CSTP 2

Creating and Maintaining Effective Environments for Student Learning

Year 1- Fall and Spring 2020-2021

Garfield Elementary - SDC mild/moderate 2nd-4th grade

CSTP 2.5- Developing, communicating, and maintaining high standards for individual and group behavior.

This is my virtual classroom cover page. Every morning we go over the class expectations with examples and I reinforce those expectations throughout the day. I have developed, communicate, and maintain high standards for individual and group behavior. My class utilizes silent hand signals during instructional time. For example, we show a thumb up or down if we are done transcribing something I have typed on the virtual whiteboard. They use American Sign Language “R” to signal that they need to use the restroom. I also started to incorporate the zoom reaction icons and the chat area. Students are encouraged to ask questions either by raising their hand, using the raising hand icon, or typing in the chat. I always praise when students appropriately use these communication options. When students talk out of turn I remind them about how we are supposed to wait to be called on to communicate in our class.

CSTP 2.6- Employing classroom routines, procedures, norms, and supports for positive behavior to ensure a climate in which all students can learn.

This is our google classroom's stream section where the daily schedule is always available to students. I employ classroom routines, procedures, norms, and support for positive behavior to ensure a climate in which all students can learn. In the google classroom, I have posted the daily schedule, speech, Occupational Therapy, Counseling, and Adaptive Physical Education schedules and zoom links. I also have many alarms on my phone to remind myself of these time frames. My instructional assistant posts in the zoom chat every morning the service schedules for the corresponding day. My students are aware of our classroom routine and how to access links that they need to use. However, if the students are having difficulty I could also send them links directly using classroom relay. Classroom relay is a district-approved tool used to help educators facilitate and manage students' internet activity during class.

CSTP 2.7- Using instructional time to optimize learning.

This is a slide on my virtual classroom where students can access sight word practice videos. I use instructional time to optimize learning by appropriately pacing instruction. I also check for understanding as I am going through a lesson. After I teach a lesson my students will complete an assignment aligned with the lesson. I monitor students completing the assignment on classroom relay which is a district-approved app developed to manage students' internet activity. On this app, I can see students working on their assignments. I can also see students submitted work on google classroom. If students finish assigned work early they can review high-frequency words, skip counting, and or go onto i-ready. I have links on google classroom of high- frequency word videos and skip counting videos that they can listen to when they finish their work early.

Year 1 Reflection

CSTP Stand 2 states that teachers should create and maintain effective environments for student learning.

The application of CSTP 2 in my teaching practice is that I employ classroom routines, procedures, norms, and support for positive behavior to ensure a climate in which all students can learn. I constantly reinforced classroom rules throughout the school day and school year. I make sure that I model positive classroom routines, procedures, norms, and classroom rules. One way in which a model positive behavior is by having good attendance and arriving to class on time, giving positive feedback to students, and being organized with my lessons. materials, and by being respectful to everyone.

This school year I learned that the most important part of creating a good classroom environment is to respect my students' differences and foster respectful practices. During this challenging year, I had to be very strict about following the zoom rules of distance learning. My students were always reminded to be respectful to the teacher as well as to their peers. One of the rules that they needed to follow was to stay muted when someone was talking during our zoom meetings. Taking turns to speak during distance learning was essential because if more than one person spoke at a time it was really difficult to understand. Another rule is to keep their cameras on as much as possible and to actively participate in the lesson.

As a teacher, being prepared and following daily routines helped my students stay on task and maximize their learning. I created Google slides to teach my daily lessons and that helped my students stay engaged during the day. Since I was not in a classroom setting this year I had to provide students with multiple assignment opportunities for those who finish before the other students. Maintaining a well-structured learning environment that promotes student achievement was really important during distance learning.

I learned that students need structure and routines to learn best. If I allow students to drift away from routines they become less productive and engaged. I also learned that I had to make sure students maintained an effective learning environment throughout the school day by reviewing classroom rules throughout the day. Students enjoy positive feedback and reminders, for example, I tell them, "I appreciate how you raised your hand and respectfully waited for me to call on you to share." The impact on student learning was that students enjoyed and respond well to classroom routines and procedures. The more structured I am with delivering a lesson the more productive instructional time will be spent. My students learned to interact with each other during distance learning by using hand signals, zoom icon signals, and zoom chat to communicate with each other.

Year 2- Fall and Spring 2021-2022

CSTP 2.1- Promoting social development and responsibility within caring community where each student is treated fairly and respectfully.

This is a student example of an assessment from a lesson. about self-control. Teaching self-control to my students helped them develop problem-solving and conflict resolution skills. Conflict resolution skills were beneficial, especially during recess time. I noticed a decrease in these conflicts when returning from recess. We discussed further what the act step entails. In the final step act, students can choose a positive calming strategy to try such as practicing deep breathing, drawing a picture, writing a letter, counting slowly, or going on a walk.

CSTP 2.2- Creating physical or virtual learning environments that promote student learning, reflect diversity, and encourage constructive and productive interaction among students.

This is a picture of our school-wide Positive Behavior Intervention System (PBIS) rules, classroom daily behavior monitoring chart, and daily incentive sticker chart. Students were explicitly taught the school rules, procedures, and expectations through a school campus tour and in-class lessons. Students are also reminded of the school rules and expectations every morning.

CSTP 2.mp4

CSTP 2.3- Establishing and maintaining learning environment that are physically, intellectually, and emotionally safe

In this video, you can see my daily class schedule posted. I go over class rules and expectations daily and I reinforce these expectations throughout the day. I maintain classroom behavior by using a behavior monitoring chart. Students respond well to the behavior chart because there is a toy incentive attached to the desired behaviors. I use strategies such as hand signals, getting the whole class to regroup, and timers to maintain a safe learning environment.

Year 2 Reflection

The application of CSTP 2 in my teaching practice is that I employ classroom routines, procedures, norms, and supports for positive behavior to ensure a climate in which all students can learn.

As we returned to in person classes, I have continued to emphasized the importance of creating a respectful environment conducive to learning. I always began my day by reviewing the classroom rules and routines. I learned that students need structure and routines to learn best. Students also need to be reminded and explicitly taught the rules and expectations. My inquiry cycle 1 was focused on classroom behavior management in which I had to develop social emotional learning and problem solving skills. I have learned to realize how important it is to explicitly teach the desired expectations. I also learned to anticipate triggering tasks or scenarios to minimize outburst behavior by reducing stressors. Whenever I noticed certain students were feeling overwhelmed or not ready to participate, I would remind them that they can request breaks. They can chose to go on a short walk, draw a picture about their feelings, breath slowly for a few minutes, or another calming strategy.

The impact on student learning was that the classroom environment was improved when the negative behavior is reduced. When students get along well with each other they become happier and more productive. As the teacher, I had to reflect, recognize, and address safety issues to improve environment. I had to provide instruction and model what appropriate social emotional norms entail. I also had to refer back to the school rules. when students showed positive behaviors I need to praise the behavior. For example, when I comment how I appreciated that a particular student kept reading independently in small group or in center, other students follow the desire behavior.

My students' undesirable behaviors reduced because in inquiry cycle 1 focused on implementing lessons addressing the undesirable behavior exhibited in my students' behavior. My classroom management has improve and the climate of the overall environment of the classroom has improve because of the changes in classroom climate. Addressing these issues of respectful environment, following routines, procedures, and norms in the classroom have laid the foundation for the overall classroom environment, so that learning can take place.

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