In our classroom, we follow the RISE values - Respect, Inclusivity, Safety, and Empathy. We treat ourselves and others with kindness and understanding.
We focus on our Classroom Golden Rule:
If what you are doing interferes with learning, hurts someone’s heart, or prevents you from being your best self, you need to make a better choice.
In our classroom, challenge-seeking, learning, and effort are valued above perfect performance. The amount of progress you make individually is more important than how you compare to others. Mistakes are to be expected and we can all learn from them. When you try something new or challenging, your brain is forming new connections and making you smarter. Instead of feeling upset when you struggle, know that you are “feeling” those connections growing.
Our classroom believes in the Power of YET! A very important goal we will set in our classroom at the beginning of the year is to develop a growth mindset. When something seems challenging, often times we hear students quickly say that they "can't do it". This year, we will support our students to overcome their challenges, to learn that with determination we can achieve anything, and to use more positive language, such as "I can't...YET". Students will learn strategies and build a toolbox to pull from when they encounter a problem or something challenging.
When someone has a growth mindset, they believe that they are constantly in progress. It is the intrinsic thought within that tells you that you are not quite done yet and that you are forever growing, changing, and making progress. This is how we want our students to approach tasks that are challenging, frustrating, or difficult. On the contrary, when someone has a fixed mindset they believe that their abilities, thoughts, and skills are “fixed” and that they can't change. It is the belief that there is little you can do to improve upon the skills you already have.
Our goal is that our students will know that they are always learning and growing. We want our students to feel that no matter what, they can take on each challenge. Our hope is that the young learners in our classroom will be fearless, confident, joy-filled, life-long learners.
