Visionary

Without a vision~ the people perish.
--proverb

I recall several years ago~ I asked renowned fifth-grade teacher~ Rafe Esquith~ for the secrets of success. He listed three actions that he took that made a big impact on his classroom.

One of those steps~ I remember him saying~ was developing a vision for what he wanted his students to become. Interestingly enough~ he said he looked at his most successful~ well-rounded students-those who excelled at academics~ sports~ musical instruments~ moral conduct- over the years and used them as models. Then~ he built his classroom around that image.

Brillant~ I thought. I never even considered taking that approach.

Too often~ as educators~ we are overwhelmed with testing pressures~ parent concerns~ misbehaving students and other demands~ to step back and develop a vision for our classroom. However~ it could be one of the most intelligent choices you could make.

Several years ago~ when I inherited 20 very gifted~ very energetic fifth-graders~ with the task of instructing them the entire day~ I wrote down a vision of what my class could become. In addition to test scores~ I wrote down how I wanted the students to behave and interact~ what life lessons I wanted them to leave my room with~ what skills I wanted them to master~ and what character traits I wanted them to strengthen.

While I never reached all those goals~ the vision kept me on track and helped pull me through the tough times~ when teaching just seemed like a questionable choice. As a teacher in charge of the gifted program at the school where I now work~ I have also written down a vision of what the program can be. Like a company developing a mission statement~ this document provides me with energy~ purpose and drive. It also allows me to determine if I am making progress each day~ not based on what others might observe~ but rather based on whether I am producing measurable results.

For those interested in gaining clarity~ Id like to list some of the items that you may want to include in your vision.

CODE OF CONDUCT
Consider how you want your students to behave. Write down what character traits you would like them to develop before the end of the school year. What do you want to help them become in the futureleaders~ creators~ producers~ givers?

SKILLS
What skills do you want your students to master- in addition~ to those outlined by the curriculum? Do you want them to master debating and public speaking? Money management and business skills? Interviewing skills? Fund-raising? Think outside the box when considering what abilities might help make your students more successful.

PARENT/ COMMUNITY SUPPORT

Your vision might include parental participation. Do you want a team of parents that help you organize events? Would you like a business to sponsor a class project? Gaining outside support can be crucial to a successful classroom.

ACADEMIC RIGOR
What test scores do you expect from your class? What level of proficiency should they attain in particular subjects? What kind of projects will they complete? How many novels will they read by the end of the year?

ENRICHING EXPERIENCES
Also think about what experiences will make your classroom special. What field trips will students attend? Who will serve as a guest speaker? What kind of parties and afterschool events will be held? What can you do to ensure your students never forget the time they spent in your room?

While they are many more topics you could address~ developing a vision can be a very rewarding~ productive step. Ideally~ you want to create a vision before the school year begins~ but its never too late to begin building a new standard for your classroom! To comment on this topic~ please visit the Gifted/Enrichment Group at http://community.educationworld.comcontent/visionary-0?gid=NTEyMQ==