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Colette D, Valerie C, Matthew K, Danielle C. 

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While I agree that it's critical for schools to nurture their students, do you think it's impossible that individual teachers can make their classrooms comforting or inviting, even if the school environment lacks that sense of nurturing?

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I never thought about connecting multiple learning approaches with effective use of instruction time. I think that you're right. Students may be more productive in a time frame if they are offered a learning approach that they are comfortable with.

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I like how you thought about the importance of a middle school transition programming addressing the mental health needs of students, rather than just addressing the differences that exist between middle school and elementary school and adjusting to the new work load/school day structure.

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I would not have thought to connect health and wellness to the transitioning to middle school, and yet, particularly how you described this connection, it makes so much sense. Helping middle schoolers have a healthy and well transition period is crucial.

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Hi All! I think you provided a great thinking square! How can you make sure the transition to middle school is a year long process?

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I really think that your explanations and reasoning are very well organized in a nice sequential order.

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I thought is was interesting how you connected the transition to middle school with mental health. I think this is a crucial topic to overlook since the mental health status of a student can really affect their learning.

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I like how you connected school environment to active learning. I think having a safe and welcoming space is important for students when participating in activities. I also think you could have connected creating a conformable classroom here as well

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I appreciate that there is almost a sequence/order to your approach. It begins with transitioning and culminates gradually into varied assessment.  How might the two be combined in the middle school classroom?

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Hi All! I think it was

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I agree that transitioning to middle school should not only be focused on through bridge programs or orientations; it's critical that teachers are mindful of the difficult transition into middle school within the classroom, not just on the first day or first week, but during the entire first year of middle school.

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I agree that creating a comfortable environment is one of the most important aspects of any classroom and that the social and emotional needs of students need to be taken into account.

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I found it interesting that you put Creating a Comfortable Classroom toward the top of your list. My group thought of it as most important along with School Environment as creating a positive atmosphere is what allows the student to be comfortable learning.

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What are some specific examples of fostering care for all students that you would say come to mind?

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I really liked how you connected multiple learning approaches with having a challenging curriculum and an effective use of instruction time. It is so important for us to constantly reflect on our strategies that we use in order to reach all of our students with a curriculum that will push them.

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Connection 5 is crucial in classrooms because without creating an environment where students are not afraid to express themselves, the students will not learn as effectively as they would if a positive class environment was formed.

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I appreciated how comprehensive   your "School Environment" pentagon is. All others adjacent to it are major factors that contribute to the development of a positive learning space  especially involving family as this promotes academic motivation even outside of the classroom.

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I think its interesting that we put very similar pentagons for all steps!

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What are some examples of assessments you would use to assess problem based learning?

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I agree that prioritizing classroom management is vital. You cannot do anything unless the students are under control and they know the structure of your class.

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I agree that Creating a Comfortable Classroom is the most important and that Community & Business Partnerships aren't as necessary.

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I really liked how you referred to teachers as adult advocates, because that's exactly what we are! We must advocate for our students' needs, and the connections you have made really embody what our responsibilities are, and how our actions affect our students.

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I think it was very important that you included multiple learning approaches and active learning! These are two important factors in the middle school setting

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How would you foster a safe and supportive classroom environment?

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I find your connection to classroom management and creating a comfortable classroom setting interesting. I was thinking about them as going hand in hand because in my mind without proper classroom management the classroom environment cannot be made comfortable for all, but hearing your perspective was interesting too.

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What are some examples of multiple learning approaches, and how do they guarantee time management if there are more than one?

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I like what you wrote for connection #5. I think creating a comfortable classroom and school environment go hand in hand. I like how you said "all actions taken by school staff are based on school environment"

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Do you find that maybe making connections to the community can start small, for example, in the classroom, or even relative to it? I'm intrigued to hear more about the idea of access to that!

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I liked the way your group aligned the pentagons. I also enjoyed you mentioned about teachers modeling passion. This is really important to incorporate into the classroom. I feel that when the teacher seems excited and compassionate about teaching, the students enjoy learning more.

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Hi!

I really liked that your number 1 connection was Transition to Middle School and Mental Health. I personally had to look back to my groups padlet to check if we had even included mental health, which we explicitly had not. So my question would be how would you be sure to include aspects of mental health awareness in this transition? Overall, I really liked that your group connected varied assessments to PBL because these two concepts are great ways to broaden one's teaching style.

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I agree with you that creating a comfortable classroom environment is essential for student success. How can we make the classroom environment welcoming for students?

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I agree that curriculum should be challenging but not overbearing, as that usually leads to a lack of learning rather than an increase in learning. Connecting learning to the real world also creates a greater sense of academic purpose, which I fully support.

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I think that it is essential for teachers to successfully manage their classrooms throughout the year. Teachers need to be consistent throughout the school year.

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I found that a lot of the connections you made reflected conversations my group had during this activity as well. We also discussed the relationship between problem based learning and effective teaching and time management, as well as the connection between varied learning activities and multiple learning assessments.

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I agree that project based learning is a key aspect in allowing students to connect what they've learned in the classroom to the real world because it allows them to think outside of the box.

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I like the point you made on Classroom Management setting the basis of how a student's learning will go, and that can relate to Creating a Comfortable Classroom.

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My group similarly prioritized a comfortable classroom environment for the same reason. I think students are much more inclined to be engaged if they feel safe and welcomed.

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How might an afterschool program and the transition to middle school be intertwined? I would love to read more about the relationship and commonalities they share.

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I found how you actually arranged your pentagons to be very interesting. The visual made it easy to see your group's thought process of how the different factors all tied into creating a safe and welcoming school environment and the importance of this aspect of school.

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I like how you had Modeling Passion before Problem Based Learning. That transition allows students to focus on what their passionate about and then relate it to what they are learning through PBL

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I found your 5th connection to be really interesting. I've usually only thought of involving the family as a tool for SEL, but your connection to varied learning assignments makes a lot of sense!

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Do you think an increased sense of family involvement or community involvement affects student independence, or strengthens community support? No wrong answer.

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I am intrigued by the way the pentagons were aligned, very creative! I appreciate how you say that teachers must not only care about the content area, but they must advocate for student's well being, which is extremely important.

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I agree when you explained that teachers need to be responsive to the different learning styles of their students!

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I agree, as well, that classroom management is extremely important. During your group discussion, what other topics did you categorize with running a classroom? Did they include the importance of making the environment welcoming, or letting students know teacher expectations?

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I really like how you organized your pentagons and I really like how you included classroom management and creating a comfortable environment for students. How would you create a comfortable and safe environment for students?

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I think it was interesting that you put Adult Advocates on your list as I didn't think much of it. However, I like the point you made on having these older mentors as good influences on the students.

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I feel like the connection you made between family involvement and community and business involvement is a solid connection, and as you explained, it is one that makes sense given the involvement of non-student, non-teacher, non-administrator forces into the school environment.

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When discussing the lack of community that students have access to, wouldn't it be even more important that students feel a sense of belonging in their school environment?

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We also felt that family involvement and business partnerships are deeply connected to one another! I also find it interesting that problem-based learning and challenging curriculum are separated; it is important to see how they are both related as well as discrete.

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I really liked that you connected organizational structures to businesses as this collaboration generates many opportunities for students and the community. What ways would you say are now possible for students to connect with businesses in the virtual world?

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Your response that active learning should be included is very true. I wonder how we can incorporate this during remote learning and if it will be more difficult.

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Transitioning is absolutely one of the most important factors. If a student does not feel welcomed, they will not learn. I love your statement on being open to all kinds of learners.

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How would you ensure all students feel safe in the classroom?

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Like you said , not every school has the means to make community connections. How would you incorporate the community into your classroom if you did not have the means to go out into community with students?

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I like how you connected health and wellness to creating a comfortable classroom. Students should feel comfortable in all their classes which reduces their anxiety and uncertainty about the class

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I find it interesting That my group also had differentiated modes of instruction and assessment as our second top priority and safe environment as the top priority. Without a safe environment it would be very hard to teach effectively and without different assessment types it would be very hard to effectively teach each different student.

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I think that you make a great point when you say that we need to be aware of what our students are going through and know them in order to be an effective advocate

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I believe that creating a comfortable class environment and school environment go well together because this sets the mood and tone for the students for their school year.

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How would you promote family and community engagement within your classrooms?

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I agree that a Challenging Curriculum can be difficult for students, and I like how you said it is more important to create student-centered lessons, like using PBL.

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The balance your group has tried to find with creating a challenging curriculum, but one that students will still enjoy and not feel overwhelmed by, is a balance that more classrooms could seriously stand to learn from, very well done.

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I agree with your 4th connection, it should be one of the main priorities of teachers to accommodate all learners through varied assessments and multiple approaches to learning. Teaching is not a 'one size fits all.'

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#4 is such a thoughtful and interesting choice, one I hadn't necessarily thought about! Additionally I truly find that a challenging curriculum to multiple learning approaches given the adequate support is a wonderful way to differentiate and personalize all learning.

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I also feel that creating a comfortable classroom environment and school environment are the highest priority. When there is a comfortable environment, students will be more inclined to learn.

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I agree that classroom management is really important, but I wonder what category would modeling passion fall under in this classroom? I did really like that family involvement was included as in the interview responses I read, children really liked when their families showed concern or were involved in their learning.

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I agree that family involvement is crucial with transition to middle school so they can provide the appropriate support to their children from home to be ready to come into the middle school

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I like what you said about making the connection about classroom management. It is important to not only focus on the rules and regulations.

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I agree that creating a comforting classroom and school environment are extremely important. I noticed that you connected "family involvement" to this. How can schools get family members involved in the school community?

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How would you incorporate the transition to middle school into the classroom?

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I appreciate that you connected challenging curriculum to multiple teaching approaches. It is important to differentiate instruction for students who may not understand topics the first time they are explained.

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I found your reasoning for the importance of family involvement to be very interesting. I often think of family involvement being important because family can help a student understand by explaining topics in different ways or offering different perspectives. However your point that family involvement can help extend a student's education beyond the classroom and make connections with the world outside school is also very important.

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I think you make a good point on how active and problem based learning can be used in the classroom to create a challenging curriculum.

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I like how connection #5 includes family involvement. As you mentioned, the families of students are an important resource to their success. It is important to involve them when necessary to be able to better connect with students

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I think that you explained connection 5 very well, and I agree with you that it is probably the most important factor.

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I agree that adult advocate should be connected to health and wellness so they can inform students on how to address and handle certain situations.

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I think you make a good point on how problem based learning can be used in the classroom as another form of assessment.

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How can we most efficiently test out differentiated learning approaches with limited time?

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First off your pentagons are so cool! I really liked that number 5 was school environment as I felt that this involves a small portion of all of of the other pentagons. But, I wonder how you would address the advocacy of oneself as a student and how adults can advocate for them as sometimes the desired message is not shared accurately?

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I completely agree that different assessments and PBL is an important connection. What types of assessments could this encompass? Also, what other topics do you think connect with PBL, possibly interacting with community members?

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I like how you connected problem based learning to an effective use of instruction. The problem based learning approach is very important and gets the students have a hands on approach to certain topics.

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I like how you explained connection 3. PBL is so important because it pushes our students to think of tasks in different ways

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I agree with the placement of family involvement. I think that a lot of parents don't realize how important they are to their children's academic capacities, but if teachers really stress that, they might be more inclined to be actively engaged.

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I so love and appreciate what you said about a comfortable environment. I've said it so many times, but if a child isn't comfortable, they won't learn

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I completely agree with what you said in your explanation about communities. Not every school has a community that is willing to connect to the kids. It's unfortunate, like you said.

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I agree with what you said in your explanation about after school programing. Inside a classroom, is where the focus should be. As teachers, that's where we can insight the most change.

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I like how you said teachers should have passion. I agree with that wholeheartedly. Teachers need to be passionate in order to prove to their students that they care about them.

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I really like how you said that a school environment should be healthy and creative. I really think that is so true! It is so vital for students to thrive in a healthy environment. 

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I really like how you said that a school environment should be healthy and creative. I really think that is so true! It is so vital for students to thrive in a healthy environment. 