Enter the Greenwood Elementary Second Grade classroom of Mrs. South and enter a classroom of possibilities.  There you will see her students learning through drama, student created products and technology projects.  Mrs. South believes learning is a process, and that students learn best from experiencing real-life situations integrated with content areas.  As Chairman of the Coalition of Essential Schools Portfolio Committee, member of the school Technology Team, and Co-chair of Positive Behavior Interventions and Strategies (PBIS) team, she is very active in the school community and pleased that her school was nationally recognized as a 2005 PBIS Exemplary School.

How has the way you teach changed over the course of your career? What lessons have you learned?

The way I teach has changed in many ways.  When I first began teaching, what I taught and how I taught was teacher driven and product centered.  As I have gained more experience, confidence, and insight I have loosened my hands on the reins and given students more responsibility for their learning.  I work hard to create a learning environment which offers children choices.  They may choose what they will write about or what a product will be for a unit we are working on.  My classroom has become process centered.  True learning happens over time and through the process of completing relevant and thought provoking tasks.

What advice would you give to a teacher who's starting their first year and feels overwhelmed? 

Look around you.  Each of the teachers around you has felt what you are feeling.  Find a colleague to be your buddy, someone who listens, laughs, and shares your passion for teaching.  Begin by organizing instructional materials.  Plan routines and procedures to be taught at the beginning of the year, to be reviewed throughout the year, and to be modified as needed.  Create a schedule for yourself in and outside of school.  Establish set times for planning instruction, grading papers, and reflection.  Set aside time to pursue personal interest.  Get organized and stay organized.  This will free you up to deal with the unexpected events and demands that are sure to occur, and to enjoy being a teacher.

What role does technology play in your teaching? What are its strengths and weaknesses?

Technology plays a huge role in my teaching.  My second grade students use the internet to find information or to create multimedia presentations that communicate what they have learned.  Using technology as a tool creates a learning environment which develops higher order thinking skills.  Instantly students experience the world on a global level.  The array of multimedia equipment and software available ensures differentiation of instruction, supporting the needs of diverse learners, and provides all students with a variety of learning experiences. 

However, effective integration of technology into existing classroom curriculums requires a shift away from the teacher centered approach of instruction.  Cooperative, discovery and inquiry learning activities must replace traditional educational strategies.  The focus must move from the product of learning to the process of learning.  

How do you involve the community in your classroom?

Involving the community in my classroom has many benefits for my students.  When members of the community enter my classroom they bring their experiences and perspectives of our world.  They bring their culture, their occupations, and their knowledge.  Some days members of the community share with us.  Other days we invite the community to enjoy a presentation or exhibition we have created. 

I want the community my students and I have worked so hard to build to extend beyond the walls of my classroom, so some days we go out into the community and visit businesses to learn about the differences between goods and services, or the roles of members of local government officials.  Equally important to recognizing the services and contributions a community provides my students is the realization that they are responsible for being contributing members of the community.