This We Believe

Pg. 1-27
This book has been a really good reference book when it comes down to what we should be doing for young adolescents in school. The fact that students are growing both physically and mentally during this period of their lives presents areas of teaching that should be exploited. One of the major ideas of the book was the fact that students are getting to the point where they want to start being involved in the learning process. Students want to make decisions about what they are learning and how they learn it. Keep the curriculum difficult yet relevant to the students lives. This will help to keep focus and concentration on the tasks at hand.

Pg. 27-33
This section of the book included a lot of material, ranging from the leadership of teachers to what makes a school run. Every teacher is a leader in their own way, whether they are being recognized or not. Every teacher is leading students through the murky waters of learning. The book does a good job talking about the need for teachers and principles to work for the students, but the students should also have a say in how the school operates. The school is there for them, so they should have a share in the responsibility. I also liked how the book talked about how teachers should be advocates for the students. This is important, because sometimes we're the only ones who can.

Pg. 33-42
This section had a few really good ideas. Advisers can be really important in students lives because it allows students to bond with someone who knows the child and can guide them through the turbulent waters of middle school life. I wish that I had someone who would have mentored me when I was in middle school, I probably would be a completely different person than who I am today. Bringing the community and business partners into the school can be important for students to see that what they are learning is important in the world they live. Some students write certain subjects off because they don't think they really apply to their life. By bringing in people from the community, you are showing that there are people out there who care about those students lives and that every subject is important to the world as a whole.

Pg. 43-63
This section consisted of two parts. The first part talked about the research that guided This We Believe. It covered Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, Leadership and Organization, and Culture and Community. I thought the authors did a good job of explaining that every one of these ideas intertwined and that we need all of them to work together if we're going to help students. The second thing I liked about this section was the idea of reaching out to the students and motivating them to enjoy the subject and get excited. The second part of this section about the physical development, cognitive-intellectual, moral development, psychological, and social-emotional development. I want to make sure that I keep this book on my shelf and bring it out as much as I can to improve schools that I work in and the ones that I can influence, because this document gives a lot of really good information for teachers who are just starting out and veteran teachers who've been teaching for years.