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Creating Productive Learning

Environments

ED 1010

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Characteristics of Productive Learning Environments

• A focus on learning – Effective schools: Academic focus

• A focus on learners – Classrooms as learning

communities– Personal and social development– Positive classroom climate

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Classroom as Learning Communities

• Inclusiveness: all students participate and believe they can succeed.

• Respect for others: students respect the teacher and other students.

• Safety and security: students feel safe and protected.

• Trust and connectedness: students count on each other for help and assistance.

Blind Caterpillar: Team Building

Make a Machine

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Personal Development

• Self-discipline and motivation to learn

• Organizational skills and goal setting

• Personal and moral responsibility

• Control of personal impulses

• Self-awareness in terms of personal strengths, needs, and values

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Social Development

• Students’ ability to interact with and get along with others

• Perspective taking: the ability to understand the thoughts and feelings of others

• Social problem solving: the ability to resolve conflicts in ways that are beneficial to all involved

Conflict Resolution Scenario

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Social Skills That Develop in Productive Learning Environments

• Perspective taking• Social problem solving• Respect for others• Working cooperatively with classmates• Empathy and compassion• Appreciation of diversity

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Positive Classroom Climate

• Emotional and physical environment of a classroom– Pleasant surroundings– Displays respect students– Procedures for a safe and orderly

classroom– Respectful and friendly

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Essential Human Elements of Productive Learning

Environments

• Caring

• Personal teaching efficacy

• Positive expectations

• Modeling and enthusiasm

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Communicating Caring

• Learning students’ names quickly and calling on students by their first name

• Greeting students daily and getting to know them as individuals

• Using effective nonverbal communication such as making eye contact and smiling

• Using “we” and “our” in reference to class activities and assignments

• Spending time with students• Demonstrating respect for students as

individuals Formations

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Personal Teaching Efficacy

• Belief that you can make a difference as a teacher

• Internal locus of control

• Transfers to students

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Positive Teacher Expectations

• Teachers’ beliefs in students’ capabilities to learn

• Ways that teachers communicate positive expectations– Emotional support– Teacher effort and demands– Interactive questioning– Feedback and evaluation

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Modeling and Enthusiasm

• The tendency of people to observe and imitate others’ behaviors and attitudes

• Demonstrate interest and enthusiasm in topic

• Model appropriate behavior

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Classroom Management

• What impact does classroom management have on learning?

• As you have observed, have you seen good and bad examples of classroom management?

• What made it “good”?

• What made it “bad”?

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Classroom Management Goals

• Developing learner responsibility

• Creating a positive classroom climate

• Maximizing opportunities for learning

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Dimensions of Classroom Time

• Allocated time: amount designated for a particular topic or subject

• Instructional time: amount left for teaching after routine management and administrative tasks are completed

• Engaged time: time students actually spend actively involved in learning activities

• Academic learning time: amount of time students are both engaged and successful

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Elements of Successful Management

• Preventing problems through planning– Rules– Procedures

• Intervening effectively

• Handling serious management problems

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Common Classroom Activities Requiring Procedures

• Entering and leaving the classroom

• Handing in and returning papers

• Accessing materials such as scissors and paper

• Sharpening pencils

• Making trips to the bathroom

• Making up work after an absence

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Guidelines for Effective Rules

• State rules positively.

• Emphasize rationales for rules.

• Minimize the number of rules.

• Monitor rules throughout the school year.

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Guidelines for Effective Interventions

• Intervene immediately.

• Direct the intervention at the correct student(s).

• Use the least intrusive intervention.

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Serious Management Problems: Violence and Aggression

• Most management problems are minor and involve day-to-day logistical and cooperation issues.

• Steps to follow when serious problems arise– Stop the incident– Protect the victim– Get help

• Teachers are legally required to intervene when problems occur.

• Seek the advice of administrators and veteran teachers.

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Effective Classroom Management in Urban Schools

• More challenging because of student diversity and large class sizes

• Essential components for effective management:– Caring and supportive teachers

– Clear standards for acceptable behavior

– Structure

– Effective instructionVideo

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Benefits of Involving Parents

• Greater willingness to do homework • Higher long-term achievement• More positive attitudes and behaviors• Better attendance and graduation rates • Greater enrollment in postsecondary

education

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Strategies for Involving Parents

• Communicate early, positively, and often

• Try email communication• Get to know students• Use newsletters and individual

notes to emphasize positive student accomplishments.

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Communicating with Parents

from Diverse Backgrounds• Cultural diversity, SES, and

caregivers for whom English is not the first language all pose communication challenges.

• Effective teachers make a special effort to reach out to these parents.

• Sending home homework guidelines and suggestions are effective in involving parents in their children’s education.