Embedded Files
Students are acutely aware of the environment found in each of their classrooms: whether a classroom is warm and inviting, cold and impersonal, dark and oppressive—students notice, and they respond accordingly.
As such, a crucial aspect of effective teaching is creating and maintaining an effective classroom environment. This means establishing clear and high-yet-reasonable expectations from the moment students step in the room and standing behind those expectations for the entire course of the class. Discipline is necessary for creating an effective environment: students want to know that their education is protected and that misbehavior will be handled for the good of the misbehaving student as well as for the wider group.
That being said, creating an effective environment is a dance of firmness and warmth. Ensuring that students feel welcomed into the classroom and have access to the resources they need but, at the same time, know that certain behaviors are totally unacceptable requires tact, gentleness, and intentional restorative justice. Starting with warnings before asking a student to step outside, asking a student why they did something rather than blaming them for doing it, and maintaining unconditional positive regard for all students are necessary, but difficult, parts of maintaining an effective environment.
See a few ways I work to create an effective learning environment for my students:
Clear classroom policies & procedures
Clear classroom policies & procedures
Classroom Management Plan-2.pdfIt's important to know your expectations for your classroom (What does respect look like? How long can a student be in the bathroom for? Do you provide pencils for students who don't have one?) are before the school year starts, so that expectations can be made abundantly clear to students as soon as they enter the classroom (and reinforced as needed).
Having expectations, policies, and procedures written down can help keep things organized. See my classroom management plan for an overview of my classroom norms.
Creating opportunities for non-content- related conversation + connection
Creating opportunities for non-content- related conversation + connection
Although our primary role is to teach, effective teaching cannot happen unless students are comfortable in the classroom environment. This includes being socially connected, feeling safe to express their opinions, and being given opportunities to laugh!
Especially in a math classroom, students can be at risk of feeling high levels of perfomance anxiety and may experience difficulty connecting with their emotions.
To create the an effective classroom environment, then, I intentioanlly create opportunities for non-content-related conversation: low-pressure topics with high buy-in and lots of humor!
As much as possible, keeping classroom management fun!
As much as possible, keeping classroom management fun!
Studies show that brain breaks are incredibly effective in supporting student learning, so (especially when teaching in a block schedule) I opt to give students a break near the halfway point of our class time. They are encouraged to stand up, step outside, and get their blood moving!
However, getting students back and ready to learn is not always the easiest thing to do. To motivate students to be in their seats and ready to learn when the break timer on the class screen hits zero, I spin the wheel above when students are still out of their seats when the timer goes off (of course, excluding those on a bathroom break or who are getting help from me over the break). Students become competitive in trying to avoid spinning "the wheel," getting to their seats with plenty of time!
Page updated
Report abuse