Feature Story

Mary-Fran Honeyman's second grade classroom has the appearance of a workshop. There is no teacher's desk in the classroom; Ms. Honeyman has replaced it with a table filled with fascinating supplies for classroom activities: markers, glitter, and materials for weaving. She encourages students to enjoy this colorful environment through the different activities she assigns as well. Each day begins with students sharing anecdotes. As they sit attentively on a comfortable rug in front of Ms. Honeyman's chair, students relate things that happened to them at home or on their way to school. To promote cultural sensitivity, Ms. Honeyman has students integrate this activity with writing letters to pen pals in Canada. She facilitates a brief discussion by raising the question of whether these everyday things her students talk about are the same for children everywhere. Excitement grows as students talk about the first draft of letters they started the day before to their pen pals. The teacher's question prompts students to consider inquiries about life in Canada for the second draft they are about to begin. Prior to their return to writing, Ms. Honeyman guides a discussion reviewing the parts of a letter. Students spin round to face in the direction of each classmate who speaks. "Face the speaker" is a rule in this classroom, another instance of Ms. Honeyman's innovative teaching style.

Following this large group activity, it's time for students to hurry back to their desks, arranged in five groups. Each group has four or five students. In one group, R_ begins to speak to his classmates about what will be in his next draft. He considers what questions to ask and what information to give about his school. By now, adults as audience/partners have arrived in each group. Some have come routinely as part of the school day; others come for specific reasons.

Ms. Honeyman knows all her students' families. In the natural course of the first few weeks of school, a father picks up a child for a dentist visit or a mother comes by to help a student carry something home. Ms. Honeyman asks parents to come a little early on these occasions, to give parents an opportunity to get to know the classroom closely. By the end of the year, parents are cooking hot dogs in the school courtyard and dropping by the classroom to leave off materials for school projects. Family involvement develops casually at first, building into investment which is ongoing and rewarding to teachers, parents and children.

In this classroom, one student with special needs has a teacher to assist him in this inclusive classroom. The school's writing coach individually conferences with selected students about their writing during her scheduled time in this classroom. A college student, with prior arrangements to spend the morning in this classroom, joins a group. She is working on a project for her art education course. The project focuses on designing children's furniture for interactive classrooms. A university staff person documents the classroom activities for professional development purposes. The principal of the school walks through the classroom. She joins a group of student writers. The students are proud to read their letters to her. Ms. Honeyman moves from group to group assisting students with current drafts of their work. Thus, students get the benefits of an attentive teacher, plus input from their own peer group, as well as from various adults with diverse expertise.

Other activities that display student-centered learning include making Thanksgiving cards for their families and working with what they call the "weaving center." These activities naturally lead to integrated projects that involve reading. For instance, the round table is covered with books/multicultural literature. One girl takes a book from the table on her way to begin the Thanksgiving project. She explains, "It's my favorite and I want it first today, to read it again, when I finish my work this morning." In this way, this culturally responsive classroom is both print-rich and activity-centered. Literacy develops here through multiple projects which engage students, their families, and guests in a community of active learning cutting across race, language, culture and age.

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