I am officially overwhelmed after reading chapter 3 and 4!! I know that all of the principles are important and I definitely want to implement them in my classroom, but now comes the hard part, trying to figure out exactly how I am going to do it. Differentiation is a teachers response to learner's needs. I liked how the book broke it down into 5 different teacher responses. The teacher responds with invitation, opportunity, investment, persistence, and reflection. All of these are important and I know when they are implemented they make each student feel like a validated important individual who has something to contribute. I think the hardest one for me will be persistence. I think I will expect a lot out of my students and have every faith that they can succeed. But when a student is having a hard time I worry about pushing them because I don't want to hurt their feelings or turn them off to the idea of learning. My challenge will be finding ways to persevere that will have a positive effect on my students rather than a negative one.

I really liked chapter 4 and the scenarios of classrooms it gave. It really did help me to see how these principles can play out in an actual classroom. Classroom environment is huge for me and I take comfort in knowing that classroom environment is something I can 100% control. I want my students to walk in and feel welcome and ready to learn. Morning meeting is something I plan on doing in my own classroom and I know that with doing morning meeting our classroom environment will be great and continue to improve throughout the school year. Communication in a classroom is also very important for me. It will be important for me to convey to my students that I am truly invested in not only their education, but them as individuals. I also think communication in a classroom is just a great way to build social skills among the students. Involve students in problem solving about issues in the classroom, teach students to applaud successes of their classmates, etc.

As I was reading both chapters one thing really stood out to me, and that is how important it is to establish routines. Students need routines and operate much better when they have one. If I have a set routine in my classroom I know my students will be more productive and have greater learning and so will I!! When students know where they are supposed to be and what they are supposed to be doing they can become responsible for themselves which makes it easier for me as the teacher to accomplish all the great things I have planned for my classroom.