Critical components to creating a positive classroom culture
Although
a classroom environment and culture cannot be complete controlled,
however, there are things that can be done to help make it a positive
environment. After talking to one of my colleagues Mrs. Rawhoof, who
teaches 5th grade, we
discussed several factors that are important to creating a positive
classroom culture for students. It is important to make sure the
classroom environments works for all that are involved teachers,
students and parents. Often as educators, we tend to create classroom
environments that work for us a teachers but not meet the needs of the
students. For example, to start a child’s day it is important to make
sure you greet each student as they in to the classroom and ensure they
fell welcome in the classroom. It is important to set routines for
children because many kids need structure and routines.
Build meaningful relationships with the children and the families
One
way that she build meaningful relationships with her students is she
shares her life with them and allows them to share their lives with her.
Every Monday she does share our weekends, where each student get a few
minutes to share how they spent their weekends. This allows for students
to get to know each other and feel part of the classroom. Also, she
attends sports events that students are involved in. She also shares her
personal cell phone number with parents to allow them to let them know
that she is available to them and has a an open line of communication.
Unique approaches to building a positive classroom culture
Fifth
graders are a special group of students they are finding themselves and
starting to enter into puberty. They are very social and need a lot of
social interactions with peers and adults. At the age it is important to
never act inappropriately towards them or their actions. It is
important to make sure that one does not embarrass students this age in
front of other students. She feels it is important to build a strong relationship through guidance and nurturing.
What challenges did the teacher face?
In
this particular classroom, it is has mix of students from IEP, EIP,
ESOL, and grade level students. However, majority of the students did
have IEP’s and it makes building a positive culture a little more
difficult. The main issues was that majority of the students had variety
of personalities (immature, behaviors issues, emotional issues or
constant need for attention) and they did not mesh well. With that being
said, it can be very difficult to manage a classroom with such a wide
variety of issues. Despite all the challenges that Mrs. Rawhoof’s faces
as a teacher, she still believes that it is important to encourage her
students so they do not give up. According to
Cultural considerations
Majority
of Mrs. Rawhoof’s class is African American and in the middle class to
lower middle class range. She feels that it is important that the
students learn about one another in order to set the tone of respect in
her classroom. Also, that they share their various cultural experiences
whenever they can in order to build a level of respect for cultural
differences. According
to DiTullio (2014), “Human nature is predictable. We’re less likely to
be hurtful to people we know and view as friends than people with whom
we are only vaguely acquainted” (p.38). Making sure that students are actively listening to one another during this time as well.
Improving this positive classroom culture
Research
has shown that children who have positive academic experiences ted to
have better academic outcomes. It is important that students feel that
they can trust their teacher and peers in the classroom. According to
Ditullio (2014), “Educators should consider several important factors
when designing a classroom that promotes resiliency development. These
factors include having students develop trusting relationships with one
another and adults, building competence, building confidence, creating
opportunities for risk taking, and creating engaging learning
experiences that challenge students to think and problem solve” (p.36).
Provide a safe, positive environment not only encourages students to
grow, but also be academically successful. Building positive
relationships are essential to creating a positive classroom culture. As
noted in DiTullio (2014), “Teachers may believe that this is a waste of
precious teaching time, but taking time to develop these relationships
is essential to creating an environment where students are comfortable
working together, taking risks, and engaging in challenging learning
experiences (p.38).
DiTullio, G. (2014). Classroom Culture Promotes Academic Resiliency. Phi Delta Kappan, 96(2), 37
