BUILDING A SAFE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL LEARNERS

LEARNING IS MESSY. LEANING TAKES TIME.

My students can often hear me saying that in class! For some students, they can see a new topic and grasp it right away. For many, they need to practice, review, relearn, and practice some more until they feel they really understand it. As I learned in the Differentiated Instruction class at Azrieli with Dr. Salomon, each learner in the class is unique, and we can teach them all at their level and pace. To that end, I am working to make my classroom a safe space where students feel comfortable asking for help. I also am working to build my classroom procedures to reflect this idea and to alleviate pressure from students who need more time and practice to achieve the learning goals.

Here are two ways I am working to implement this in my classroom:

1. LUNCH MEETINGS

​If a student really needs extra help, she can sign up to meet with me during lunch. I can’t always give one-on-one time during class, but I can promise to give her my full attention during her time slot (click button below to view.) I have found these meetings to be very successful, especially for struggling students.

Here is feedback from one student, “Mrs. Rosenbloom helped me during lunch and everything clicked!” Even students who are at the top of the class sometimes choose to sign up if they want to double check their work, or review how to do an honors problem. I am working now to hold lunch meetings more often since they seem to be so successful.

I am also considering opening up “Peer Lunch Meeting,” where a student who feels confident in the material can offer alloted time to help a friend. Since I sometimes have other obligations during that sacrosanct lunch period, having additional peer support might be helpful.

2. FLEXIBLE GRADING POLICY

If a student does not achieve a mark she is satisfied with the first time she completes an assignment, I don’t want her to give up! Not everyone achieves their target grade the first time around. I have built a flexible grading policy where students can make corrections through the end of the grading period. I have very specific guidelines for how to do corrections (see link below) so that they are not done in a halfhazard way. This policy gives my students a little breathing room. If my goal is that my students learn the material, why should I punish them for not getting it right away? Instead, this policy lets my students feel secure that, if they are willing to work hard, they can achieve their target goal. I have seen a lot of success with this policy, and it lets me use homework as more of a formative assessment than a summative one.