Students who feel that they are safe, feel that they can establish relationships of trust and respect among one another and with their teacher, know what to expect and what is expected of them, and have assurance that their individuality and contributions are valued, are happier, more engaged and productive learners. Though this fact may be known to many novice teachers, developing a classroom management schema that supports these needs, may be a challenge or area of concern for them. Teachers just starting out, as I am, must have a plan of action-oriented strategies from the beginning, in order to guide the classroom towards a positive climate where all learners can thrive and grow cooperatively, with mutual respect and good citizenship.
Encouraging students to adhere to classroom rules, principles, and ideal behaviors, rather than plotting and exacting punishments when things go wrong, teachers may choose to proactively focus on immediate development of positive relationships, providing notice and reminders using organizational tools and routines, incorporating valuable information in creative lesson plans, maintaining a high academic standard through a rigorous but fun curriculum, modeling desired behaviors while positively reinforcing good behavior and contributions of learners, and instituting proactive safety measures in class and throughout the school.
In How to Create A Positive Classroom Climate to Help Your Students Become Successful Learners (Classroom Management Success: Principles and Practice, 2014), internet guru @ClassManSuccess asserts that "If your classroom climate is to be successful it has to be positive and motivate your students to want to be successful. As with many aspects of classroom management, the most important component of a positive classroom is the teacher, and this is where the process must start." This guru further suggests certain simple strategic steps in which teachers can accomplish this goal.
1. Create a warm and inviting classroom environment.
"Teachers who are approachable, friendly, helpful and supportive and who can control the class and impose themselves without appearing too strict or overbearing."(Classroom Management Success: Principles and Practice, 2014) Also, it stands to reason that when a student feels comfortable approaching a teacher, that they are safe inside their classroom/school, and that the teacher genuinely cares about them as an individual (as demonstrated by learning their name, providing accessibility and individual accommodations, etc), they are further motivated to focus on wanting to learn, participation in activities, utilizing provided tools, and absorbing what is being taught-learned.
2. Be enthusiastic, as much as possible.
"Enthusiastic teachers often come across as confident specialists who really enjoy teaching their subject and can 'wrap up' the learning in many different ways to make it interesting and accessible to all learners." (Classroom Management Success: Principles and Practice, 2014) Research indicates that teachers who are pumped up about their subject matter and consistently relay positive vibes or messages to their students about what they are learning, have a profoundly positive impact on how enthusiastic their learners are about it too.
3. Have and maintain high expectations.
"One of the most consistent research findings is the effect on student performance of teacher expectations. In short, students do better when they believe their teachers expect them to do well and create a supportive academic climate." (Classroom Management Success: Principles and Practice, 2014) Further, the "supportive academic climate" that @ClassManSuccess outlines, is one where the teacher not only provides a warm, safe, inviting, and enthusiastic class, but also maintains the following common characteristics:
- Pays close attention to progress students are making and weighs against subjective perceptions, so they have accurate measure of individual learners' true ability.
- Takes care to not communicate low expectations and instead, show faith that's students will do their best within their own unique abilities (providing multiple learning and evaluation methods in which for them to do so)
- Makes sure students get useful feedback (honest but constructive and focused on improvement) on progress.
- Asks high order questions that require deeper responses (such as what, where, why, when, and how?) Then, provides the time for learners to construct well thought out responses, and provide relevant examples.
- Encourages and emphasizes good presentations of student work as much as the content, so learners realize the importance and expectation of both and take pride in their products. (Classroom Management Success: Principles and Practice, 2014)
Source:
How to Create A Positive Classroom Climate to Help Your Students Become Successful Learners. (2014) Classroom Management Success: Principles and Practice. By @ClassManSuccess. Retrieved on July 24, 2014
