An educator cannot create a positive and effective learning environment alone. Only with families, students, and colleagues can the educator develop shared values and expectations that create a positive and nurturing learning climate. It is important that the educator design learning experiences that build self-direction, foster positive social interaction, and develop collaboration skills. The educator ought to set the example for proper communication in the learning environment and reinforce the expectations to which students are held.
In order for the teacher to create an environment in which students are able to learn, she must create behavioral expectations, communicate them clearly, and enforce them consistently. My classroom management plan outlines clearly what my expectations are, how I will communicate them, as well as how I will enforce them. Introducing classroom expectations on the first day of school is especially important for getting a good start to the year.
I demonstrate my understanding of this professional standard through the Student Interest Survey. Even though I had spent a few weeks with my students prior to starting my unit, I had not had many opportunities to get to know them individually. So, on the first day of my unit, I passed out this survey and gave my students a few minutes to answer some basic questions about themselves. I filled out the survey myself and posted my answers on the projector for the students to get to know me and use my answers as a model. Through this survey, I started my unit by communicating to my students that I care about them as people and want to know them individually.
Another example of how I adhere to this standard is by facilitating classroom debates. During my Transcendentalism unit, I engaged the class in a 4-corner debate in which they wrestled with the statement “Humans belong outside.” I created four signs and hung one in each corner of the room. Students had to go to the corner of the room that matched how they felt about that statement – they could choose from strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree. Then students had to work together to reason through why they felt they way they did, and present their thoughts to the rest of the class in an effort to change other students’ minds. Students were not allowed to interrupt each other and had designated time for rebuttals.
For more information about my perspective on this professional standard, please see my reflections on learning environments.