Week 1 As the Host

To view my slide show presentation click on the link below:

My Host Slide Presentation

My reflection as Host:

My Hook/Connection for this topic:

        I posted these six cryptographs to see if the guests could decode their hidden messages. They were successful at figuring out that they represented each of our names. I chose this as my hook because I thought it could be something we as educators could use as a fun hook in the classroom as it could be used for any grade (K-8). The conversation began with laughter and our group transitioned easily into sharing and discussing various other ways we can make learning names fun in the classroom and the importance of learning the names of students/people as a first step towards creating a welcoming learning environment where every child feels valued.

Prompts/questions I prepared to help lead the critical conversation:

1. What is one key takeaway from the readings and/or video that you would like to share with our group?

2. I shared this quote: “Students’ names are the first thing teachers know about the young people who are entering our classrooms; they can signal country of origin, gender, language. Students’ names provide the first moment when a teacher can demonstrate their warmth and humanity, their commitment to seeing and welcoming students’ languages and cultures into the classroom” (Christensen, 2019, p.3).

Then I posed the questions:

a.)What does your name tell about you? Or that you would like people to know about you? (origin/culture, language, important meaning, or story to how you received your name).

b.) As an educator, why would understanding the importance of names be relevant?

c.) What strategies can we think of to ensure we remember students’ names (as quickly as possible)?

3. I shared this quote: “A single story…emphasizes how we are different rather than how we are similar” (Adichie, 2009, 13:36).

Then asked the following questions:

a.) What is one story you have heard that influenced your perspective, belief, and/or opinion about something?

b.) As an educator, why is it important to understand the significance of stories?