As a teacher in an ever changing society I feel it is my responsibility to prepare students for the world beyond school.  Students today need to take ownership of their actions. They need to learn to work together, learn to think for themselves and take the technology of today and use it to propel them to tomorrow.

          As a Social Studies teacher I am faced with the challenge of taking history and making it come alive to students today.  One way in which I get students to connect to history is by making students THINK about how the events of the past can be connected to the world today. For example, are the three basic needs of early man the same as they are today?   Or do innovations still play an important role in helping us to become more of an advanced society as it did for the Mesopotamians? By challenging students to make these connections they are more inclined to feel that problems and ways of life of the past are not much different than they are today.  

          Students are happy today to sit there and just take in facts, dates and names and then spit them back to you on a test or quiz. Not in my class.  I try to encourage the use of their minds to make connections, see the causes and effects, and understand why things happened as they did.  In order to do this students are forced to think outside the box.  This is where my challenge lies in teaching.  Sixth graders are use to being spoon fed, when they realize that that won't happen in my class they begin to worry.  I put their worries at ease by going through the steps that they must take in order to come up with the answers they are looking for.  Thinking critically is not an easy process but by the time June comes around my students have the tools they need to take their thinking to the next level.

           Critical thinking skills are not likely to develop on their own; the teacher plays a direct role in initiating and guiding critical thinking within the classroom environment.  Many experts agree on the prominent role of the classroom teacher in structuring a classroom that encourages critical thinking.  The following are a few ways that teachers, in general, can begin to foster critical thinking in their classrooms:

•           Create a classrooms were students are encouraged to ask questions, pursue wonderings, explore and collaborate. 
•            Demand that students elaborate, defend and extend their positions, opinions, and beliefs. 
•            Use questioning and discussion effectively.   This technique can bring out what students know and bring them to new insights.
•            Model the skills and dispositions of critical thinking.  Practice what you preach!!!
•            Showing respect for each student.
•             Being flexible.  As a teacher it is important to be flexible in your plans especailly when the topic turns to something that sparks a classwide interest.   This in turn may lead to more higher level thinking on the subject at hand.
•          Acknowledging every response.  Make sure that students know you respect what they have to say and that what they say and think does matter.
•         Allowing students to be active participants.  The only way to get the higher level thinking is to encourage students to be active in their learning.

          In my classroom there are many different ways in which I assess my students.  One way is the giving of tests and quizzes.  I make my tests and quizzes fair.  Students know that my tests are not just about memorizing facts and spitting them back to me.  There will be many questions in which they will have to apply the information that was learned.  For example, we learn about the Old and New Stone Age in class.  On a test, I will ask students to tell me the differences between the two.  By asking this type of questions students have to think about both periods of time and see what the main differences were between the two.  It is much more thought provoking than just asking them to list facts about both ages.  Besides tests and quizzes I also assign projects as a form of assessment.  One such project requires students to create their own countries based upon the five themes of geography.  This project incorporates critical thinking skills as well as the basic knowledge of the five themes.  By completing this project successfully I know truly if they understood the five themes of geography. 

          So why do we study history?  One of the most common questions I am asked as a history teacher.   I usually address this question within the first few weeks of school.  Again, this all goes back to thinking. I start by making students make a list of all the things that they can not live without.  When they are done, I ask them a simple question,
"How did all of those things become what they are?"  Students look at me and without really thinking start telling me about the HISTORY of how their favorite video game evolved or how their CD's use to be tapes or how before there were cars there were horse and buggies.  I tell my students that they have just answered their own question.  By telling me about how their favorite things came about they are telling me their history and I point out to them the same idea applies to learning about the past.  We are constantly making our world a better place based upon what those of us that came before us did or in some cases didn't do.   We learn to not make the same mistakes or we learn how to make what we have today better for tomorrow.  That is what I want my student to leave my class appreciating, the idea that we all came from something and that by looking back we can help to make our world a better place. 

          While learning Social Studies, I find it important to incorporate reading and writing skills into my curriculum.  Social Studies is after all lots of reading and taking notes.   I work closely with the reading teacher on my team to incorporate any skills that they may be learning in reading.  For example, if they are learning about characterization in reading, we may use that skill when we are talking about a famous face from history.  If they are learning about how to write a narrative in Language Arts, we then write a narrative about a day of hunting during the Stone Age.  Students know that they will be graded on both the historical accuracy of the paper as well as grammar, spelling and sentence structure.  This is a great way for students to realize that all subjects are connected.   It is also a great way to do interdisciplinary lessons.  For example, students read "The Egypt Game" in reading while learning about Egypt in class.  When we learn about the Greek gods in Social Studies students will read the myths in reading and then work on a project in both classes in which they act out the myths for the entire sixth grade class.  Also, students are taught outlining skills in Social Studies and then use that skill when they are learning in Language Arts how to write a research paper. 

          In helping my students to learn, I encourage the use of technology so students can use it to create, as well as, to gain further insight into certain subject areas.  With technology today nothing is out of reach.  Software programs and the Internet help to stir student's curiosity in a way a chalkboard and overhead projector cannot.

          Years ago TV's and VCR's were the new age of technology in education.  Being able to view places, actual clips of historical event and reenactments of events gave great visuals to students.  Today, students have something even greater, the Internet.  If used wisely, the Internet is a great tool to utilize in the classroom.  In my Social Studies classes we use the Internet as a tool for research, visual aides and up to date information.  For example, when we learn about the mummification process in Ancient Egypt we explore a site where they walk you through the whole process and give you visuals of what is taking place.  During that lesson, you can hear a pin drop in my classroom.  The students love being able to see things like that come alive.  We also take virtual tours inside Pyramids, to the ancient cites of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa, the Roman Coliseum and the Roman Forum.

          Using the Internet can also work on building up students critical thinking skills.  I teach students that not all information on the Internet is accurate.  Students must learn how to decide what is true and what may be is false or someone's opinion.  They must lean to compare and contrast information to see what is factual.  Students learn from this that there are many historical perspectives in history.  Not all are wrong but when doing research they must learn to base their information on solid evidence with no bias.

          Technology also serves as a huge motivator for students.   As soon as the students see the lap top cart in my room or I announce we are going to the lab, their interest rate goes up.  Students perceive computers as fun and do not even realize how much they are learning when they are sitting in front of the computer.  Technology makes learning fun, even for those students who are not that interested in the topic we are learning.  I find it amazing how technology can make all the difference in how students perceive my class.

         The use of technology is also a big factor in how projects are done.  When I offer project options, I always offer one technology based and one hands on.  Both projects are equally challenging and educational but they serve two different types of learners.   Prior to giving options I saw some students struggling with projects.  One such project is the creation of their own mummy case.  This is a difficult project for students who are not artistic or lack the patience to do things neatly and correctly.   I decided to create a second project which incorporates technology and Egyptian culture.  Students create a power point presentation with visuals, sound effects and information on different aspects of Egyptian culture.  This project has become equally popular and a lot of parents have said that their child was happy to have the option.  This is also a great example of differentiation in my classroom.

          Differentiation is another important characteristic of my teaching philosophy.  It allows for me to reach all the different levels of students in my classroom.  I can prepare different projects, as stated above, or even differentiate in my day to day lessons.  It is important that ALL students¡Ù needs are met in my classroom as much as possible.  There is a tendency to always worry about following IEP's for the special education students but I think it is just as important that as teachers we are challenging students of all abilities: high, medium and low.   One way I do this is when I split the classroom up into cooperative groups.  I choose the groups and I give them each a role in the group that I know will meet their ability level and at the same time make it fair so students don't think they are getting more work that another student.  Another way I differentiate is in doing activities that appeal to all the different types of intelligence in my classroom: visual, logical/mathematical, musical, bodily/kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist.  It is not always possible to do this everyday but I try when I plan my lessons to keep these different types of intelligences in back of my mind.  Social Studies is a great subject to differentiate because there are so many different aspects of this subject that can appeal to all learners.

          In trying to prepare students for the world beyond school, it is important to teach students responsibility and cooperative skills.  Cooperative learning methods help students learn to share ideas and though processes, develop an awareness and appreciation of different perspectives and how to work together positively with other students.  These skills will help to foster a better understanding of others, thereby creating the best prospect for a better society.

          In my classroom students are taught respect above all else.  Respect for their peers, teachers, myself and most of all themselves.  Part of becoming a productive member of society is learning to look at others and respect who they are and understand that all people are different and that that is ok.  This valuable lesson is taught early on through role playing and incorporated into the curriculum when connections can be made.  For example, learning respect and cooperation during the Stone Age.  If early man did not respect one another, survival would have been impossible.

           Any form of disrespect is dealt with in as positive of a manner as possible.   I first talk to the student about the reason why they chose to act in such a way.   Many times students will say they did not mean to but I always counter that by saying they did though and then ask them, "How would you feel?"  After that discussion I tell them that they must write an apology note to the person they were disrespectful to as well as to me, stating in the letter that they were sorry and would not do it again.  These letters also need to be signed by their parents.  This policy usually does work and rarely do I have to go to step two which is to refer that student to the principal.  What I hope to teach the students is that they must be mindful of what they say because even when they don¡Ùt mean it, not everyone always understands that.

          One aspect of respect that I pride myself on is the relationship between my students and me.  I begin the school year by establishing the classroom rules and expectations.  I call my rules "The 5 B's": Be Prepared, Be honest, Be responsible, Be On Time and Be Respectful.  I also hand out a list of classroom requirements which outlines for them what they must do in order to be successful in my class.  By letting the stuents know what I expect of them they know what they can do to earn my respect and know what will and will not be tolerated.  Also, by setting the tone I feel I can be myself early on in the school year, no waiting till November to smile! As a result of this, I have a very good rapport with my students.  My students feel comfortable and safe in my classroom.  There are no surprises and the students know that they will be respected in turn as well.   Walking into my classroom anyone at any give time would see learning, fun, and most of all respect.
       As a teacher in the twenty first century it is important that we prepare our children for the world beyond school.   The role of critical thinking, technology and cooperative skills are all vital in helping to produce well-rounded students that will enter the world as capable citizens and ready to take on the challenges of the real world.