ConnectED Classroom

A ConnectED Classroom gives students the opportunity to think about what they are learning in relationship to their own lives, the lives of others, the community in which they live and the world of which they are a part. It allows them to make connections between what they are learning and the type of person they want to be in the world.

Goals of the ConnectED Classroom Teacher Training:

• To improve student learning and performance by creating a dynamic, engaging, positive and connected classroom climate;
• To improve student performance and foster student connection to school and the curriculum by developing specific strategies and skills that create a dynamic classroom by creating a reciprocal relationship between teacher, content and student; all three are equally integral pieces in the learning process.
• To improve teacher resiliency, effectiveness and retention by increasing teacher success and connection to the profession through development of teacher as coach; teacher as expert; teacher as person; teacher as consultant; teacher as manager; teacher as creator.
• To improve teacher practice through introduction to and development of the following skills: group facilitation, the closure process, understanding group dynamics, effective lesson planning, variety of resources and modes of delivery, story telling, classroom leadership, presentation, and improvisational skills.

What does a ConnectED Classroom look like?
The environment of a ConnectED Classroom incorporates the following elements on a continuous basis:

• Structured and purposeful play integrated into both the classroom routine and the curriculum; this results in a chaordic environment; an environment in which there is a strategic blend of both controlled chaos and defined structure as well as spontaneity and routine
• Meaningful content that is important to both the teacher and the student; this results in an environment where all participants understand the common and shared purpose of being in the classroom: learning.
• Exhibition and understanding of teacher as person; this results in an environment where the teacher is authentic, displaying a sense of vulnerability and humanity, thus fostering a greater connection between teacher and student.
• Orderly and attractive physical environment reflecting student participation and ownership; this results in an environment in which students know where they belong, where things belong, how the administrative elements of the classroom work and is reflective of their own work and accomplishments.
• Understanding of the student as a person; this results in an environment where the student feels like an important and valued contributor to overall class environment and achievement, both through academic contributions and the contribution of the self.

The ConnectED Classroom Believes:

• that structured and purposeful play is not only acceptable, but imperative in an engaging learning environment; play is not the antithesis of intellect, but is one of the key factors in developing it;
• that a classroom must assume the connectedness of all things and understand that students in the classroom do not operate in absolute isolation; every action has an equal or greater reaction, each person's individual presence has an impact on the whole, for better or worse;
• that an effective teacher knows and understands how to take care of self outside of school;
• that the effective teacher understands group dynamics and stages and is able to negotiate the group through those natural group experiences as well as facilitate structured group experiences;
• that students come to a classroom with prior knowledge and skill sets that must be acknowledged, accessed and built upon;
• that the role of the teacher is not only to manage students, but to lead them, as well; classroom management is accomplished through teacher leadership and creation of an engaging learning environment where student learners willingly choose not to compromise the teacher and the class' goals and agreements;
• that the effective teacher understands, practices and incorporates spontaneity into the daily workings of the classroom; improvising and being responsive to the class' needs in a tentative and flexible manner;
• that student performance is the ultimate measurement of teacher effectiveness.

If you are interested in having a ConnectED Classroom in-service at your school or if you would like more information please call the Boomerang Project office at 800-688-7578.