Mrs. Hausrath’s classroom is managed with heavy doses of humor, high expectations, and room for students to exercise ever increasing levels of independence. Students here are definitely learning to balance freedom and choice with responsibility.
Today, when I enter, Mrs. Hausrath is just completing her instruction and preparing to send students off to work. Many of them move around the room, finding alternate writing spots, away from their typical seating assignments. Students manage their folders and notebooks with efficiency and writing begins across the room.
Two girls settle in to the kidney table at the back of the room, and start to visit quietly about their work. After a few minute, Mrs. Hausrath slides into a chair next to one of them and initiates a conference about her piece.
Mrs. Hausrath has suggested that students who have finished their final personal narrative draft can find up to two other people in the room to share their work with. Several of the kids are up and moving about, anxiously looking for partners to exchange narratives with. A few students have already exchanged, and I am struck by the seriousness they appear to give this work of taking in classmates’ writing.
As I am stepping back to take it all in, a student approaches me eagerly, “Mrs. Yates, guess what we get to do next?”
“I don’t know. What is it?”
“Research! We get to write research papers next!”
I laugh out loud. I think these kids are “hooked”!
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