Not the "Average" Introduction

     What do you think of when you picture your first week of your new college semester?  When I envision the first week of my new classes, I automatically see syllabuses filled with important information, hear brief introductions delivered by my classmates, and I mentally prepare to jump right into the course material.  Unlike a lot of classes I have been in, Social Studies Methods was much different.  In the first couple of classes, my class and I were urged to be creative and unique.  Trust me, this was not the “average” introduction.

     Last Friday in class, my classmates and I shared out first projects we had finished in Social Studies Methods.  This project required us to break out of our comfort zones and venture into the wide world of technology.   In other classes, my introductions were brief, boring, and dry.  Most of the time I said my name, my major, and one thing that described me.  There is no way any one could have gotten to know my “true” personality through that one-minute discussion.  For this class, I was able to develop an engaging way to introduce myself to my classmates.   I created my introduction on the website, wordle.  My wordle was bright, fun, and full of detail.  My classmates were able to get to know me better because of my wordle.

     Not only were my classmates and I able to learn about each other, we got a sneak peek into the world of technology.  There is so much technology available to us and as teachers we need to take full advantage of that.  During this introduction program, I learned various websites to use in my classroom to promote learning for my students.  This introduction project was a great way to start the class because it required active listening, established a family of learners, and urged us to use our imaginations.  I look forward to the rest of my experiences, challenging and rewarding, in Social Studies Methods.

As teachers, we need to keep in mind that every single student in our classroom will be different.  Students will come from different backgrounds, cultures, and lifestyles.  Students will have different abilities cognitively, socially, and emotionally.  As teachers, we need to create a learning environmentwhere every student feels like they belong.  Our classrooms need to be engaging, fun, and creative.  We should embrace the unknown and learn from different experiences.  Our goal is to provide our students with the best education possible.