I have never been a classroom teacher, and for that reason, the module on Managing the Learning Environment has been the most challenging for me so far. I strongly believe that what challenges me is what helps me grow, so I have spent a lot of time listening to my peers, reading their learning environment plans, researching strategies that teachers use, from blogs, articles and videos. In doing my assignments for this module, apart from the research I did on other teachers’ experiences and strategies, I also drew from my experiences, expectations and disappointments as a student, and surveyed friends and family about their student experiences, what they appreciated and what they had hoped would have been different.
The ideal classroom culture is one that promotes student involvement and participation, where students take charge of their own learning, where they want to be in the class, are excited to learn and make progress and feel supported in their learning. For students to feel excited and invested in their learning, they have to feel safe, welcome and included in every aspect of the class. At high school level this can only be achieved by involving students in creating and nurturing the classroom culture, in coming up with expectations, norms and remedial measures for the class. Students appreciate most the teachers that are invested in their learning, success and well-being. Teachers need to have and communicate clear expectations of their students, whether it be assignment and project requirements and rubrics, or behavior expectations in the class.
Students’ behavior is communication and should be treated as such. Students, especially teens that I plan to work with in high school, do not appreciate being called out in front of their peers, so any issues are best dealt with privately with the student. Simple things like greeting each student as they enter the classroom and taking some interest in them as people can go a long way in building student trust and involvement in the classroom. It is important for the teacher to plan the lesson in advance, set out expectations, routines and procedures for smooth classroom management. Preparation and organization on part of the teacher is essential to utilize the instructional time effectively.
At the high school level, the classroom should be very student centered and democratic, and students should be empowered and motivated to take charge of their own learning, take accountability for their actions and how they impact themselves and others. Inculcating the growth mindset in students is essential preparation for the outside world, so students begin to think of mistakes and failures as learning opportunities and have the confidence to follow their passions and take on the world.
Restorative justice focuses on mediation and agreement rather than punishment, where offenders must accept responsibility for harm and make restitution with victims. I am convinced that using restorative justice principles in place of punitive measures is a great way to teach students skills for working through their issues, skills they can use in the real world outside the school with their peers, coworkers and fellow citizens to collaborate effectively and resolve conflicts fairly and equitably.
As the module went on, we began to watch and review a lot of classroom videos, to see other teachers in action and how they managed the classroom, built relationships with students, kept the students engaged, and assigned great group activities, and gave thoughtful feedback. We also noticed some lapses in lesson planning and classroom management that led to chaotic classrooms and unmotivated students. All of these skills have nothing to do with content knowledge, but separate the best and most effective teachers from the rest.
Teacher’s expectations are a self-fulfilling prophecy for students, and research has shown that expectations are directly related to motivation and performance. Never is this more important than for students with disabilities who often tend to be underestimated and overlooked. We must always remember the least dangerous assumption of presuming competence in every student for achieving the high expectations we set for them.
One of the assignments in this module was about researching various technology tools for classroom management and family communication, and it was very interesting to learn about tools like Remind, Class Dojo and PeerGrade.
Students leave their families to come into our classrooms, but only physically. Their relationships, their family events and trauma, their families’ investment in their education and well-being are intimately connected to the students’ engagement and performance. Therefore, it is important that we keep the families involved and up-to-date on the student’s progress, achievements and challenges.
Through the work I am doing in this module and all the learning, I feel a lot more confident about being able to manage a class as a student teacher and learn more practical tips to manage a class on my own in the future.
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