I, Joy Kirr, am a middle school teacher, author, and speaker. My 7th grade ELA (English Language Arts) classes are working to improve their lives through student-directed learning - without marks throughout the year. This is a log of my learning experiences... Want to have me speak with your staff or facilitate a workshop? Here is my PORTFOLIO.

Thursday, July 23, 2015

In one sentence...

My husband is retired, so he lives vicariously through my school work, I believe... ;)

He asked me this earlier this week -
In one sentence, how would you sum up all this stuff you've been studying? Methods, Genius Hour, Teaching in General... What's the secret? What would make it perfect? What's the ultimate goal?
In one sentence?

Let's see... finding ways for peers and me to give LOTS of feedback so that one class of my students may grade themselves each quarter, and figuring out what ELSE (besides Genius Hour and what I'm already doing) I can do to help students learn how to learn on their own. That's really it, in a nutshell. It's a TON of work, but it's coming along slowly. He still wants ONE sentence...


I want my students and I to execute class in a way that helps them learn 7th grade ELA standards with and from each other, while simultaneously learning how to be caring human beings who communicate effectively so they become lifelong learners.

Leave in the comments or create your own blog post -
What's your ultimate goal for all the time you spend learning this summer?

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2 comments:

  1. Heidi JonesJuly 24, 2015 at 9:55 AM

    One sentence? You're killing me! However, I will do my best. BTW...I love this challenge!
    I want our classroom to be a place of love and family.
    I want Ss in our room to explore, research, and share their passions with others.
    I want Ss in our room to read, write, and take risks.
    I want Ss in our room to always remember the 4 C's: Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, and Creativity.
    I want Ss in our room to love learning!

    There. I knew I wouldn't be able to do one sentence. Sorry!
    The beginning of the school year is one of my favorites! It's a time to lay the foundation for all of these things to happen. I have a new mantra this year that it is "Our Classroom" not my classroom.
    Thank you Joy, for challenging me to think about this as a new school year is on the horizon! So exciting!
    Here's to an awesome year and our paths crossing again! Love you!

    ~ Heidi

    P.S. I also want our classroom to be fun and full of humor! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownJuly 30, 2015 at 7:08 AM

    With Genius Hour: It was to create their project using Tech.

    ReplyDelete

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