Monday, April 25, 2011

Welcoming New Voices in the Classroom

Today a parent visited our classroom.  He shared his thoughts and experiences related to his career as a writer.  He keenly began his presentation by asking students questions about their writing attitudes, processes, and opinions.  As each child spoke, he affirmed their thoughts.  I enjoyed and learned from each provocative question, presentation detail and student response.

It's important for educators to welcome new voices into their classrooms.  Voices of parents, community members, and others impact students' lives and broaden their perspectives.  Those same voices also allow teachers the chance to sit back and listen to their students' thoughts, opinions and questions without the pressure to quickly respond, direct or facilitate.  This is just one more way to deepen your students' educational experience.