Yasna Borne

Washington Elementary

Affection
I express my interest and affection for my students on a daily basis.  I try to always understand what they have to say and to find what is good or interesting in what they have said.  Also, I want them to feel that our classroom is their second home, so I care for them and show them a loving environment.  Finally, I believe students are individuals and each brings something special to the classroom, and that it is the teacher’s role to make sure that they provide affection, respect, and fairness to their students to make this second home a better place to live and learn.

Acknowledgement
I like to motivate my students by doing several things.  For example, I give frequent positive feedback that supports students’ beliefs that they can do well.
Second, I acknowledge my students when they are trying their best on their behavior or on their work.
I also have awards for academic achievement like sticker charts for homework completion and successful spelling tests. 
Finally, I have a “My Very Own Sticker Album” for behavior and academic achievement.  This is a personal reward for the hard work they are doing in class.

Achievement
I am very happy with the big steps that my students are making right now.  I have moved most of my students from not having any writing skills to writing good sentences or paragraph.  I am also helping them to read with a better fluency and understanding of what they are reading.  Although there is room for improvement in my class, the growth that my students have made so far makes me feel very happy as a teacher.