May 30, 2014

It is hard to pick just one thing that I have learned from reading Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire. If I had to pick one specific thing I would have to say that as a teacher you need to be adaptive. We discussed this in class when we were talking about Rafe and exemplary teachers. You never know what is going to happen in your classroom, and therefore need to be able to adapt and change any situation into a learning experience.

Rafe uses many methods in his classroom that I would like to incorporate in my classroom. One method I will use is removing the fear in my classroom. It is important to have a relationship and classroom based on trust not fear. Another method that Rafe uses in his classroom that I will also use is incorporating a lot of literature in class. I love reading and I want all of my students to love it as well. If my students are even half as passionate as his are about literature I will be thrilled. The last method I will definitely incorporate in my classroom that Rafe uses is teaching students how to make their own answers for standardized tests. Rafe gives his students a problem and asks them for the correct answer and the three wrong answers that will probably be on the test. This is so helpful because it causes students to slow down and look at the problem to make sure they aren't making any silly mistakes. It also eases the students nerves because they feel like they know all of the test-makers tricks and they can't be fooled. This will make standardized testing go smoothly.

I have learned so many important lessons about teaching from reading this book!