Developing a Positive Climate in the Classroom

Before I started this unit, I would have thought that creating a positive classroom climate was a matter of a confident, caring and charismatic teacher being in charge of the students.  I thought that an engaged teacher would be the lead to engage students.  Even though that will be a good start to create a positive classroom environment there are a few more considerations. 

I have never been a teacher or in charge of a classroom.  But, after reading the supporting material for this module, I came up with a list of considerations I must take into account when I start practicing as a teacher.  This list should help me to navigate the route to a positive classroom climate that fosters learning.  My goal in making this list is not just to promote a positive environment, but also to foster a learning environment suitable for all of my students. 

1.     Take the first day of school as important as the rest of the school year!  The very first day of school can be very powerful in setting a tone for at least a few days.  It is in my own best interest to get to know my students and give them an introduction of myself on the very first day.  This may facilitate a sense of working together as a team.  

2.     Invest time in getting to know my students in the first few days of school: In any given classroom there will be students with different needs.  Perhaps they will have different learning styles, personalities, experiences and preconceptions that will shape their interaction in the classroom.  Identifying students who may be at risk of developing negative behavior and including them in appropriate activities is critical to prevent a negative classroom climate.

3.     Invest time in setting classroom rules and expectation:  Teaching students how to behave to succeed in a classroom is very important for teachers.  Knowing rules and expectations will give students a safe environment to focus on learning.  Much of the literature emphasizes this at the beginning of the school year.  However, it is important for teachers to reinforce rules and expectations throughout the school year.  Including appropriate rules and expectations in rubrics, for example, can support this reinforcement. 

4.     Being attentive to students in the good and the bad: It is very easy for teachers to pay more attention to students who do very well or very bad.  Either way, reinforcing only one behavior without addressing the other may create negativity in the classroom.  Giving a name to negative behavior could be useful to students while addressing negative situations.  For example, if a student is being physically aggressive to other students, the student may suffer from an anger management problem.  Giving a name to the behavior may help my student to realize the dynamics, as well as giving specific strategies to prevent a situation happening.

5.     Developing an exciting curriculum that engages students: The development of a good curriculum could be a tool to keep my students engaged in the learning process.  I would need to have in mind considerations such as specific, yet flexible learning goals, student needs and interests, type of instructional experiences, type of assignments and assessments, and type of resources.  All of this to make sure the learning process is exciting, challenging and fun for my students.

6.    Making students aware of themselves: In this unit I have learned something important that I have not considered before; it is student self-regulation.  This important process will give students important tools to control themselves in different situations.   To accomplish this, I would promote students’ responsibility for their own behavior.  Setting clear rules and expectations is part of this process.  In addition, I would ask students to reflect on their behavior, either independently or as a group, to look for alternative positive behaviors or solutions to specific issues. 

7.     Taking care of the teacher within: I have realized that it will be on my shoulders to develop and maintain a positive classroom climate to maximize the student learning process.   Ideally, the school will support a philosophy that enables me to put all the above considerations in practice.  However, I have also realized that schools and teachers are often pulled in different directions to implement regulations and procedures that may at times interfere with a fun and positive learning environment.  Involving other teachers or professionals, such as psychologists or learning specialists, while handling challenging students or challenging classroom climates could give me a good perspective, while at the same time helping me keep my sanity.

Having these considerations in mind could be a good start for me to develop a positive classroom climate.  My ultimate goal as a teacher would be to use appropriate management classroom strategies that promote student self-control to maximize the students’ learning in an exciting, dynamic and safe environment for all.  Remembering to constantly evaluate strategies is an important part of this process.  This would give me the opportunity to either reinforce strategies that are working, or to take away strategies that are not.  The learning process should be as dynamic as humans are.

Reference Material:

Marzano, R., Marzano, J & Pickering, D. Classroom Management that Works: Research-Based Strategies for Every Teacher (2003) Association for Supervision of Curriculum Development. ISBN 0-87120-793-1.

American Psychological Association.  Practical Classroom Management (2013, March 11) Retrieve from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCETWG43krY

Robinson, K., How to Scape the Death Valley. Ted Talks Series (2013, May 13) Retrieve from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX78iKhInsc