Establishing Environments

[Joshua M]

There are plenty of things that go into creating an environment for the children within your classroom (eg. rules, posters, space) but what is the most important aspect of creating an environment and is it possible to maintain a positive environment?

[Ken Dyar]

The single most important aspect of creating a positive environment is building community. My personal favorite way to accomplish that is through Project Adventure (PA) team building activities. At my middle school, the entire first month of school is dedicated to PA. All the teachers in my department follow this schedule as well. Our students hear about and practice the Full Value Contract every day of the year for a full two years regardless of our unit of instruction. But they are introduced to it on the first day of school.

In the town where I teach, we have a high migrant population with students constantly coming and going. In that environment, it is hard to establish community and have all the students feel safe with each other. But I don't have that problem, because of PA. New students are accepted because all the kids want to feel accepted too. It IS possible to maintain a positive environment when time is spent building trust among your students. It creates such a great feeling, such a safe feeling, that after a while your students won't tolerate any other attitude in class.

PA offers many different trainings, and there is a ton of reading material and equipment on their website to help you get started. Their site is www.pa.org Good luck!! Your kids will love it!!

[weissice]

Lately there have been a few new threads about establishing environment. For me, the most important ingredient is the student’s ability to feel safe and secure.

There are several steps educators can take to help insure this feeling of security:

Make sure your students are not threatened physically or verbally by others. Let your students know that hurting others in your classroom is strictly forbidden and will be dealt with harshly.
Make sure your gym or play area is physically safe.
Make sure you use only safe equipment. Take all damaged or potentially harmful equipment away.
Establish rules for the safe use of equipment. Make sure these rules are enforced. For example, a rubber playground ball if thrown with great force can break a finger.
Place your students in competitive situations only when they are absolutely physically and emotionally ready to deal with it.
Stay away from games that give students the chance to taunt the less athletic. For example, stay away from relay races, kickball, dodgeball, steal the bacon, and any game that divides your class in half and plays one team against the other.

A safe and healthy environment starts at the top. You, as the person in charge, must insist on appropriate behavior from your students. It is not often easy, especially for beginning teachers to feel secure enough to establish a completely safe classroom. Newer teachers often fear that the students will react negatively to discipline. I can only tell you from experience that when students feel safe, they are happier and are much more open to the lessons you are providing.

Howie Weiss
http://www.weissice.com

[UTLonghorn]

A positive learning environment can be made by having a strong managerial component. The managerial component helps classes run more smoothly by setting up routines, rules, consequences, setting up performance standards, and creating accountability. The students need to learn that they are responsible for their own work. It is also important to make sure that you do not just state the rules the first day but to review them over the year. A good way to get the students to act a certain way is to show them how you want them to act, practice those behaviors and provide constructive feedback. But I believe one of the most important things is staying consistent. When the students know what to expect when they enter the gym they are more likely to learn better.