Well folks, we’ve come to the last chapter in Classrooms That Work. This is a short chapter which talks about important things teachers should focus on outside of classroom instruction and set up. They speak of these as “things worth fighting for”, and indeed they are.
Integrating food programs for students is something spoken about (and something I, and every other teacher I know agree with) as being important to student success. Indeed, in the district I work for, most schools in low-income areas have a breakfast and/or lunch program in place, but many others are in need of this. Lots of students in more affluent areas often come to school without food and it’s something all schools need to address as proper nutrition is fundamental for student success as well as long-term health. Indeed, it’s not fair for teachers to have to purchase food for their students, we all want to ensure our kids are eating but everyone knows teachers aren’t rolling in cash either!
Additionally, I really recognized just how lucky I am to be teaching at the school I am with the people I do; many of the suggestions the book makes to better classrooms have already been integrated at my school.
Indeed, I do work in a specialized program so even in my district, we are one of the few with these benefits, but it is still nice to see that these things are being recognized as being beneficial for kids. For example, small class sizes are mentioned (this one is, of course, a no-brainer for anyone in or out of the education system, but requires a lot more government support).
Further, year-round schooling is discussed, and as someone who works at a year-round school, all I can say is IT IS THE BEST! We get a month off for sum mer instead of two, which is about all the time I really need. Then, we get extra time off throughout the year, which makes vacationing a lot easier (and a lot cheaper as we don’t need to go at peak times). Plus, the kids and staff have far fewer absences as they do not get run down as easily. Plus, kids do not as readily forget curriculum taught the previous year (three cheers for not having to spend the whole first month of school re-teaching math and language basics).
And with that, we’ve finished our last chapter of Classrooms That Work! If you’re interested in this book, here’s the link to it on Amazon. I haven’t decided what book I’ll read next, or if I’ll post about another one…. I’ll let you know!
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