Creating a productive learning environment response

As a prospective teacher, I worry about classroom management and am a little daunted about being the only adult in a room full of kids, and being legally responsible for them. Some things I will definitely try in my own classroom are: having kids participate in making the classroom rules and giving them some amount of choice in their activities. Not only does this “feel right” but it is good to know it is research-supported. I guess I kind of hope to create a self-sustaining classroom, one where students are involved somehow in the maintenance of order (and therefore one where hopefully it doesn’t all fall apart if they have a sub one day).

One thing that really resonated with me was the idea that creating a warm learning environment didn’t just mean giving students affection—that treating them with respect also meant taking your role as teacher and adult seriously. When I reflect on my experiences as an elementary student, the best teachers were compassionate and treated me like a person, but moreover, they were prepared, worked to create engaging material, and set high standards for our class. I never had an elementary teacher who was mean—I think as more jobs are open to women in general, less people go into this profession who don’t enjoy being around children than maybe did before, so everyone is pretty sweet and nice. But what makes a teacher stand out of that pack is taking the job itself really seriously.

I recently visited a classroom, which, while not being exactly how I envision mine, was absolutely impressive in its organization and rigor—and these were first-graders! But they all knew exactly what they should be doing, and, without generally falling into the trap of tattle-tales, they monitored each other even when the teacher was working elsewhere.

One of my favorite ideas from the readings was having a two-way journal with students, where the teacher doesn’t correct their mistakes. Not only does this provide a way for teachers to foster closer relationships with students, giving an opportunity to interact with them personally that may be rarer in a busy classroom, but also give insight into student interests that can be used to make activities more enjoyable, and give a teacher a look into a student’s writing level. Plus! Writing without criticism can make a student feel more comfortable doing it, and they may begin to appreciate how writing for communication can be valuable and even pleasant.

CSEL: Elementary Education case study response
First, with this student, you may want to try reiterating and defining specifically what behavior is acceptable in the classroom. Then, try to take them aside at some point to talk with them one-on-one. It may also be beneficial to explicitly teach the social skills that cooperative learning requires. Finally, you could use a behaviorist approach to reward compliant behavior and punish noncompliant behavior.