Lisa Badacour Takes Her Team of Students to the Field of Learning

Lisa Badacour preaches teamwork among her students.  Like the baseball theme throughout her classroom, she wants them to back each other up… and understand its ok if they don’t always hit a home-run.  "We’re going to support each other.  And if we bring them down, what does that do to our team?  And so, they have a responsibility to help each other."

When she was the student, Badacour was afraid classmates would make fun of her if she didn’t know the correct answer.  But a risk-free learning environment helped her come out of her shell.  "My 3rd and 4th grade teachers really were inspirational to me.  They really helped me come out.  I was a shy little girl."

Now, the same kind of safe setting helps Badacour’s students hit the field, ready to learn.  Badacour wants her class to be the class students want to be in each year.  "And I want them to think wow, I’m in that room.  So I want to make them feel special from day one that they were put in this room for a reason."

Along with positive reenforcement, Badacour understands not every child learns the same.  Student Hailey Headrick likes the bathtub seat.  "So I came over here to sit in here because its really fun and comfortable."

She encourages students to work in places and positions where they feel most comfortable.  Student Kelsey Proctor says "when we spread around the room we get to sit in the bathtub sometimes and we get to sit in the swing and we have ball chairs."

Students can also work in the hall, while laying on the floor, or listening to music.  Badacour says "I do think its organized chaos, but I do think they become independent learners."

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