Part 2 in the Classroom Management Series
The classroom environment is a key part of classroom management. We found out in part 1, that “managing” a classroom is more about facilitating student success. This is done through a warm and inviting environment with strong routines and expectations. You may already have these routines set but…
…ugh. Something isn’t right this year.
Let’s continue the story from Part 1 of the Classroom Management series. If you haven’t read it, you might want to click here for the back story. It’s real life. It was an epiphany I had that led me to create a truly responsive and inspiring learning environment.
It helped me to:
- reduce stress and
- work smarter (and happier) not harder.
Many of you have had this realization or have read up more on this as education is beginning to change. Lots of classrooms are missing the special sauce that will enable them to get such joy out of teaching. Let’s return to the story and begin where we left off last time…
Could it be that it was more about the classroom environment and the individual students that made up the class? Maybe this was why even when having strong routines, using the same classroom management strategies with different students didn’t work. Many strategies that were so successful the year before didn’t work the following year!
It could and it was.
The Classroom Environment Unfolds
As the teacher began to move forward into social awareness and mindfulness lessons, they started noticing a change in the students. It wasn’t even subtle at first! It was shockingly glorious watching students begin talking to their classmates and friends differently. They dug deeper and worked on character traits, this propelled the students to learn even more about themselves and the interactions they have with others. What a beautiful spillover to social studies lessons on community and the world! All of this was happening with a very 2nd grade tough class.
The teacher noticed that some of their very challenging students were not responding as much as others. Because so much focus always seemed to be on those students as they always needed more support to regulate their emotions to learn, this was discouraging. However, they knew that part of good teaching was being able to look beyond that and see how it was affecting the class as a whole. That is not easy sometimes! The teacher noticed a great change in how the rest of the class was starting to be able to focus better and not become distracted by the behaviors of others!
That was a win!
As the last term of the year progressed, the teacher was feeling pretty good about the progress their students had made. They were also happy about the learning they had done. Talking with colleagues about all the changes became a non-formal professional learning community. But those colleagues were still not convinced and to be honest, neither was the teacher. The whole point of beginning the learning process for social and emotional learning was to help the kids who were challenging “buy into” what was going on in the classroom more. This would make teaching so much easier and pleasant for everyone. That is when the teacher discovered flexible seating.
Reaching ALL Students
Flexible seating wasn’t for everyone. The teacher had known other teachers who tried it and did not like it. The teacher knew that they needed to implement pieces of it slowly to see the response and to determine whether it was increasing the learning and not causing more problems! They were so nervous! However, they worked WITH the students to come up with new routines that involved movement and on-task working.
Students understood if they weren’t working and learning, they would need to sit at a desk to re-calibrate their focus and could return when they were regulated and ready to learn. Along with some changes in seating options like adding tables to replace most desks and adding other comfy places to sit and work, the teacher loved the new engaged buzz in the room. The quiet, more reserved students were able to choose a desk and/or a quiet place to work if they chose to.
However, social-emotional learning and seating options were just part of the changes the teacher implemented. There was much more to come but they were taking it slow and steady and watching the changes. Constantly tweaking as needed. There were still a couple of things to incorporate but that was going to take some time and planning…
To Be Continued…
You might be saying “But what about the standards? My students don’t have time for all this. They need to meet the ELA and Math standards!”
I hear you and I understand.
We must also acknowledge that without this positive classroom environment and routines, many students will be unable to meet the standards. I have found over and over again that once students feel empowered by having choice in the classroom, their motivation to learn increases and any previous loss due to behavior or self-regulation difficulties is minimized.
There are many ways to begin making changes in your classroom to transform your classroom into one where students want to come to school. When kids are eager to come to school and learn, it is often because they feel like they belong and they are interested in what you are teaching. If you are already into the 2nd term or later, you can make a few small changes to see which ones work for you. I used to think I had to wait until a fresh new year to make changes but “practicing” those changes as late as March or April in the North American school calendar is not too late!
5 Ways to Begin to Transform Your Classroom Environment
Consider these 5 important aspects of the classroom environment to get started or tweak what you are already doing.
Building Positive Relationships:
At the heart of a positive classroom environment lies the foundation of strong relationships between teachers and students. When you invest time in getting to know your students, and understanding their strengths, challenges, and interests, a sense of trust and respect naturally develops. Positive relationships foster a safe and nurturing environment where students feel valued, heard, and supported, reducing the likelihood of disruptive behavior. Try:
- noticing something new about the student and asking them about it.
- paying attention to students’ interests.
- explaining to students that we all come to school with some of the same needs and gifts is a great start. (Grab a free poster set to get started.)
Clear Expectations and Consistency:
Setting clear expectations is so important in maintaining a positive classroom environment. Communicated rules, routines, and behavioral expectations empower students with a sense of structure and predictability. Consistency in enforcing these expectations gives students a sense of fairness that helps create a positive atmosphere for learning. If you have implemented your own rules or the rules you came up with together with the students are no longer working try:
- telling students you want to revisit or create new rules WITH the students
- discuss “cause and effect” to help students determine new rules to help everyone
- incorporate some social awareness or mindful prompts to help them apply previous learning.
Encouraging a Growth Mindset:
Promoting a growth mindset in the classroom encourages students to view challenges as opportunities for growth rather than something too difficult. By fostering a positive attitude towards learning and embracing mistakes as part of the learning process, you can create a culture that values effort, resilience, and collaboration. This mindset shift contributes to improved behavior and engagement in the classroom. More on this in part 3 of this series.
Incorporating Positive Reinforcement:
Positive reinforcement is a powerful tool in classroom management. Sometimes it can be difficult when you are struggling with strong behaviors to find positivity. Acknowledging and celebrating student achievements, both big and small, reinforces positive behavior. I have found the most successful positive reinforcement is based on the work students do based on their own ideas and projects. Of course, this is done in consultation with the teacher and based on learning standards. (More on this in part 3 and 4.) For positive reinforcement right now try:
- noticing on-task behavior and making a point to tell the student privately that you noticed
- continue to notice new things or ask about personal things like hobbies so that you can watch for the spillover of this in the classroom (ex. if the student likes chess, notice that their chess concentration was evident in the story they wrote.)
Responsive Teaching Strategies:
Flexibility is key to maintaining a positive classroom environment. Responsive teaching strategies involve adapting to the diverse needs of students, and recognizing that one size does not fit all. By tailoring instruction and support to individual learning styles and needs, you can address challenges proactively, preventing potential disruptions and promoting a positive learning environment. The only way to be responsive in this way is to know what each student needs. While that seems overwhelming in a classroom with 22+ students, there are ways you can do this that are manageable. Try:
- doing an interest survey (it’s never too late!)
- using assessments to identity learning needs – these can be quick formative ones (more on this in part 4)
- making sure you are aware of and up-to-date on any IEP needs
- asking the student what they need to be successful
- check in with parents to find out what their child enjoys or values
Managing a classroom is not an easy thing to do. If you look at more through the lens of “facilitating learning” and provide an environment in which students WANT to learn, you will find your classroom running much more smoothly. Not only is this good for student learning, it is also good for a teacher’s mental health. We definitely need more focus on our own mental health because “you can’t pour from an empty cup”.
Next in the series is part 3: Successful Classroom Management: Student-Centred Learning
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