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Establishing a Positive Classroom EnvironmentRyan Atwood
Teachers must be the leaders of their classrooms Students
respond better if they feel like the teacher is in control of the
classroom environment
o Teachers shouldn't be too "buddy-buddy" or too much of awarden
or tyrant Teachers should use authoritative classroom management
styles
o "Know when to lighten up and when to tighten up"o Maintain
high levels of expectations
Teachers need to create a productive physical environment for
their classrooms Physical environment impacts students'
learning
o Students should fee! safe and secureo Students should be
situated in a way where they can interact wi th peers and focus
on
the teacher Arrange classroom to meet instructional needs
o Rows are good for lecturing, clusters are good for cooperative
learning/group work,semi-circles are good for large-group
discussions Climate control
o Maintain pleasant conditions for temperature, light, and
air
Teachers should effectively manage,MlLnian Relations students
are more likely to participate if they feel comfortable Suggestions
for establishing a positive learning environment:
o Get to know studentso Manage class schedule to
enhance engagemento Develop reasonable rules andexplicitly teach
students theserules
o Don't use schoolwork aspunishment
o Be respectful to studentso Do no harm while disciplining -
ignore trivial behavior, diffuseother problems with
proximity,humor, or private discussions
o Use class-building to promotepositive interaction
"When a student perceives a teacher to be an authentic, warm and
curious person, the student learns.When the student does not
perceive the teacher as such a person the student does not learn!
There isalmost no way to get around this fact, although
technological people such as ourselves try very hard to.We believe
in experts and expertise, and we tend not to trust any activity
that does not involve acomplex technique. And yet, increasing the
complexity of the act of teaching has not really made
muchdifference for there is always that simple fact that teaching
is the art of being human andcommunicating that humanness to
others." - Neal PostmanReferences:Estes, T., Mintz, S., &
Gunter, M. (2011). Instruction: A models approach (6* ed.). Boston,
MA: Pearson.Postman, N. (1994). In Barns, L. B., Christensen, C.
R., & Hansen, A. J. (Eds.), Teaching and the case
method: Text, cases, and readings (266-273). Boston, MA: Harvard
Business School Press.
