4. Learning Environment

The 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.

Mrs. Neven's Classroom

Rationale: The classroom website artifact was created to exemplify the learning standards through the context of classroom management. The website includes specific information about how I would manage the classroom through classroom design, rules/expectations, rewards/consequences, procedures, instructional strategies/assessments, diversity, and a few other resources. The information I provided in my mock classroom website represents my teaching philosophy, management style, and vision of having a collaborative and respectful classroom culture.

The classroom website artifact is important in demonstrating my ability of creating effective classroom management techniques that will foster a positive teacher-student and -parent relationships to have a successful school year. Additionally, my website artifact is evidence of understanding the Illinois Teaching Standard, number 4, especially on the website pages of rules/expectations, procedures, and diversity. I followed the structure indicated in 4L, which is to, "analyzes the classroom environment and makes decisions to enhance cultural and linguistic responsiveness, mutual respect, positive social relationships, student motivation, and classroom engagement". I tied the 4L Standard into every page of the mock website by discussing the importance of being respectful of others and creating an inclusive classroom environment.

Furthermore, Standard 4A expresses that the Teacher understands the principles of and strategies for effective classroom and behavior management. My mock website page of rules and expectations portrays how I would implement effective classroom strategies and behavior management practices in a way that fosters the academic success of everyone while keeping everyone in school safe. I have also arranged my classroom rules in a way that is simple for the students to follow, along with putting in place the rewards and consequences for when these rules or expectations are not being followed. Then, my home page includes my mock classroom diagram representing the layout that will enhance my students learning. This is in response to Standard 4I, to create a safe and healthy environment that maximizes student learning. Next, Standard 4J, wants Teachers to create clear expectations and procedures for communication and behaviors with a physical setting that is conductive to achieving classroom goals. So, my mock classroom management style is indirectly displayed on my website pages of rules/expectations and procedures because it sets the tone for my management style. Finally, Standard 4O, directs teachers to use a variety of effective behavioral management techniques appropriate to the needs of all students that include positive behavior interventions and supports. I embrace this standard by explaining how I implement behavior management in my classroom through rewards and consequences on that page of my website.

Overall, this mock classroom website artifact has taught me how I would design my own classroom website using Wix. More importantly thou, I have also learned how I envision my personal teaching philosophy coming to life through my classroom management style and teaching techniques. As previously mentioned, I find it equally important to build strong teacher-student and -parent relationships to foster my future students academic success in school and at home. So, by setting up my mock classroom I need to ensure I am following the Illinois Standards for Teachers while being well planned, organized, and creating an engaging learning environment for students and parents.