Classroom Environment Plan

Classroom Environment Plan

Chris Fiore EDI 385

Classroom Environment Plan To be an effective and efficient teacher it is important to understand the

environment of your classroom. The classroom is a place for positive intellectual growth, and an atmosphere must be created in which the minds of our youth are paramount. A variety of classroom management practices, effective teaching methods, and student and self-disciplinary attitudes must be considered when creating a plan for an effective and efficient classroom. The creation of a classroom environment plan is an ideal beginning for any future teacher. One of the most important parts of a classroom environment plan is the way you manage the atmosphere of your classroom. This practice can begin as early as the first day. It is said that, students want a safe, predictable, and nurturing environment one that is consistent. (Wong & Wong, 2009) and this can be achieved with an appropriate introduction. On the first day of school greeting each student as they enter is key. Greet them by name, either memorized beforehand or with the help of a chart, and let them know that they are not just another student statistic. By showing them a caring and compassionate nature they begin to understand that this will be a nurturing environment. Before your students enter the classroom you must devise its layout. Clearly mark items that will be used within the classroom. During the first day introduce your students to the room. Give them a tour of important locations and stress areas that are essential, spaces to deliver finished work for example. As their familiarity with their surroundings builds they will see the classroom as a safe environment they can navigate with little effort, an environment that is predictable. Vital to the atmosphere of your classroom are the rules that shall be established in it. The introduction of a class syllabus handout on the first day allows students to

Classroom Environment Plan understand what is required of them within the classroom (Harris & Parkes, 2002). The syllabus must include policies to be followed within the classroom, important dates that must be noted, and the scale on which their effort shall be evaluated. By having this

organized and clearly present information they can look ahead and have a sense of safety within the classroom. All of these are important for the first day and every day of the school year when generating a consistent and managed classroom. The first day can also help greatly when devising the teaching methods to use within your classroom. Academic and disciplinary learning can only happen when the student is able to identify with the material in a deeper way. The knowledge gap that exists between introduced knowledge and previous knowledge can be filled by addressing students personal identities (Buehl, 2011). Take the first day and week as an opportunity to learn about your class and allow them to learn about you. This can be done through friendly exercises in which students interview each other. Share with the students and build a rapport with them. When you have an active and positive relationship with your students they will be more inclined to listen to your words and be receptive to your lessons. When they know you and understand you they will not want to disappoint you. This, however, does not mean that the teacher is their close friend. There must be a comfortable balance of rapport and authority within the classroom. A nurturing attitude that is not afraid to act when necessary. Collaboration is key within the classroom, and the earlier this is taught the better. A set of rules should be established that address how to work in groups, to allow for a safe and educational experience (Garmston & Zimmerman, 2013). This collaborative compact can also address and reinforce rules regarding attitude within the classroom.

Classroom Environment Plan There are plenty of collaborative methods that have proven effective through the years. For instance the Jigsaw (Bevevino & Snodgrass, 1998) is a way to break up literacy and topic comprehension between groups. By working together each student learns from the other, being introduced to new ways of thinking and new perspectives to see the topic through. Each group is also responsible for the other groups and the students will feel more inclined to work toward the community. This thought applies whenever there is a gradual release of responsibility to the student. When they feel involved with the class they will participate to see their actions help those around them. Technology has become an increasingly useful teaching tool and way to connect with students. Online programs are readily available to display information on the class that can be beneficial for students that miss class or need further help in understanding a

concept. There is also the possibility to place primary material on the web. Lectures can be performed through online video, allowing students a chance to stop and re-watch any part that is eluding their understanding. This allows for class time to be used for review and project based work. This also takes away those note taking moments in which boredom is high and disruption has a chance to occur. Digitizing the work also prevents loss and destruction of materials, allowing any student that is without important papers to view and review them with little hassle. A technologically integrated classroom allows the students more tools to help in their comprehension of the material. One of the pioneers of the 20th century classroom was Rudolph Dreikurs. He believed that, Good discipline occurs best in a democratic classroom, one in which teacher and students work together to make decisions about how the class will function. (Charles, 2008). With this as a focus, the teacher and students should agree on a

Classroom Environment Plan classroom contract. This will be an accord to explain the expectations of both parties when they are working toward intellectual growth. Truthfully, there should only be one golden rule within any classroom: That any actions that disrupt the flow of the learning experience are not permitted (Foley, 2012). However, students will begin to test the

limits of this singular rule. Thus, it is important to determine what will be the appropriate behavior for each student and for the teacher within the classroom in a democratic way. When they have a personal stake in the established rules of the classroom, the students will be less likely to break them. This means that the teacher must also abide by what is established, within best reason, to set a solid example for the students. Allowing the students a larger active part in the classroom can also help with their academic esteem. This instance applies more toward a visual arts classroom, but can be adapted to classrooms that utilize project-based work. Many students see their work as a means to and end. They do the work, they get the grade, and they throw their work away. By allowing for both a classroom viewing space and a public viewing space for projects the student are given a chance to have their work displayed. They feel pride as their school community views their finished project. By giving them the chance to act as curators for these displays they feel more involved with the class and school community (Clayton, 2002). They are now responsible for how their community views their work and understands what they do. This also allows the school to act more as a collective whole instead of just sections of academic discipline. The community grows in a positive way as it begins to act as a collective whole. The creation of a classroom environment plan is an ideal beginning for any teacher. This plan is a collection of thoughts on classroom management, effective

Classroom Environment Plan teaching methods, and disciplinary attitudes that help when creating an atmosphere of safety and positive intellectual growth within the classroom. When deciding what needs to be done from that first day of class to the end of the year it is important to organize

specific techniques into a usable and adaptable blueprint for your classroom environment.

Classroom Environment Plan References Bevevino, M. M., & Snodgrass, D. M. (1998). Revisting cooperative learning And making it work: Success with cooperative learning on the secondary level. NASSP Bulletin, 82(597), 64-69. Buehl, Doug. (2011). Developing readers in the academic disciplines. Newark, DE: International Reading Association. Charles, C. M. (2008). Building classroom discipline. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Clayton, Marlynn K. (2002). Displaying student work. Responsive Classroom Newsletter, 2(4). Retrieved from https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/article/ displaying-student-work

Foley, Dave. (2012). Ultimate classroom management handbook (2nd ed.). St. Paul, MN: Jist Works. Garmston, R. J., & Zimmerman, D. P. (2013). The collaborative compact. Journal of Staff Development, 34(2), 10-14, 16, 42. Retrieved from http://search. proquest.com.ezproxy.gvsu.edu/docview/1399280079?accountid=39473 Harris, M. B., & Parkes, J. (2002). The purposes of a syllabus. College Teaching, 50(2), 55-61. Wong, H. K., & Wong, R. T. (2009). The first days of school: How to be an effective teacher. Mountain View, CA: Harry K. Wong Publishing.