Tales Chap 3,4 and 6

When reading chapter 4, I thought it was very interesting when they talked about structuring a classroom. Structure is needed to create a good learning environment that allows students to know what to expect. It also provides them with the personal responsibility within the structure of the classroom. One thing that really stood out to me with all this was about the importance of teaching scheduling and spontaneity I feel like too often that teachers feel that a classroom needs to predictable at every moment because doing something off the wall is scare the students and throw them off. At the same time though, students sometimes learn better when they are thrown off of their normal routine. Doing the same thing day after day can become un interesting. Yet, when you throw a wrench into the mix of their day once in awhile, they are suddenly alert because there is an unknown factor occurring in their day. It peeks their interests and shows students that spontaneity can be a good thing in their lives. I will be the first to admit I enjoy routine and schedules and I need to learn to be more flexible in my classroom. After all, I cannot ask my students to do something that I am not first willing to do myself.