Chapter 7, "Multiple Intelligences"

Summary:
Chapter Seven explains how we, as teachers, can change our classroom environments to better conform to the needs of our students. How do we build our classroom to best fit all students? To start, we need to look at a few questions from the vantage point of the 8 MI‘s: How are words spoken words used in the classroom? How is the time structured in the classroom? How is the classroom furniture arranged? Where do the students spend most of their time while in school? How does the teacher use his/her voice? Do students have frequent opportunities to interact in positive ways? Are students given authentic choices? & Does the classroom provide windows for looking at the trees, sky, and other natural elements? All of these, along with many others, are valid questions we need to ask ourselves when deciding how to assemble and manage our classrooms.

Reflections:
When reflecting on Chapter Seven, Mike realized he had “never actually thought of how what [he] did in the classroom could alter it as an environment.” Meghan believes that she should take a lot of these management strategies “under consideration before [she] starts a classroom of [her] own.” Heather says that by using these techniques she wants her students “to feel safe to be themselves, and have an environment that they can truly thrive in.”