Teachers do more than teach academics— they build a sense of community within their classrooms, creating a home away from home where they make their students feel safe, included and loved. And fifth grade teacher Michelle Valastro sets out to create this culture immediately on the first day of school. “I tell the kids that my classroom is a risk-free environment, and that it's OK to ask questions and make mistakes,” says Michelle, who sometimes felt afraid to ask questions when she was a student. “I don’t ever want my students to feel that way. When students feel comfortable, that is the only way they can really learn.”
Humor also helps. Michelle says she isn’t afraid to look silly in front of her students. “I tell them they need to learn to laugh at themselves; it makes life a lot more bearable.”
The secret sauce in earning the respect of her students is maintaining the right balance of academics and human connection. Every day in Michelle’s classroom usually starts with a little bit of time for everyone to chat. “But when it’s time to work, it’s time to work,” she says.
Her low key and laid-back approach enables students to connect with her and makes them more eager to learn, says fourth grade teacher Sue Rota. “She is open and listens to their thoughts and ideas. There is great flow in her classroom.”
Student Bailey Eirand can also attest to the effects of Michelle’s methodologies. “She is my favorite teacher, not just because she is funny and nice. She makes up games and things that help us study.” “Michelle is well loved by her students,” concurs George Grant Mason Principal Dr. Melissa Jean-Paul. “She has a mission to prepare her students for the sixth grade and beyond.”
Especially if the future includes pursuing their passion. Michelle enjoys the reaction she gets from students when she tells them that outside of school she is a professional singer who auditioned for and was called back for the television show “The Voice,” and sang the national anthem at the start of a Red Bulls soccer game at Giants Stadium. “I think it helps them see that they can have a career and pursue their dreams at the same time,” she says. “ If nothing else, I want my students to leave my classroom with the confidence that they can go out and do anything.”