will motivate your child to read and develop a love for reading. If need help finding books for your child you can email me or call the school and I will send recommended books home with your child.

I will upload a five-minute check-in after every school day to our class website. There will be five quick questions that you can ask you child to check their understanding. I also suggest that you ask your child about their homework load and how they are feeling mentally. Students can get bogged down as the school year progresses and sometimes just asking how they're feelings can pick them back up.

Learning is personalized in my classroom with year long portfolios on each child that will follow them through their educational career in the district. We update and keep record of their formative and summative assessments. This allows for both the teachers and school to track each student's progress and learning.

As a teacher I feel that my role is both as a facilitator and guider of student learning. During direct instruction my role is to be the source of knowledge for the students and directly guide their understanding. During inquiry learning my role is to be a facilitator of student learning. I will guide the students through their inquiry, but it is on them to answer the proposed questions with student-led research.

Youtube will be your bestfriend! And the Internet... And if you still can't find the answers you are looking for you can always email me.

Getting involved with your child's school and activities will be huge for helping your child be successful in school. Volunteer in the classroom, know what they are learning in the classroom, and have open communication with their teachers. Having open communication with your child's teachers will ultimately set your child up for success, because teachers don't always know what's going on at home or in the family.

In my classroom we follow the Arkansas State Standards posted on the Arkansas Department of Education website. The standards are the basis for all of my lessons and assessments, and learning objectives. By understanding the state standards you will understand why I develop my lessons the way I do.