IV. Domain 2: Classroom Environment

Domain 2 Includes:

• Establish a culture for learning

  • I establish a culture of learning by encouraging students to have positive interactions with each other. I teach students that it's okay to make mistakes because making mistakes is part of the learning process. By knowing this students do not make fun of each other. I allow students to help each other. For example, I pair my advanced students with struggling students. Both the struggling and advanced students benefit because the struggling students receive simplified explanations and the advanced learners retain the information longer since they are teaching it to others.

• Manage classroom procedures

  • Students need must have a routine. I always have the schedule of the day posted on the board, so students know what to expect throughout the day. When students arrive at school in the morning, I greet them and ask them how they are doing. Close to the door, there is a tray where students turn in their homework. They turn in their homework as they walk into the class. Students are seated within five minutes after the bell rings. They sit on the carpet where I do a read-aloud. Then after a read-aloud they go back to their seats and we do reading groups. Students know that when they are done with their work, they can read to themselves, listen to reading, work on spelling, or do free writing. Since there's the same routine every week, students do not come to me to ask what they are doing next.

Manage student behavior

• • The second role of a teacher is a behavior manager. I believe that it's very important to find the root cause of classroom misbehavior rather just punishing students. Using behavior assessments such as duration, latency, frequency and interval recording allows me to determine if the student's behavior is problematic or not. When managing behavior and deciding on what and how to teach, I believe that it is important to consider factors such as students' socioeconomic status, culture and home environment. First, it is important to evaluate my own culture and beliefs to ensure that they are not affecting how I view my students. Second, I find it essential to get to know my students' backgrounds and cultures. What I might find an inappropriate behavior might not be viewed the same and different cultures.

  • To reduce misbehavior in the classroom, I believe that the teacher and students should work together in creating classroom rules. It's important to have students practice the rules in the first week of school, so they can know what is expected from them. Some effective characteristics of classroom rules include five rules, created with students, stated positively, specific, posted where students can see them, taught to students and tied to positive and negative consequences.

  • In addition to that, I use positive and negative reinforcements when managing behavior. Some examples of positive reinforcement include candy, stickers, and toys. An example of a negative reinforcement is no homework pass.

• Organize physical space

  • Classroom arrangement is also important in behavior management. I believe that the best seating arrangement is the cluster seating arrangement because it allows students to work together in groups, in pairs and also independently. In my classroom, each table has four to six students. My desk is in the front so I can see what students are doing and students can get to me easily when they need help. Students with behavior or academic issues are seated close to my desk so they can pay attention and be far away from distractions.