There is absolutely no way I will be able to keep up this pace...3 blogposts in 3 days. Ridiculous to think that! That said though...if something is on my mind...and I can get it in a place to post the day I write it...I will do that.As my "new" student finished day 2 in my classroom I thought about my end of the deal...what am I doing to provide this student space to re-invent and/or re-imagine who they are? Yes this student has a stake in the game...as I mentioned in my previous post..s/he has to be willing to put forth an effort to adapt to the new environment s/he finds herself in. But what about me?I think I have a bigger responsibility. What I do...how I do it...what I say...and how I say it can have a huge impact on this developing situation. I've done some research on this...research about how identities are formed. At any given moment...there are 2 types of identities that shape how we see ourselves and the world. One identity comes from what we ourselves imagine is possible in the world. The other identity comes from what others imagine we are capable of.In school...teachers have an image of what students are supposed to be like...how they are supposed to behave and work...among other things. That image in turn has a profound affect on what the student imagines is possible from their position (or roll) as student.To know this is to understand that we as teachers have tremendous power when it comes to shaping what does/not happen in our classrooms...with "new" or existing students.I have spent the past 2 days pointing out publicly who in the classroom is being helpful, cooperative, and kind and why I think this way...in an effort to define for the "new" student what I am expecting from her. I've also gone out of my way to let her know when I think s/he's demonstrated these qualities. My goal...to have this "new" student acclimate to her new environment. My reason...so s/he can re-imagine what is possible from her position as student.