We recently read this article for class. It is about the importance of knowing your students. In summary the article focuses on the ways in which students are diverse, and on ways teachers can address diversity in their classrooms. The article offered realistic advise on how teachers can meet the diverse needs of their students, and suggested that teachers should ensure they are educated on the different ways that people learn.
Overall I liked the article, it not only made suggestions on how classrooms should be run, but made suggestions on how to get there. I want to have a classroom in which the learning needs of all my students are met, this article made me feel like that is a realistic possibility. I would like to focus on how the students in my classroom learn, what skills they have that can help them learn, and what skills they need to acquire to continue their education. The ways in which students learn, is not the only kind of diversity in a classroom. The article does a good job addressing this. Students have different backgrounds, and the type of home lives they have can vary tremendously.
We are not always going to be able to be aware of what is happening to our students outside of school. It is important to remember that even if we know our students, there are going to be things we do not know. Some students are going to come to school depressed, abused, hungry, or scared, others are not. It is important to remember that these things are not always obvious, but the better we know our students the more likely we are to become aware of the challenges they face. I do not know my student yet, but I hope the students that come into my future classroom feel safe and accepted. I hope I am able to build an environment in which all my students are able to have their learning needs met.
