Week 8: Closure

The Kohn article for this week really opened my eyes. Although I had already decided that in my future classroom I would want my students to be a part in making the classroom rules, this article made it clear why this is so important. Not only is it important for students to feel like they are a part of the rule making, it also helps them to understand why certain things are acceptable and others are not. It helps them begin to develop a way of thinking that is not so black and white. Up until the point of reading this article, I thought involving the students was just a way of encouraging a student teacher relationship or getting the students to participate from the first day. I now see the bigger picture. Like the author said, "the process is the point". Helping the students to understand why certain things will help the classroom run smoother and helping them process why these expectations are important is opening a door to bigger discussions and a broader way of thinking for students.