Open Classroom - 15 Minutes of Fame

Thank you Dollykgray for hosting a such thought-provoking challenge.  I eventually came to the conclusion that the closest I came to shining in any field was that I lived to be the best primary school teacher I could possibly be.  

When I returned to teaching after raising my boys I studied for five years, achieving a Bachelor of Education in special needs and a Masters in teaching gifted kids.  I figured I had every possibility covered.  I loved teaching. I’d spend weekend after weekend preparing work that the kids would enjoy.  I empowered them to set goals, to reflect on their progress and assess that progress against set criteria.  I always wanted them to understand why they were learning; to put the curriculum in a real-world context. I believe my classroom was always vibrant, industrious and a great place to be, where quality learning happened on a daily basis. 

About fame. At the end of each term classrooms were open for visitors.  Proud parents and grandparents filled the class, eager to see what their youngsters were learning.  It was overwhelming hearing the positive feedback from grateful parents.  Appreciation beats fame any day.  

I took this photograph in 2009.  I threw the extras in to show the kids’ involvement.  When I taught a unit on the components of production the kids worked through the process of how to set up a business.  The end result was to sell school lunches and donate the proceeds to charity.  Never underestimate the capability of a child.  It was a huge, profitable success.  Another project was to build a weatherproof shelter using natural materials.  We also had a PJ day.

All these images were taken with a point and shoot camera on auto.