Unit 1: Climate and Culture of the Learning Environment
Activity 1: Introduction to Classroom Climate
00:16
The teacher is individually greeting the students in a friendly manner as they enter the classroom. This lets the students know that the teachers cares about them. I would use this in my classroom in a similar way to ensure that my students know that I care about them too. Studies show that students learn better and try harder in class when they like their teacher.
01:31
The teacher makes sure to call each student by their name and pronounces their names correctly. I would make sure to do the same in my classroom as students react more positively when you call them by their preferred name.
02:33
The teacher is understanding when his students are on the wrong page of their books. He doesn't embarrass the students and lets them know he knows why they may be sleepy or bored (double maths before the class). I could do similar by making sure I know which class precedes the lesson I teach or looking out for other sings (is the lesson just before lunch etc.
04:42
The teacher makes sure to admit they were wrong and apologize. This is a good habit to have in the classroom and behaviour to model for the students. I would make sure to admit when I make a mistake in the classroom too, as failure is an intregral part of learning and we don't want students to be afrait od making mistakes.
06:15
The teacher is allowing the students to engage in a collaborative activity and also explains the why (that it's a 21st Century skill that they will need to use daily in their future). I need to make sure in my classes that when collaboration is happening, students understand why it is happening.
06:51
The teacher is making sure to build an environment where people feel heard and listen to each other. This is really important as if students listen to each other, they will put more effort into the task. I do think the teacher could explain why the students should listen to the speaker (maybe they will learn something from him!) I could implement this in my classes by demonstrating to the students what it looks like to be an active listener.
08:35
The teacher remains calm and polite when talking to students who are not listening. He explains what he needs (total silence) and also explains that it will only be for a short time (2 minutes) so that students are more likely to mentally know they can be silent for a short time, then enjoy a game afterwards. I would use this in my classroom to ensure students know how long they need to be silent for, as if they're not told, they might assume it's for the rest of the lesson and become despondent.
09:48
I like that the teacher promotes pair work and grouping genders. By allowing less familiar students to work together, it helps build rapport and improve the classroom environment. However I think having each pair boy/girl would make it fairer so no students feel picked on or excluded. In my class I would try to make this more equitable.
12:44
The teacher is using a game to make learning fun. This helps create a positive classroom environment and a community of learners. While students are playing, the teacher is monitoring each group and making sure they help each student the appropriate amount. I would implement this in my classroom, by making sure that I allow students to do more pairwork and fun activities which help build a community of learners.
15:00
Summary: I think this teacher did a good job os fostering a community of learners. He treated all students with respect and was firm, but fair with the way he dealt with students. Students would feel safe and welcome being a part of this classroom and would definitely feel a sense of belonging. The teacher made sure to admit mistakes when he made them and also allows the students to engage in lots of pair and group work. I would suggest that the teacher have more routines in the class. For example, students didn't seem to know when the teacher needed them to be quiet, or when to raise their hand, or what partner to work with; all these decisions seemed to happen on the fly. Routine is important and I think the teacher should implement more of it in their classroom.
The teacher is individually greeting the students in a friendly manner as they enter the classroom. This lets the students know that the teachers cares about them. I would use this in my classroom in a similar way to ensure that my students know that I care about them too. Studies show that students learn better and try harder in class when they like their teacher.
01:31
The teacher makes sure to call each student by their name and pronounces their names correctly. I would make sure to do the same in my classroom as students react more positively when you call them by their preferred name.
02:33
The teacher is understanding when his students are on the wrong page of their books. He doesn't embarrass the students and lets them know he knows why they may be sleepy or bored (double maths before the class). I could do similar by making sure I know which class precedes the lesson I teach or looking out for other sings (is the lesson just before lunch etc.
04:42
The teacher makes sure to admit they were wrong and apologize. This is a good habit to have in the classroom and behaviour to model for the students. I would make sure to admit when I make a mistake in the classroom too, as failure is an intregral part of learning and we don't want students to be afrait od making mistakes.
06:15
The teacher is allowing the students to engage in a collaborative activity and also explains the why (that it's a 21st Century skill that they will need to use daily in their future). I need to make sure in my classes that when collaboration is happening, students understand why it is happening.
06:51
The teacher is making sure to build an environment where people feel heard and listen to each other. This is really important as if students listen to each other, they will put more effort into the task. I do think the teacher could explain why the students should listen to the speaker (maybe they will learn something from him!) I could implement this in my classes by demonstrating to the students what it looks like to be an active listener.
08:35
The teacher remains calm and polite when talking to students who are not listening. He explains what he needs (total silence) and also explains that it will only be for a short time (2 minutes) so that students are more likely to mentally know they can be silent for a short time, then enjoy a game afterwards. I would use this in my classroom to ensure students know how long they need to be silent for, as if they're not told, they might assume it's for the rest of the lesson and become despondent.
09:48
I like that the teacher promotes pair work and grouping genders. By allowing less familiar students to work together, it helps build rapport and improve the classroom environment. However I think having each pair boy/girl would make it fairer so no students feel picked on or excluded. In my class I would try to make this more equitable.
12:44
The teacher is using a game to make learning fun. This helps create a positive classroom environment and a community of learners. While students are playing, the teacher is monitoring each group and making sure they help each student the appropriate amount. I would implement this in my classroom, by making sure that I allow students to do more pairwork and fun activities which help build a community of learners.
15:00
Summary: I think this teacher did a good job os fostering a community of learners. He treated all students with respect and was firm, but fair with the way he dealt with students. Students would feel safe and welcome being a part of this classroom and would definitely feel a sense of belonging. The teacher made sure to admit mistakes when he made them and also allows the students to engage in lots of pair and group work. I would suggest that the teacher have more routines in the class. For example, students didn't seem to know when the teacher needed them to be quiet, or when to raise their hand, or what partner to work with; all these decisions seemed to happen on the fly. Routine is important and I think the teacher should implement more of it in their classroom.
00:20
The teacher is greeting each students and making to say their names in order to make them feel welcome in the (virtual) classroom. It's important for students to feel that welcoming voice to remind them that school is a safe, fun environment where they will look forward to going to each day. I would make sure to do the same in my classroom.
01:00
The teacher asks the students how they are feeling. He is enquiring about their state of mind and also letting to the students know he cares about them and that they are valued. It's important for teachers to establish rapport with their learners and for learners to know that their teacher cares about them. I would do this in my classroom by making sure to asks students how they are at the start of the lesson and also make sure to ask other questions which shows I care and know what's happening with their lives (Eg if they had a sport meet of field trip recently).
01:56
The teacher clearly has the routine of 'hands off keyboard' drilled with the students as they all quickly follow him. He also uses a physical gesture to show them, which is useful for visual learners. This leads me to believe that the teacher makes use of other useful routines daily in their lessons. Let's see. I would use a similar command to this teacher in my lessons.
03:42
The teacher turns an unclear answer into a clear one. The teacher's tone of voice remains positive and seeks clarification from the student. This lets children feel valued and not their their answer was 'wrong' or 'bad'. Here the teacher is building students' confidence in order to create a positive classroom environment. I would use this in my classroom, by helping students who give an unclear answer form it into something more solid.
04:07
The teacher makes sure to praise the answers from the students and add an extra piece of information. Students are more likely to respond in the future if they know they are being listened to and their answer valued. I would use this in my class by not just saying 'good job' but by adding onto what the student has said to make them know i really heard them.
05:38
The teacher scaffolds the activity well, which will ensure that all students have a chance to excel in it. This helps create a positive environment in the classroom by allowing all students to comprehend the task. The teacher also explains the task with a clear, calm voice and speaks at a slow speed. I would also implement scaffolding of harder tasks in my classroom.
06:42
The teacher explains that students need to listen to their classmates when speaking. This is an important thing that many overlook. However I would have liked the teacher to explain why the students need to listen to each other when talking. I would make sure to explain the why in my classroom: Students should listen to each other as they might learn something new, and if you don't listen to others, you can't expect them to listen to you.
09:59
The teacher inspires confidence in the student Noel by praising him and saying he was chosen as he knows he'll do a great job. This kind of praise is likely to inspire the student and have them to do a good job to live up to the praise they were given and the expectation of success in their teacher's eyes. In my class I would make sure to assign certains parts of projects to students who are interested in them and then make sure to publicly praise them for them to gain confidence.
11:00
The teacher remains calm and kind throughout the lesson. He doesn't get flustered or frustrated and speaks to the students in a calm and respectful way. I would make sure to do the same in my lessons.
12:16
The teacher makes sure to reassure students that they have no reason to be scared or worried, that this activity is just for fun. It's important that students feel safe in the classroom and it is the teacher's job to achieve this. I like that the teacher said this after sensing that one of their students (Katie) looked a little stressed. This small step is quite important in order to foster a happy learning environment and a respectful and motivated community of learners.
13:21
The teacher made sure to provide positive reinforcement. Students learn better when motivated and encouraged. I will make sure to do the same with students in my classroom.
14:00
The teacher is very caring and calm. The teacher helps the student and finds out what the student needs. The teacher even thanks the student for their suggestion. This level of respect is great for modelling the behaviour that the teacher wants their students to show towards one another. I would use this strategy of thanking my students and being polite in the classroom to help demonstrate and model such behaviour to my other students.
14:29
The teacher uses more positive reinforcement and praises the class as a whole. Students thrive of positive reinforcement, so it's important for teachers to praise students when necessary. This teacher makes sure to praise all students, not just one or two of the 'best', in order to let everyone know that they are a valued member of the classroom. I would make sure to praise each and every one of my students too so they can feel positive about coming to school and belonging in the class.
15:05
Summary: I think that the teacher did a really good job of building a community of learners and creating a fun, safe and positive environment with their students. The teacher spoke to students with respect and made sure to address the students by name and praise them when they deserved it. The teacher also thanked the students for their hard work at the end of the lesson. This makes students feel valued and much more likely to try again in the next lesson. I think the teacher also did a good job with speaking calmly and dealt with any issues in a sensitive matter. The teacher was careful not to embarrass any of the students too. The teacher made sure to address students' individual needs. This makes students feel a sense of belonging in the classroom, which fosters a better classroom climate and culture.
The teacher is greeting each students and making to say their names in order to make them feel welcome in the (virtual) classroom. It's important for students to feel that welcoming voice to remind them that school is a safe, fun environment where they will look forward to going to each day. I would make sure to do the same in my classroom.
01:00
The teacher asks the students how they are feeling. He is enquiring about their state of mind and also letting to the students know he cares about them and that they are valued. It's important for teachers to establish rapport with their learners and for learners to know that their teacher cares about them. I would do this in my classroom by making sure to asks students how they are at the start of the lesson and also make sure to ask other questions which shows I care and know what's happening with their lives (Eg if they had a sport meet of field trip recently).
01:56
The teacher clearly has the routine of 'hands off keyboard' drilled with the students as they all quickly follow him. He also uses a physical gesture to show them, which is useful for visual learners. This leads me to believe that the teacher makes use of other useful routines daily in their lessons. Let's see. I would use a similar command to this teacher in my lessons.
03:42
The teacher turns an unclear answer into a clear one. The teacher's tone of voice remains positive and seeks clarification from the student. This lets children feel valued and not their their answer was 'wrong' or 'bad'. Here the teacher is building students' confidence in order to create a positive classroom environment. I would use this in my classroom, by helping students who give an unclear answer form it into something more solid.
04:07
The teacher makes sure to praise the answers from the students and add an extra piece of information. Students are more likely to respond in the future if they know they are being listened to and their answer valued. I would use this in my class by not just saying 'good job' but by adding onto what the student has said to make them know i really heard them.
05:38
The teacher scaffolds the activity well, which will ensure that all students have a chance to excel in it. This helps create a positive environment in the classroom by allowing all students to comprehend the task. The teacher also explains the task with a clear, calm voice and speaks at a slow speed. I would also implement scaffolding of harder tasks in my classroom.
06:42
The teacher explains that students need to listen to their classmates when speaking. This is an important thing that many overlook. However I would have liked the teacher to explain why the students need to listen to each other when talking. I would make sure to explain the why in my classroom: Students should listen to each other as they might learn something new, and if you don't listen to others, you can't expect them to listen to you.
09:59
The teacher inspires confidence in the student Noel by praising him and saying he was chosen as he knows he'll do a great job. This kind of praise is likely to inspire the student and have them to do a good job to live up to the praise they were given and the expectation of success in their teacher's eyes. In my class I would make sure to assign certains parts of projects to students who are interested in them and then make sure to publicly praise them for them to gain confidence.
11:00
The teacher remains calm and kind throughout the lesson. He doesn't get flustered or frustrated and speaks to the students in a calm and respectful way. I would make sure to do the same in my lessons.
12:16
The teacher makes sure to reassure students that they have no reason to be scared or worried, that this activity is just for fun. It's important that students feel safe in the classroom and it is the teacher's job to achieve this. I like that the teacher said this after sensing that one of their students (Katie) looked a little stressed. This small step is quite important in order to foster a happy learning environment and a respectful and motivated community of learners.
13:21
The teacher made sure to provide positive reinforcement. Students learn better when motivated and encouraged. I will make sure to do the same with students in my classroom.
14:00
The teacher is very caring and calm. The teacher helps the student and finds out what the student needs. The teacher even thanks the student for their suggestion. This level of respect is great for modelling the behaviour that the teacher wants their students to show towards one another. I would use this strategy of thanking my students and being polite in the classroom to help demonstrate and model such behaviour to my other students.
14:29
The teacher uses more positive reinforcement and praises the class as a whole. Students thrive of positive reinforcement, so it's important for teachers to praise students when necessary. This teacher makes sure to praise all students, not just one or two of the 'best', in order to let everyone know that they are a valued member of the classroom. I would make sure to praise each and every one of my students too so they can feel positive about coming to school and belonging in the class.
15:05
Summary: I think that the teacher did a really good job of building a community of learners and creating a fun, safe and positive environment with their students. The teacher spoke to students with respect and made sure to address the students by name and praise them when they deserved it. The teacher also thanked the students for their hard work at the end of the lesson. This makes students feel valued and much more likely to try again in the next lesson. I think the teacher also did a good job with speaking calmly and dealt with any issues in a sensitive matter. The teacher was careful not to embarrass any of the students too. The teacher made sure to address students' individual needs. This makes students feel a sense of belonging in the classroom, which fosters a better classroom climate and culture.
Activity 2: Building a Positive Climate and Culture
We made a padlet together as a group. I also started my Plan for Managing the Learning Environment. Below is part 1: Classroom Climate and Culture
Reflection: A positive classroom climate is one in which students feel safe, valued and respected. Furthermore, it is a welcoming environment which embraces and fosters students’ natural creativity, curiosity and desire to learn. The importance of a positive environment for students should not be underestimated.
The physical classroom itself should be a welcoming place that is decorated with students’ work. Students should have autonomy in helping to decorate the classroom and also take pride in keeping it tidy. Students should feel safe and happy in the classroom. There should be a sense of routine so that learners feel confident and comfortable in class.
Every student should feel a sense of belonging. Each student should be able to identify what individual strengths they bring to the classroom, the individual strengths of their peers and also the combined strengths of the class as a whole. Students should feel empowered and have the confidence to speak their minds and fully participate in all tasks during class. Students should feel that their opinion matters and that they have a voice. Students should be able to realise they are all valued members of the class.
Strategies for Positive Classroom Climate
Reflection: A positive classroom climate is one in which students feel safe, valued and respected. Furthermore, it is a welcoming environment which embraces and fosters students’ natural creativity, curiosity and desire to learn. The importance of a positive environment for students should not be underestimated.
The physical classroom itself should be a welcoming place that is decorated with students’ work. Students should have autonomy in helping to decorate the classroom and also take pride in keeping it tidy. Students should feel safe and happy in the classroom. There should be a sense of routine so that learners feel confident and comfortable in class.
Every student should feel a sense of belonging. Each student should be able to identify what individual strengths they bring to the classroom, the individual strengths of their peers and also the combined strengths of the class as a whole. Students should feel empowered and have the confidence to speak their minds and fully participate in all tasks during class. Students should feel that their opinion matters and that they have a voice. Students should be able to realise they are all valued members of the class.
Strategies for Positive Classroom Climate
- Safety in the classroom: Students should feel both physically and emotionally safe at all times while at school. Physical safety is more obvious to look out for and easier to deal with, however emotional safety is something that can sometimes sneak under the radar. It is vital that teachers ensure each and every student feels emotionally safe in the classroom as students do not learn to the best of their ability if they feel unsafe. A student who feels unsafe may not feel confident enough to try in class, share their ideas, speak their mind, or work collaboratively with peers. Teachers can foster a safe environment for students through leading by example. Students mimic their teachers and if the teacher treats all students with respect, students are more likely to do so too. Furthermore, diversity needs to be celebrated in the classroom, so students can appreciate their differences and feel confident with being themselves. This can make students feel more comfortable about themselves, and also educates all students and allows them to know that it’s great to be different.
- Praise: Praise is very motivating for students and is an important part of building a positive classroom environment. Students crave attention, and praise them allows students to get positive attention, rather than negative. It is important to note that different students require different kinds of praise based on a number of things such as their backgrounds and personalities. Some students prefer public praise, while others get embarrassed and like it delivered in private. Praise should always be specific, timely, genuine and deserved. It should acknowledge effort over achievement and be teacher-given, not student-requested. Praise should not only come from the teacher, but also classmates. Teachers can facilitate students praising each other through daily or weekly class meetings where students are given the chance to praise their peers.
- Respect: Students learn better when they are part of an environment of mutual respect. When students feel that they are respected by their peers, their confidence increases and they are more likely to excel. Additionally, when students respect their classmates, they are usually more willing to work collaboratively with them and learn from them. To foster an environment of respect in the classroom, the teacher first needs to lead by example and respect all students. Furthermore, the teacher needs to give all students a chance to shine and show off their skills. This can be through making sure there is enough of a variety of skills and cross-curricula activities being used in the classroom. Eg in a grade 1 mathematics lesson, a student who is low at mathematics but good at sports, might be given the chance to jump rope a certain amount of time while the other students count and add. This strengths-based approach focuses on what students can do rather than what they can’t. Seeing their peers succeed in the classroom increases students’ respect for each other.
- Autonomy: Students should feel empowered and part of the decision making process in the classroom. It’s important to teach students to be independent and provide them the agency to be productive and responsible members of the classroom. As a teacher it is a natural feeling to want to help students as much as possible, but this can lead to teachers doing too much for the student, rather than teaching the student to be self-sufficient. Students should be taught the skills of being an autonomous learner. To do this, teachers should first empower the students by giving them a say in what happens in the class. Students should participate in setting (and adhering to) the classroom rules and should routinely participate in classroom meetings. Additionally, students should have defined roles in the classroom such as sweeper, board cleaner, book giver etc. These roles should be well defined and rotated each week or so to let all students gain these important life skills. When students feel like they are helping to run the class and it is collectively ‘theirs’ rather than their teachers, they are much more likely to treat the classroom, and each other, with respect. Learning these skills also benefits them academically as once they learn not to rely on their teacher to clean and organise the classroom, they can start to be more autonomous with their expectations towards learning too.
- Safety in the classroom: Physical safety is not applicable in the virtually learning environment, but emotional safety is. Teachers need to be sure that no bullying is taking place and discuss with the class the importance of online safety. The teacher also needs to make sure students are only assigned age-appropriate websites
- Praise: Students can still be praised publicly, or privately in break-out rooms. Teachers can also type a private message to privately praise more introverted students. Class meetings can still be held where students can praise each other. Also, on many platforms, students can also give a 'thumbs up' or other reward for praise.
- Respect: Be patient with students. Online learning is confusing and many students are still not used to it. Others don’t have the required technology skills. Don’t be quick to anger if some students can’t follow instructions (eg following hyperlinks, muting mics or joining breakout groups). Remember to treat all students with respect at all times. Furthermore, get to know your learners’ personalities. Some students will want to speak more, while others prefer to listen; and that’s OK. Make sure to respect the learning styles and preferences of your students. Remember to practice equity over equality here; students don’t need to be treated exactly the same for equity to take place.
- Autonomy: Autonomy is perhaps even more important to foster with online-learning, as the teacher physically can’t be there to do things for their students. Class roles can still be given in online classes, but roles changed. New roles could include note taker, attendance taker and time keeper. Students can also be put in break-out rooms and be given roles within such as group leader. Students can also have deadlines to submit their assignments by email and be in charge of making sure their peers have submitted on time, rather than being reminded by parents or teachers.