4.Learning Environment

I was presented with the task of creating a classroom website for my future classroom during my general methods course at TCC. Illinois learning standard 4 states that a competent teacher structures a safe and healthy learning environment that facilitates cultural and linguistic responsiveness, emotional well-being, self-efficacy, positive social interaction, mutual respect, active engagement, academic risk-taking, self-motivation, and personal goal-setting. With this standard in mind, creating the classroom website is essential in outlining all of those characteristics the classroom as well as the teacher will possess.

My classroom website complies with IPTS standard 4, performance indicator 4B which states that the competent teacher, “Creates clear expectations and procedures for communication and behavior and a physical setting conducive to achieving classroom goals.” The classroom website outlines expectations of the students as well as a detailed procedure to follow within the gym room which will in turn allow the gym room to flow in a calm, safe, and comfortable way that promotes students learning. After reading my diversity page, it is evident that my gym room will be oriented around diversity and culture. By having the gym room set up and prepared for all students with consideration to cultural and linguistically challenged students, my classroom website complies with the IPTS standard 4D which states that a competent teacher, “Analyzes the classroom environment and makes decisions to enhance cultural and linguistic responsiveness, mutual respect, positive social relationships, student motivation, and classroom engagement.” By having rewards and consequences clearly outlined for the gym room, this allows students to have a self-regulated management plan while they are in my gym room, which complies with the IPTS standard 4G that establishes the competent teacher, “Uses a variety of effective behavioral management techniques appropriate to the needs of all students that include positive behavior interventions and supports.”

During the completion of this artifact, new learning took place as I explored this assignment further. Visuals and technology play a huge role in our role as educators now so have another means of communication with your students if very important and it is important that your technology resources should reflect your character as a teacher as well. This learning is important to the development of me as an educator in the fact that more student have access to the technological space so it is necessary to be able to teach and instruct the student even when they are not in front of you. This artifact connects to my future classroom by allowing me to have an ongoing platform of communication with my students and also serves as an effective source of information to demonstrate my ability as an instructor in a technology era.

During my student teaching experience at Paul Revere Intermediate/Whittier school in Spring 2020, I created an artifact that complies with a performance indicator for rationale 4, the learning environment. This artifact contains age appropriate and grade Illinois standards that are aligned throughout the lesson with formal assessments, learning objectives, differentiation, opportunities for students to interact and practice social skills in a safe and healthy group setting. This artifact was created to allow students the be safe, respectful, and responsible in the learning environment while practicing problem solving abilities, accountability, and setting goals during an activity.

As stated by the IPTS four, learning environment, performance indicator 4K states that a competent teacher, " uses strategies to create a smoothly functioning learning community in which students assume responsibility for themselves and one another, participate in decision-making, work collaboratively and independently, use appropriate technology, and engage in purposeful learning activities." Within the lesson plan, I planned an organized a smooth functioning learning environment by using effective transitions between each activity in the lesson where students were responsible for making decisions to follow classroom procedures. There are points where the students working individually, however there are points where groups work together on teams or in a turn and talk to collaborate and learn from one another. The lesson also plans for student engagement throughout by using favorable music played over loud speaker to maintain the students focused on meeting the learning objectives. When students are fully engaged in the lesson, they are able to achieve success in the learning environment by being active and accountable for their decision making and goal setting each class period.

During the development of this artifact, I learned that no physical learning environment should interfere with making effective plans for the students to practice working together, being responsible for their actions, or being fully engaged in the learning environment. This this important to my development as a teacher in the fact that I used this lesson in our cafeteria, where I taught my class periods twice sometimes three times a week. This shows my flexibility as an instructor to still provide an effective learning segment for the student in a restricted environment. Going forward, this artifact connects to my future classroom in that I can face a similar situation in the future that prompts me to be creative with my working space while still trying to meet state standards and criteria when providing effective instruction.