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Reflection : A Negative Experience In The English Class

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When I began this class and the accompanying readings, the school year had not yet begun and I was hoping to discovers ways to engage my students and help them motivate themselves. I had had a negative experience with my seniors last year (2016-17). Many failed English or dropped out, and I had a handful of students who were disrespectful and generally rude, bringing down the classroom culture as a whole. I wanted to make sure that this year, students would have a valuable experience in their last English class of high school and that they would find fulfilment in the curriculum and the classroom community I was hoping to build. While the year is not over, the methods and lessons I learned and developed through taking this course have greatly impacted a positive learning environment. I do not know if it is what I did or if it is merely the nature of my students this year, but I am having a wonderful year with these individuals. They are kind, respectful, motivated (for the most part!) and just plain delightful to be with. Mission accomplished!
Most valuable to my building of a respectful community were the lessons that I developed based on the first part of Ferlazzo’s book, Helping Students Motivate Themselves. I am glad that I began this class before my year started, as “setting the stage” was the crucial take-away from my reading and I modelled the first two weeks of my teaching on Ferlazzo’s ideas. I began with many of the suggested reading materials, including

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