Classroom Climate
Classroom climate can be defined as the prevailing attitudes, standards, and environmental conditions that exist in an area (Merriam-Webster, 2008). In my classroom it is important that the climate meets the needs of the students and enables learning at the highest level. I believe that for learning to happen students must have their needs meet. As stated by Linda Albert it is important for students to achieve the 3C’s (Charles 2005, p.201). For example, if a student is focus on being connected to other students in the classroom, he/she will likely act out in attempts to be noticed; this only hinders learning. Because there is such a high need for students to feel as though they are connected, capable, and valuable contributors, these are the concepts I have focused on building my classroom climate around.
Connected
My goal is for students to feel connected to me, their peers, and the classroom.
I will work to build relationships with students in a few ways. The first is by meeting them and their family before school. Meeting at this time will allow the student and I to meet when the student should have very little stress; if the first time meeting was on the first day they feel the stress of riding a new bus, meeting new peers, leaving their parents, etc. On the first day I have the students fill out a “Things That Interest Me” survey; this will allow me to make connections with the students when they are at the “All About Ms. Hale” center. Throughout the year I will maintain a positive relationship with students by always complimenting them on the things I see them do.
Students’ connection to the peers will be built in the first few weeks and throughout the year with the activities I have planned and the way I have arranged the room. In the first weeks of school I have planned several “Getting to Know You” activities. I have arranged students to work as groups for several assignments and centers will always be in groups. Several of the classroom jobs require students to work together. Students will also have to work together to earn “time” chips. This procedure was designed for student collaboration and so that students realize how their actions affect others.
At the beginning of the year I will be doing a lot of work to insure that students feel as though the classroom is “their classroom”. One of the ways I will do this is by having students’ pictures all over the room. They will model for pictures that will go on the FabFive poster, the job chart, and the magnets on the Lunchbox board, just to name a few. Students will also create banners to make their desks more personal. Later in the year student work will be hung in several places in the class.
I will work to build relationships with students in a few ways. The first is by meeting them and their family before school. Meeting at this time will allow the student and I to meet when the student should have very little stress; if the first time meeting was on the first day they feel the stress of riding a new bus, meeting new peers, leaving their parents, etc. On the first day I have the students fill out a “Things That Interest Me” survey; this will allow me to make connections with the students when they are at the “All About Ms. Hale” center. Throughout the year I will maintain a positive relationship with students by always complimenting them on the things I see them do.
Students’ connection to the peers will be built in the first few weeks and throughout the year with the activities I have planned and the way I have arranged the room. In the first weeks of school I have planned several “Getting to Know You” activities. I have arranged students to work as groups for several assignments and centers will always be in groups. Several of the classroom jobs require students to work together. Students will also have to work together to earn “time” chips. This procedure was designed for student collaboration and so that students realize how their actions affect others.
At the beginning of the year I will be doing a lot of work to insure that students feel as though the classroom is “their classroom”. One of the ways I will do this is by having students’ pictures all over the room. They will model for pictures that will go on the FabFive poster, the job chart, and the magnets on the Lunchbox board, just to name a few. Students will also create banners to make their desks more personal. Later in the year student work will be hung in several places in the class.
Capable
For students to feel capable they need to believe in themselves and, as their teacher, I need to build their confidence. With my “Superstars!” procedure every time I give a student a sticker I want them to internalize the fact that they are capable of doing whatever they set their mind to. With this same intention I will be working with students who misbehave. When we fill out a “Rule Reminder” I will not focus on what they failed to do, rather what things they are capable of doing that they can fix the next time.
In my belief statement I stated my beliefs about the important of setting high, but achievable, expectations for students. If I set expectations that are too high students will feel discouraged and incompetent. In regards to my procedures, I will constantly be reassessing to insure that students are capable of following them.
In my belief statement I stated my beliefs about the important of setting high, but achievable, expectations for students. If I set expectations that are too high students will feel discouraged and incompetent. In regards to my procedures, I will constantly be reassessing to insure that students are capable of following them.
Contributing
Student interest plays a large part in my decisions about what to put into the classroom. I will be using their “Interests” surveys to stock my book shelves. Throughout the year they will be able to put suggestions for books or book topics in the “Suggestion Box”. Their interests also influence what classroom jobs they get throughout the year. If a student does not like a job, they don’t have to have that job. I want my students to know that their opinion matters and that their contributions are important to me.
Students will be seated in groups and have a job that makes their contribution to that group critical. Their contribution to the class is made evident with the “Teacher Time vs. Student Time” procedure. Students will quickly notice that their behavior affects all their peers.
Students will be seated in groups and have a job that makes their contribution to that group critical. Their contribution to the class is made evident with the “Teacher Time vs. Student Time” procedure. Students will quickly notice that their behavior affects all their peers.
Classroom Arrangment
Wong emphasizes that a well-managed classroom is task-oriented; with this in mind, I will arrange my classroom purposefully (Wong & Wong, 2005, p.88). Below is a representation of what my everyday classroom set up will be and explanations for why I have arranged it this way. It is important to me that all the elements described be organized; organization allows little room for chaos.
Morning Meeting/Rug Space
This space is where we will start and end our day. It is important that there be room for all the materials we will during this time in the area. There will be a Morning Meeting board, and what is on the board will depend on the grade. For example, in a kindergarten classroom I may have a calendar, some pattern to add to every day, or the letter we are working on that week, but for second grade I may have new vocabulary words, tens grouping charts, and temperature graphs. One thing that will always be on this board is the FabFive chart. I have included an easel in this space so we can do group writing. There are low shelves behind the rug to hold all the materials I will need for this time; “Name Bucket”, markers, books, etc. The rug is for students to sit on; the edge of the rug sets limits for how far away students can be. If they have to sit on the rug, I know that they are close enough to hear me and far enough away from distractions. This allows them to focus on the learning we will do during this time. I will be sure to find a rug that is the correct size and not too colorful. While bright patterns are fun to look at, they can also be a distraction to students.
Student Tables/Desks
Students’ seating arrangements will be changed throughout the year depending on learning goals and individual need. Generally, students will be arranged in groups of four. This is to encourage collaboration, a sense of community and belonging. The class will be using the seated groups on a daily basis to work on assignments together and they will be encouraged to ask each other their questions before they ask me.
The larger tables are made up of two smaller desks; these can be rearranged for when students are taking tests or other activities if I believe it will be more effective.
I will also have a few individual desks for students who are distracted easily or have a tendency to distract others. These students will not be left out of group projects or discussion. I will instruct them to work together or to pull a chair up to another table. These desks will only really be used for those few students during independent work; I want the students to still feel connected to the rest of the class. Sitting in these separate desks is a behavior intervention; it may be written into a Rule Reminder or talked about with a parent. Students who show they are capable of working a group will be moved back to a larger table.
Teacher’s Desk
I believe an effective teacher does not sit at his/her desk to teach the classroom; I will not be spending much time at my desk. My desk is placed to the side of the classroom, so that if I am sitting at it, I will be able to see the entire classroom. My desk will also be where the trays for homework and other papers will be. There will also be a filing cabinet near my desk to hold student files, Friday Folders, and other important paper work.
Front Wall
All students will face the whiteboard during instruction; this is where I will stand to give most of my instruction and where the projector will point. Other boards that I have on this wall are the class routine and a display for student work. I have placed the class routine in the front of the room so students will always know where it is and what they can expect for the day (Wong & Wong 2005, p.88). I have a few different displays for student work; displaying student work helps build an “I can” mentality and meeting student’s need for being capable (Charles 2005, p. 204). The “Time” jars are also on this front wall. I have placed them here for easy access and so all students can see me move the chips.
Student Charts
There are a few charts/displays that students will need to know how to use every day; the job chart, center chart, bathroom sign-out, and the Lunchbox chart. Following the Lunchbox procedure is part of the first thing student’s do when they walk in, therefore I have placed it by the door. The bin for cold lunches is located right underneath of it so students don’t need to bring their lunches much further than the door. The bathroom sign-out is also by the door so students have easy access and students can put the pass right back in its place when re-entering the room. Students will be taught how to read the center and job charts so they do not need help from me. Students will be wondering about classroom jobs as soon as they walk in the door, so this is where I placed the chart. The center board is located in the front of the class and is easy for students to access when it is center time.
Shelves/ Storage
I have a lot of shelves and storage in my classroom. The higher storage will be used for my teaching materials; however, the lower storage will be used for student’s materials. Some of these materials are for morning work materials and some of the sponge activities. There are also book shelves in my reading corner. The books on these shelves will be changed often based on student interest and learning objectives.
Morning Meeting/Rug Space
This space is where we will start and end our day. It is important that there be room for all the materials we will during this time in the area. There will be a Morning Meeting board, and what is on the board will depend on the grade. For example, in a kindergarten classroom I may have a calendar, some pattern to add to every day, or the letter we are working on that week, but for second grade I may have new vocabulary words, tens grouping charts, and temperature graphs. One thing that will always be on this board is the FabFive chart. I have included an easel in this space so we can do group writing. There are low shelves behind the rug to hold all the materials I will need for this time; “Name Bucket”, markers, books, etc. The rug is for students to sit on; the edge of the rug sets limits for how far away students can be. If they have to sit on the rug, I know that they are close enough to hear me and far enough away from distractions. This allows them to focus on the learning we will do during this time. I will be sure to find a rug that is the correct size and not too colorful. While bright patterns are fun to look at, they can also be a distraction to students.
Student Tables/Desks
Students’ seating arrangements will be changed throughout the year depending on learning goals and individual need. Generally, students will be arranged in groups of four. This is to encourage collaboration, a sense of community and belonging. The class will be using the seated groups on a daily basis to work on assignments together and they will be encouraged to ask each other their questions before they ask me.
The larger tables are made up of two smaller desks; these can be rearranged for when students are taking tests or other activities if I believe it will be more effective.
I will also have a few individual desks for students who are distracted easily or have a tendency to distract others. These students will not be left out of group projects or discussion. I will instruct them to work together or to pull a chair up to another table. These desks will only really be used for those few students during independent work; I want the students to still feel connected to the rest of the class. Sitting in these separate desks is a behavior intervention; it may be written into a Rule Reminder or talked about with a parent. Students who show they are capable of working a group will be moved back to a larger table.
Teacher’s Desk
I believe an effective teacher does not sit at his/her desk to teach the classroom; I will not be spending much time at my desk. My desk is placed to the side of the classroom, so that if I am sitting at it, I will be able to see the entire classroom. My desk will also be where the trays for homework and other papers will be. There will also be a filing cabinet near my desk to hold student files, Friday Folders, and other important paper work.
Front Wall
All students will face the whiteboard during instruction; this is where I will stand to give most of my instruction and where the projector will point. Other boards that I have on this wall are the class routine and a display for student work. I have placed the class routine in the front of the room so students will always know where it is and what they can expect for the day (Wong & Wong 2005, p.88). I have a few different displays for student work; displaying student work helps build an “I can” mentality and meeting student’s need for being capable (Charles 2005, p. 204). The “Time” jars are also on this front wall. I have placed them here for easy access and so all students can see me move the chips.
Student Charts
There are a few charts/displays that students will need to know how to use every day; the job chart, center chart, bathroom sign-out, and the Lunchbox chart. Following the Lunchbox procedure is part of the first thing student’s do when they walk in, therefore I have placed it by the door. The bin for cold lunches is located right underneath of it so students don’t need to bring their lunches much further than the door. The bathroom sign-out is also by the door so students have easy access and students can put the pass right back in its place when re-entering the room. Students will be taught how to read the center and job charts so they do not need help from me. Students will be wondering about classroom jobs as soon as they walk in the door, so this is where I placed the chart. The center board is located in the front of the class and is easy for students to access when it is center time.
Shelves/ Storage
I have a lot of shelves and storage in my classroom. The higher storage will be used for my teaching materials; however, the lower storage will be used for student’s materials. Some of these materials are for morning work materials and some of the sponge activities. There are also book shelves in my reading corner. The books on these shelves will be changed often based on student interest and learning objectives.