Establishing A Postive Classroom Environment

Creating a climate for diverse students to thrive in is a very important element in the educational field. Teachers must find a way to cultivate a safe learning environment for all of their students. As we've learned in Module 2, this means providing a specialized education for students with diverse needs (gender, socioeconomic, race, mental and physical disabilities, etc). In Module 4, we studied anti-bullying strategies for classrooms with diverse students. Because the classrooms of tomorrow will continue to be so diverse, it's important that we, as teachers, address these issues. In fact, these things that make each student different and unique will be the exact things used against them by bullies. Through anti-bullying strategies and creating a safe learning environment, we can try and help prevent negative interactions inside of the classroom.

Creating an environment of respect begins when the teacher first shows respect for their students. Students are more likely to mirror their teacher’s actions when they see it first-hand. Instructors can’t just preach respect. They must show it themselves in all areas of the classroom. You never know when a student is watching and what habits they are picking up. A teacher must genuinely care about their student’s lives and be open and honest about their own. If a teacher appreciates and understands a student’s background and culture, then the students themselves can begin to develop skills for cross-cultural communication. My own background will make it harder for me to relate to a majority of students. I grew up in rural Ohio, middle-class, Caucasian, with little diversity in my small graduating class of 60. However, I think I can use this to motivate myself to become more culturally sensitive and aware in the classroom. All it takes is being open, honest and respectful in the classroom. What a great learning opportunity this will be for myself!

The teacher must also create a culture of learning in the classroom. Teachers can do this by conveying the importance of what they are learning, and how it will impact their lives. This means that we have to connect our material with the students’ backgrounds so that they can relate to it. Personalizing activities to connect with student’s own interests is how we can help them engage and be successful in the classroom. Connecting with families and communities is also important. If a teacher can meet families and reach out to the community, they provide relevant learning motivations for students. 

Strategies I Can Use To Establish a Positive Classroom Environment

• Provide opportunities for students to build relationships through collaboration and the freedom to express their thoughts and ideas.
• Demonstrate genuine kindness and curiosity so students will follow.
• Don’t spend all of your time in front of the room. Make sure you are navigating your way around the room and giving small one-on-one opportunities to help students and monitor any negative tension.
• Address any problems right away. Don’t let negativity fester until it becomes a bigger issue than it was in the beginning.
• Give students the opportunity to share their culture and language with their peers through culture days or show and tell.
• Make sure students know the repercussions for breaking rules or being disrespectful to one another. Make sure you follow through with the punishment.
• Offer students options with assignments. They can customize projects or homework to better suit their background and needs. Choices are a good thing.
• Have fun, be honest, and share without losing your authority in the classroom. Students trust people they like and respect. Be both.

As you can see, the affective domain in Bloom’s taxonomy is just as important as the cognitive domain. A safe classroom environment can significantly improve a student’s ability to learn. If we provide students with motivation, good values, positive attitudes, and cultural awareness, then we can increase our effectiveness as teachers and the success of our students. 

Sources

Critical Practices for Anti-bias Education, Retrieved from  http://www.tolerance.org/sites/default/files/general/PDA%20Critical%20Practices_0.pdf; November 27, 2015

Killion, Jordan, Create a Supportive Environement For All, Retrieved from http://learningforward.org/docs/leading-teacher/march10_killion.pdf?sfvrsn=2; November 26, 2015

Marzano, Robert. The Art and Science of Teaching, Retrieved from https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/platform-user-content/prod-copy/get_help_resources/activity_resources/module4/The_Art_and_Science_of_Teaching.pdf; November 27, 2015