Activity 4: Reflection on Classroom Climate

One of the biggest responsibilities that a teacher has is to create a positive climate in the classroom where students feel free to be themselves, feel emotionally and physically safe, are not afraid to make mistakes ,and are eager to learn. Unfortunately, to a novice teacher, this may be a difficult task to accomplish since the process involves many facets that take time to learn. A classroom that is filled with negativity is not conducive to a healthy learning environment, therefore it is imperative that the teacher makes this a priority from the very beginning of the semester. This negativity can manifest itself in many ways. One such example is bullying. Those being bullied will surely lack any interest in following what the teacher says seeing that they have more pressing issues to worry about. Another is a teacher who has a tendency to yell at his/her students when frustrated. These problems, along with others, are the reasons why some classrooms do not function at an optimal level. It takes a lot of work from both the teacher and students to create a warm and welcoming environment but once established will allow both to thrive.


I have been teaching in Korea for over 10 years now and the one thing that I have always tried to do in all my classrooms is to create an atmosphere that I feel best allows my students to succeed in. In order to do so, I try to place myself in the role of the student and ask myself questions such as.... What would make me feel the most comfortable in class? How would I want my teacher to behave? How would I deal with bullies? What activities would best foster camaraderie in the class? It's easy for teachers to look at things through their eyes but it is also helpful to look at things using the student's perspective. I consider myself a very easygoing teacher but i can be fairly strict when needed. It is very hard to juggle these two things because you want to come across as a "fun" teacher but you also don't want the students to run all over you. It's definitely a delicate balance that has taken a while to master. I find that it is easier to be strict at the very beginning and then "soften up' afterwards than doing the opposite. Once you lose the respect of the students it is nearly impossible to get it back.


The way I usually approach enforcing the rules in my class varies according to the class itself because "there is no one behavioral setting, classroom arrangement and single set of rules that will work for every teacher to manage their own classroom" (Borich 34). Just like no two people are alike, each class has its own personality. I usually begin each semester by going over the rules of the classroom with my co-teacher (Marzano 158). These rules are also posted on the walls in front of the class. In addition, we get the students to create their own rules that they think would benefit the class. I find this activity very useful because it gives the students a sense that they are part of the decision making process too and that we, the teachers, respect their opinions. Another thing that we do at our school is to have the students police themselves. This is done by grouping the students together and deducting points to the group when an individual misbehaves. Students, in my experience, are more likely to listen to their peers than to their teachers. Since "students who are regularly the object of punishment may show a drop in positive attitudes towards school, have a more negative perception of teachers, and adopt a more punitive manner in interacting with others" (Martens and Meller 1990) I always try to couple my punishment with a positive reinforcement. If the student does make a mistake he has a chance to redeem himself. Although some may disagree with this technique, we have found that it works quite well in our classrooms.

One thing that I have learned throughout the years is how to stay emotionally objective, although I'll admit that this is one thing that i still have to work on to perfect. This involves keeping a type of emotional distance from the ups and downs of classroom life and not taking students' outbursts or even students' direct acts of disobedience personally (Marzano 161). Students may sometimes bring their problems from home to school and that may translate to students being disruptive in class. Before getting upset, it is best to talk to the student and see what the problem is and try to find a solution. One thing that teachers shouldn't do is to  yell or criticize students in front of the class. This will only make the students feel bad about themselves. Dealing with the problem after class on a one to one basis is more effective.


Here are some ways that I try to create a positive classroom climate

- I try and learn as many names as possible to make it more personal. I find it better to use their names instead of just calling out "you" or pointing. This is a daunting task for me seeing that I have over 600 students from Grade 3-6.

- I also greet the students with a smile before class and say good bye to them after the class has ended. I like to ask them review questions before they leave the class. Eye contact is also important (Marzano 155)


- I try to make a personal connections with as many students as possible. This is easier with the higher level students since I can get more information from them. (Marzano 154)

- I have after school hours and encourage my students to come and visit and talk if they want

- I get students to create content(posters, comic strips, etc.) then display them on the wall (Marzano 156)

- I also try keep my class lively and upbeat, Korean students have a lot of stress because they are expected to study for long hours outside of school. Knowing this, I try to make their experience in the class fun and exciting. I like to tell jokes, bring in the guitar, sing songs, and have a dance off from time to time.


When it comes to learning in my class, the most important thing I find,especially with younger students with limited English abilities, is to incorporate content that the students will find interesting. The books we use in class are beyond horrible and the dialogues and songs that we must teach them are very boring which leads to many students zoning out. This lead to me to having a discussion with my co-teacher and asking whether I could just teach the topic but use my own material. Luckily for my students, she agreed and now the students are exposed to a wider variety of learning experiences. We use Youtube, Prezi and a variety of different Apps which the students loved.

In summary, creating a positive climate in the classroom is an essential part of a teacher's job. Once established, both students and teacher will benefit from this because everyone will be on the same page with class expectations. I care a lot for my students and try to create a fun and engaging class. I know that I'm not perfect and there are still things I must learn, but I feel hopeful that I will become a better teacher in the near future thanks to the things I have learned in this course. Wish me luck!


References


Borich, Gary D. (2011). Observation Skills for Effective Teaching. Boston, MA: Pearson Education. Inc.

Martens, BK & Meller PJ (1990) The application of behavioral principles to educational setting. In T.B. Gutkin & CR Reynolds (eds) The handbook of school psychology (2nd ed) (pp 612-634) New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Marzano, Robert J. (2007) The Art and Science of teaching: A Comprehensive Framework for Effective Instruction. Alexandria, VA :ASCD