Building community within your classroom is something that is vitally important if we are to achieve the desired results from our students. It is probably the single most important indicator of anticipated success that a classroom teacher can utilize. The atmosphere within your classroom has the tone set for it on open house night which is a make or break time for a teacher. Posters on your walls, a Scentsy with fall scents in it (which conveniently disappears when the fire marshal is in school), classroom material organization, and even the way the class desks are set up helps give your new students a sense as to what the rest of the year will be like and also what kind of expectations that you have for your class environment. A well functioning classroom has the tone established early and allows students to feel "at home" while they are learning. The way that your classroom works is modeled and then reinforcement of correct practices helps to further establish expectations that are clearly defined. In order for this to happen, teachers must get to know each student as a learner pretty quick and then be able to identify areas of strength and weakness within each child. Students should also be involved in this process so that they know where to look for support if they need it in a particular area and also where other students need help so they can give that when necessary. If students start caring for each other then this becomes even easier for an educator. Of course, like in any other area of life, students whom have the greatest needs are the ones that should be focused on first. The teacher can start to assume the supportive facilitator role and the students begin to run the classroom without even knowing it. This, when done correctly, can be hugely powerful and motivational for children. The motivation is there for kids to come to school because they don't want to let down their classmates. Each person is seen as an asset and each person brings a particular skillset which becomes valuable to the rest of their classmates. Eventually, students begin to enjoy each others company and through respect and the open sharing of ideas without the fear of being singled out a real valuable and necessary process is allowed to take root. The idea of "fair" is dealt with appropriately and students realize that fair doesn't always mean the same as everyone else gets. Fair is a concept that is individualized based on the needs of particular people. This is the very principle that is present on athletic teams. Successful organizations and teams give each member a sense of value and worth that supersedes any negative connotations that may come from other places. All of the sudden, the only thing that matters is what the other members of your particular class think and students begin to stick up for and look out for each other. This idea can then be transferred to slightly larger areas of your building until a time when you can practice this as an entire school. At Eastern this sense of pride in your school and loyalty to the children that attend is already present. you can tell immediately upon entering a building what kind of environment has been practiced. This is a hard area to fake when it is not right. I feel like this is one area that I really excel in. My students know that I care about them greatly and also that I will not allow bullying or making fun of each other to happen. I also do this well as a coach of the girls varsity soccer team at the high school. I truly believe that each person should be treated with respect from the get go. At the age of our students they can tell if you are for real or not. You cannot fake your way in this area either. Children are way more perceptive than a lot of people give them credit for. As long as our goal with building the best possible classroom environment is high achievement through motivation then I am not sure how we can go wrong.
http://www.voki.com/pickup.php?scid=10576344&height=267&width=200
Here is the link to my VOKI that I made. I tried to get it to publish, but I would have to upgrade to PRO and I don't have the money to do that right now. Sorry, but you will have to copy and paste to your browser.
http://www.voki.com/pickup.php?scid=10576344&height=267&width=200
Here is the link to my VOKI that I made. I tried to get it to publish, but I would have to upgrade to PRO and I don't have the money to do that right now. Sorry, but you will have to copy and paste to your browser.