the classroom. In our math class, students are expected to accept nothing as it is, question their reasoning and the reasoning of others, and learn through the process. This inquisitive spirit will help invest students and provide joy in the classroom. Costa, 2000, states the importance of curiosity, saying, We want our students to be curious; to commune with the world around them; to reflect on the changing formations of a cloud; feel charmed by the opening of a bud; sense the logical simplicity of mathematical order (p. 9-10). 2. Students keep a folder with all of their notes. Students practice and exhibit organization and responsibility by keeping up with all notes and making up any work missed. Students are held accountable for these notes through their weekly grade. 3. For our data wall, students illustrate their creativity and mastery of skills by creating their own summaries of learning. Students are asked to explain their knowledge to someone who has never seen it before and write down key concepts and terms. 1. Students have our MVP directions up on the board at the front of the room so they should never forget and can always be held accountable. Students use these directions when presenting or teaching concepts to the rest of the class. 2. Students were given a syllabus at the beginning of the year. This syllabus is posted on the wall in the classroom, and students have it in their folders right in the front so they are always aware of classroom procedures and expectations. This also encourages student ownership by holding them accountable to referring back to the syllabus for information. 1. Students are celebrated for their academic achievements and growth. They are shouted out in class and their work is placed on the shout out board! Students get really excited and invested in the class and in me as their teacher when their successes are celebrated 2. We have one-on-one conferences twice during each 9-weeks which helps build relationships and develop students metacognition. As Costa, 2000, says, Probably the major components of metacognition are developing a plan of action, maintaining that plan in mind over a period of time, then reflecting back on and evaluating the plan upon its completion (p. 5). During this time, each student completes a performance assessment where they assess their progress/performance and give me tips as their teacher regarding how I can help them. There is also a space for parent contact, and I ask how communicating with their parents will help in their success. Students feel like I am giving them personalized attention and care about their progress through this activity. 3. I work with each student at least once one-on-one during the week. I track this on my clipboard to make sure I am giving equal attention to all of my students. In this picture I am working with one of my students with an IEP. He has issues writing lots of information down and doing multiple tasks at once. So, we trade off typing in the calculator and recording. This one-on-one time helps me track student progress while also helping students know I am invested in their education. 1. Students participate in group gallery walk, station activities, or any other type of group work at least once a week. Students are given a rubric for performance, each student is assigned a specific task, and students are required to hold one another accountable. Costa, 2000, highlights the importance of collaboration and human connection, saying, We want our students to learn to devote their mental energies to another person and invest themselves in their partner's ideas (p. 3). 2. During the Black Lives Matter protests in Charlotte, we discussed ways for students to positively create change and express their feelings. Students drafted their ideas, discussed their thoughts with emotional intelligence, and engaged in a silent, peaceful protest outside of our school. 1. This is a copy of our Google form parent contact log. I have an additional log for my classroom. At the beginning of the school year I had my students fill out a notecard with information about their motivations and the people who inspire them most. At the end I had them provide me with their contact number. I reached out to all parents or mentors in order to collaborate and introduce myself. I continue to make parent contact when needed in my classroom. 2. This is a screenshot of a conversation I had with a parent. This is just a small example; this student had been struggling in class and was staying after for tutoring. The parent was kept informed of student progress, knew when his/her child was being tutored, and was updated when the childs work was completed.