POSITIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
Ithaca College teaching professionals create safe and motivational learning environments that encourage all students to become actively involved.
An effective teacher provides a well-managed, comfortable, and interactive environment that is conducive to learning and encourages respect for all. Such an environment allows students to feel safe and gives them the confidence to actively engage. As an upcoming educator, I wish to establish relationships with my students that support an initiative to not only create but also maintain a positive atmosphere. This can be done with attention to a number of details:
· Classroom structure and management
· Communication
· Well-prepared and organized instruction
· The classroom’s physical space
Classroom Structure and Management
Creating a space in which every student feels valued, encouraged, and involved is a predecessor for the behaviors I will experience as a consequence of the environment I have maintained. Demonstrating a culturally responsive awareness is essential for ensuring these sentiments are the feelings my students experience while in my classroom. To connect with each student and establish this expectation of mutual respect and engagement, I greet my students at the door when they come in and call each of them by name. Throughout the day, I try to talk to each of my students at least once. Sometimes this means cold-calling on students I haven't heard from yet or having a quick conversation as they walk out the door, but showing that I appreciate them as individuals and will go the extra step to ask about their lives will go a long way. This became especially evident to me in an instance in my high school placement. One student, who has a tendency to make excuses and therefore ends up with zeros often, came up to me before class one day (when I was no longer teaching her class) and asked me a personal question completely unrelated to English. Unfortunately, I did not have an answer for her at the time but, because I could see it was an issue that was bothering her, I told her I would find out the answer and get back to her, which I did. Even though I hold high expectations and she may have thought of me as strict at some points, she still felt comfortable enough with me to ask an incredibly personal question about an issue she was facing. While there are still more strategies I look forward to exploring in my own classroom, this instance showed me that my authenticity and wanting to create a safe space is working for at least some students. Whether in English specifically or just in general, I hope to encourage students to take initiative for self-discovery, even if this means taking risks. Instilling in them the confidence to try - even if it means failing - is essential to the foundation of my classroom.
Not only must this positive space be created, it must also be maintained throughout the year. This means preventing misbehavior before it occurs rather than always having to respond to it after the fact. Engaging in strategies that discourage undesired behaviors means students are actively engaged enough that they are not thinking about other options. If they have no triggers or opportunities for misbehaving in my classroom, students will be more likely to benefit from the lessons occurring and relationships being formed. This idea is supported by Kounin's concepts of "withitness" and overlapping, which explain that a teacher's receptivity to the multiple events happening simultaneously will effectively (or not so effectively) result in a productive classroom environment. This also involves knowing when students have had enough of the lesson and recognizing when there is potential for misbehavior as a consequence. In addition, it is important that I avoid potential errors on my part, as sometimes teachers cause their own management issues. I have had the opportunity to correct this issue in instances when I take one student's answer who hasn't raised his or her hand and then, soon enough, everyone decides to answer by calling out. When they do this all at the same time, it becomes impossible to productively facilitate a discussion without redirection.
Communication
Using communication to create a positive learning environment covers several bases. Getting to know students on an individualized level is key to the initial establishment of a safe space. If I expect them to become attentive, motivated, engaged students in my classroom, it is essential they see I understand them as people, not just pupils. Fostering such positive relationships will give me the opportunity to learn more about the diversity in my classroom in terms of backgrounds, strengths, interests, and learning preferences and/or needs. While I have always understood the importance of getting to know one’s students initially, I have come to recognize that, to maintain a positive learning environment throughout the year, it is essential to keep learning about these students. The more investment I demonstrate in their lives, the greater the feeling of respect, which will then translate into respect for me. This will also lead to a clear understanding of expectations as long as they have been effectively communicated and established in the first place. When students know what to expect because of my rules, procedures, and routines, they are more likely to engage productively, especially if the feeling of mutual respect is established. In my student teaching placements, I realized that holding high expectations and making this clear from the get-go provides you with opportunities for some leniency later on. I have become quite close with some of my high school students who understand my sense of humor and can play off of that but still know I will make them do the work.
Communication relevant to the classroom must also extend beyond the student. This includes talking with colleagues to see how and what students are doing in other classes, engaging in conversations with coaches, guidance counselors, and the principal, and establishing and maintaining relationships with families. As supported by Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Theory, students are just as affected by the relationships the adults in their world have with each other (mesosystem) as they are by the direct relationships they have with each of these adults (microsystem). Fostering and maintaining positive relationships can happen through simple gestures such as emails or phone correspondence and provide an extra layer of the student that otherwise cannot be accessed.
Well-Prepared, Organized Instruction
One of the most critical considerations to attend to when creating lessons is how to motivate students to want to learn. Students will respect me and my practices as a teacher only when I prove to them that my high expectations are challenges that cater to them as individuals. Motivation’s relationship to high expectations is supported by Bandura’s (1977) Social Learning Theory. This approach asserts that motivation is the product of two things: an individual’s expectations about his or her chances of reaching a goal and how satisfied the individual will be if the goal is achieved. Teachers have to constantly uphold expectations of their students, so this theory will encourage students to do the same for themselves. Students should always be given assignments that are meaningful and can be completed successfully, but challenge them to expand their thinking. The more prepared and in tune I am as a teacher, the more likely students will respect and engage in my class. Motivation can also be linked to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Students are not an empty vessel waiting to be filled but rather bring with them every day a fund of individual knowledge and experiences. If their basic needs are not being met outside of the classroom, how can they be expected to fully and actively engage in my 40 minute vignette in their day? Using this inquiry to prepare lessons is especially helpful in the maintenance of an understanding environment.
· Classroom structure and management
· Communication
· Well-prepared and organized instruction
· The classroom’s physical space
Classroom Structure and Management
Creating a space in which every student feels valued, encouraged, and involved is a predecessor for the behaviors I will experience as a consequence of the environment I have maintained. Demonstrating a culturally responsive awareness is essential for ensuring these sentiments are the feelings my students experience while in my classroom. To connect with each student and establish this expectation of mutual respect and engagement, I greet my students at the door when they come in and call each of them by name. Throughout the day, I try to talk to each of my students at least once. Sometimes this means cold-calling on students I haven't heard from yet or having a quick conversation as they walk out the door, but showing that I appreciate them as individuals and will go the extra step to ask about their lives will go a long way. This became especially evident to me in an instance in my high school placement. One student, who has a tendency to make excuses and therefore ends up with zeros often, came up to me before class one day (when I was no longer teaching her class) and asked me a personal question completely unrelated to English. Unfortunately, I did not have an answer for her at the time but, because I could see it was an issue that was bothering her, I told her I would find out the answer and get back to her, which I did. Even though I hold high expectations and she may have thought of me as strict at some points, she still felt comfortable enough with me to ask an incredibly personal question about an issue she was facing. While there are still more strategies I look forward to exploring in my own classroom, this instance showed me that my authenticity and wanting to create a safe space is working for at least some students. Whether in English specifically or just in general, I hope to encourage students to take initiative for self-discovery, even if this means taking risks. Instilling in them the confidence to try - even if it means failing - is essential to the foundation of my classroom.
Not only must this positive space be created, it must also be maintained throughout the year. This means preventing misbehavior before it occurs rather than always having to respond to it after the fact. Engaging in strategies that discourage undesired behaviors means students are actively engaged enough that they are not thinking about other options. If they have no triggers or opportunities for misbehaving in my classroom, students will be more likely to benefit from the lessons occurring and relationships being formed. This idea is supported by Kounin's concepts of "withitness" and overlapping, which explain that a teacher's receptivity to the multiple events happening simultaneously will effectively (or not so effectively) result in a productive classroom environment. This also involves knowing when students have had enough of the lesson and recognizing when there is potential for misbehavior as a consequence. In addition, it is important that I avoid potential errors on my part, as sometimes teachers cause their own management issues. I have had the opportunity to correct this issue in instances when I take one student's answer who hasn't raised his or her hand and then, soon enough, everyone decides to answer by calling out. When they do this all at the same time, it becomes impossible to productively facilitate a discussion without redirection.
Communication
Using communication to create a positive learning environment covers several bases. Getting to know students on an individualized level is key to the initial establishment of a safe space. If I expect them to become attentive, motivated, engaged students in my classroom, it is essential they see I understand them as people, not just pupils. Fostering such positive relationships will give me the opportunity to learn more about the diversity in my classroom in terms of backgrounds, strengths, interests, and learning preferences and/or needs. While I have always understood the importance of getting to know one’s students initially, I have come to recognize that, to maintain a positive learning environment throughout the year, it is essential to keep learning about these students. The more investment I demonstrate in their lives, the greater the feeling of respect, which will then translate into respect for me. This will also lead to a clear understanding of expectations as long as they have been effectively communicated and established in the first place. When students know what to expect because of my rules, procedures, and routines, they are more likely to engage productively, especially if the feeling of mutual respect is established. In my student teaching placements, I realized that holding high expectations and making this clear from the get-go provides you with opportunities for some leniency later on. I have become quite close with some of my high school students who understand my sense of humor and can play off of that but still know I will make them do the work.
Communication relevant to the classroom must also extend beyond the student. This includes talking with colleagues to see how and what students are doing in other classes, engaging in conversations with coaches, guidance counselors, and the principal, and establishing and maintaining relationships with families. As supported by Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Theory, students are just as affected by the relationships the adults in their world have with each other (mesosystem) as they are by the direct relationships they have with each of these adults (microsystem). Fostering and maintaining positive relationships can happen through simple gestures such as emails or phone correspondence and provide an extra layer of the student that otherwise cannot be accessed.
Well-Prepared, Organized Instruction
One of the most critical considerations to attend to when creating lessons is how to motivate students to want to learn. Students will respect me and my practices as a teacher only when I prove to them that my high expectations are challenges that cater to them as individuals. Motivation’s relationship to high expectations is supported by Bandura’s (1977) Social Learning Theory. This approach asserts that motivation is the product of two things: an individual’s expectations about his or her chances of reaching a goal and how satisfied the individual will be if the goal is achieved. Teachers have to constantly uphold expectations of their students, so this theory will encourage students to do the same for themselves. Students should always be given assignments that are meaningful and can be completed successfully, but challenge them to expand their thinking. The more prepared and in tune I am as a teacher, the more likely students will respect and engage in my class. Motivation can also be linked to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Students are not an empty vessel waiting to be filled but rather bring with them every day a fund of individual knowledge and experiences. If their basic needs are not being met outside of the classroom, how can they be expected to fully and actively engage in my 40 minute vignette in their day? Using this inquiry to prepare lessons is especially helpful in the maintenance of an understanding environment.
Student Interest Inventories and Feedback Questionnaires
At the beginning of both student teaching placements, I asked students to complete an interest inventory. This was designed to be a fun, low-stakes way for them to tell me about themselves and help me get to know them in order to foster positive relationships, understand them as individuals, and create motivating and relevant lessons. This addresses both my genuine interest in establishing a positive classroom environment and my intent to create lessons and units that are meaningful and engaging as to support student development.
At the end of each placement, I wanted to show students that their opinions of my teaching and demeanor were valued; I told them that, as I continue on with my teaching, they are the best sources to receive feedback from since they are the ones I teach for. I made it known that their honesty would be appreciated and taken into consideration seriously, and their comments would not be taken personally; anything to help me grow was welcomed! Although this form does have a spot for a student's name, I understand the anxiety that comes with providing direct criticism so gave students the option of anonymity.
At the end of each placement, I wanted to show students that their opinions of my teaching and demeanor were valued; I told them that, as I continue on with my teaching, they are the best sources to receive feedback from since they are the ones I teach for. I made it known that their honesty would be appreciated and taken into consideration seriously, and their comments would not be taken personally; anything to help me grow was welcomed! Although this form does have a spot for a student's name, I understand the anxiety that comes with providing direct criticism so gave students the option of anonymity.
studentinterestinventory.docx | |
File Size: | 14 kb |
File Type: | docx |
feedbackquestionnaire2.docx | |
File Size: | 12 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Autobiography Poems
Although this assignment did not take place at the beginning of the unit, it did provide students with the opportunity to use a format of English Language Arts (poetry) to talk about their personal experiences and connect these with characters in The Outsiders. This enabled them to make connections and draw comparisons, validating both experiences (their own and the characters') as authentic. With personal activities such as these, students were graded on addressing the requirements rather than the specific content of their work; the purpose was to share their individual experiences and compare/contrast these to the novel's characters, not be graded on where they come from and what they have or don't have outside of school.
outsidersbiographypoems.docx | |
File Size: | 16 kb |
File Type: | docx |
outsidersbiographypoemsreflection.docx | |
File Size: | 12 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Classroom Environment Plan
The attached Classroom Environment Plan details how I have utilized theory and research to develop strategies that contribute to effectively demonstrating a positive classroom environment and avoiding potential pitfalls. Though this assignment was created before my experiences in the classroom, the suggestions and situations explained in this paper do correspond to some of the ideals I wish to uphold in my own classroom in order to show my resourcefulness as a teacher, facilitator, and peer.
ppclassroomenvironmentplan.docx | |
File Size: | 28 kb |
File Type: | docx |