Displaying items by tag: overall aim

Introduction to This Blog Series

Establishing a sense of purpose is one of the most important responsibilities teachers face at the beginning of each new school year. Over the next several weeks I will share a variety of ideas that I have used to help students better understand why it is important to come to school every day, work hard, and learn as much as possible.

Choosing a Classroom Aim (Part 3 of the Series)

After learning of the pioneering work done by the Enterprise School District in Redding, California at the beginning of my career, I decided to adopt a classroom aim for the 1997-1998 school year.  Rather than adopt Enterprise’s aim of “Maintain learning while increasing enthusiasm” verbatim, I chose to modify it.

Introduction to This Blog Series

Establishing a sense of purpose is one of the most important responsibilities teachers face at the beginning of each new school year. Over the next several weeks I will share a variety of ideas that I have used to help students better understand why it is important to come to school every day, work hard, and learn as much as possible.

 

The Overall Aim (Part 2 of the Series)

The process of establishing purpose begins on a general level with the introduction of the classroom aim.  The aim is the overall objective you and your students work to accomplish.  The first brick in the foundation of a quality classroom, the aim begins to answer the question, “Why are we here?”  Once introduced, the aim pervades every aspect of class functioning, driving decisions and determining goals.