Blog 1 - What Did You Learn?

In this week's reading, I learned that the words that we choose to use and the comments that we make to our students play an important role on how students will react. I believe that, as educators, it is up to us to make sure that the words we use help encourage our students to learn and to pursue areas of content that they may not have otherwise felt comfortable with. For example, when reading chapters 1-3 in Choice Words by Peter Johnston, I learned that a simple comment, such as "What a talented young poet you are," can encouarage a student to take on that identity and possibly even pursue that identity further. Children are like sponges, they absorb everything that is presented to them, and that is why it is crucial that we make sure that their experience in our classroom is a positive one.