CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT PLAN

Classroom Environment Plan Joe Kolousek North Carolina State niversit!

CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT PLAN

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A #lassroom environment $lan is a $lan %or en&a&in& all stu'ents in the #lassroom an' ensurin& that all stu'ents are learnin&( re&ar'less o% their )a#k&roun'( %amil! li%e( or $re%erre' learnin& st!le* It is im$ortant to have a $lan( as a tea#her &oin& into a #lassroom( so that the tea#her #an )e $re$are' to a''ress the var!in& nee's o% their stu'ents* Es$e#iall! in this 'a! an' a&e( +hen #lassrooms are more 'iverse than ever( is it #ru#ial %or a tea#her to have a $lan %or ho+ the! +ill ensure that ever! mem)er o% their #lassroom #an $er%orm an' learn to their %ull $otential* ,hen #onsi'erin& ho+ I +oul' set u$ m! #lassroom( I +ant to #reate an environment that is )ri&ht an' +el#omin&( )ut most im$ortantl! #reates a sense o% #ommunit!* One +a! I +oul' 'o this +oul' )e )! arran&in& m! 'esks in &rou$s or( i% the s$a#e allo+s( in a -sha$e or semi#ir#le* I )elieve this $rovi'es the )est t!$e o% %orum %or 'is#ussion an' $arti#i$ation* I +oul' hel$ %oster this sense o% #ommunit! )! s$en'in& .uite a )it o% time talkin& +ith m! stu'ents a)out m! e/$e#tations in the #lassroom an' ho+ I +ant the #lassroom to )e a $la#e in +hi#h ever!one %eels sa%e an' #om%orta)le to s$eak u$ an' share their i'eas an' o$inions( +ithout %ear o% ri'i#ule or #riti#ism* Even i% a stu'ent &ives a +ron& ans+er( I +ant to #onne#t that +ron& ans+er +ith somethin& $ositive #onne#te' to the lesson so that the stu'ents reali0e that it is more im$ortant to $arti#i$ate an' )e involve' in the learnin& $ro#ess than to al+a!s &ive the #orre#t ans+er* Another +a! to %oster this sense o% #ommunit! +oul' )e to allo+ m! stu'ents to assist +ith #reatin& the e/$e#tations %or the #lass* I %eel that this +ill &ive them a sense o% o+nershi$ an' res$onsi)ilit!* A''itionall!( +hile it is im$erative that the! un'erstan' +hat m! e/$e#tations are o% them( even as the!1re hel$in& to #reate those e/$e#tations( I also +ant to kno+ +hat the! e/$e#t %rom me as a tea#her* This +ill hel$ to &ive me a sense o% their $revious e'u#ational

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e/$erien#es an' +hat the! )elieve m! role to )e* It $rovi'es a &oo' startin& o%% $oint %or me so that I kno+ ho+ to )est a''ress their nee's* One o% the %irst thin&s that I +oul' like to 'o +hen meetin& m! stu'ents %or the %irst time +oul' )e to tr! an' stri$ a+a! an! an' all )ias that I ma! have* Most $eo$le have #ertain )iases( )ase' on ho+ the!1ve &ro+n u$ an' the kin's o% $eo$le +ho the! have or haven1t ha' the o$$ortunit! o% intera#tin& +ith* I +ant to )e a)le to start +ith a #lean slate +ith all o% m! stu'ents( an' not 3u'&e them )ase' on +hat I ma! see or +hat I ma! have hear' %rom another stu'ent or tea#her* I )elieve that this #an )e .uite 'i%%i#ult to 'o( es$e#iall! +ith #ertain stu'ents( )ut the more that I am a+are o% m! o+n $ersonal )iases( the easier it +ill )e to $ush them asi'e* I +ant to )e a)le to take time to &et to kno+ m! stu'ents on a $ersonal level( to the e/tent that ea#h stu'ent is #om%orta)le* I also %eel that is im$ortant %or m! stu'ents to kno+ some thin&s a)out me( +ithin $ro%essional )oun'aries( o% #ourse* I %eel that it1s im$ortant to hi&hli&ht stu'ents a#hievements( )oth in an' out o% the #lassroom* Most im$ortantl!( I +ant m! stu'ents to un'erstan' that I trul! #are a)out ea#h o% them( )oth as stu'ents an' as $eo$le in &eneral* I reall! +ant to )e a)le to $ortra! that sin#ere %eelin& o% #arin& )e#ause I )elieve that that is +hat is most im$ortant to stu'ents4 that I am %ull! investe' in their learnin& an' in ea#h o% them as uni.ue in'ivi'uals* I ma! not al+a!s )e the most #reative tea#her or the most uni.ue( an' I am sure that I +ill o##asionall! have a lesson that %lo$s( )ut as lon& as m! stu'ents kno+ that I #ome to the s#hool ever!'a! )e#ause o% them an' I +ant to see them su##ee'( then I )elieve the! +ill sti#k +ith me throu&h the #hallen&in& times* ,e1ve s$ent .uite a )it o% time this semester 'is#ussin& a)out ho+ to rea#h 'i%%erent kin's o% min's* 5o+ 'o !ou rea#h stu'ents +ho ma! )e ver! smart )ut e/$ress that intelli&en#e in un#onventional +a!s6 E/am$les that +e 'is#usse' in #lass +ere Chu#k Close( 7illian L!nne(

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an' Ansel A'ams* These in'ivi'uals all +ent on to )e#ome e/tremel! su##ess%ul artists( )ut the! ver! easil! #oul' have )een unrea#ha)le )e#ause the! +ere not the tra'itional stu'ent +ho teste' +ell +ith a $en#il an' $a$er* One +a! to rea#h stu'ents like these +oul' )e to not 'is#re'it them or +rite them o%% as unrea#ha)le* It is im$ortant( in situations like this( to #onne#t +ith stu'ents an' tr! an' un'erstan' +hat interests them an' +hat the! like to 'o in their s$are time* This +ill hel$ a tea#her kno+ a'3ust or mo'i%! a lesson to rea#h these #ertain stu'ents or )e a)le to $rovi'e e/tension a#tivities that $ertain to these stu'ents s$e#i%i# areas o% interest* Also( sometimes stu'ents learn )est %rom other stu'ents* I $lan to #reate a #lassroom environment in +hi#h m! stu'ents #an share an' #olla)orate +ith( an' ins$ire one another* ,e1ve also s$ent time 'is#ussin& +a!s that te#hnolo&! #an )e inte&rate' into the #lassroom* 9e%ore this #lass( I ha' a)solutel! no i'ea a)out an! o% the ,e) "*: tools that are availa)le %or tea#hers to use in the #lassroom* No+( I see that there are man! 'i%%erent te#hnolo&! tools that #an )e use' to ai' instru#tion* I $lan to use te#hnolo&! in man! 'i%%erent +a!s( %rom usin& Sk!$e to #hat +ith stu'ents %rom a#ross the #ountr! or the &lo)e( to usin& a $ro&ram like ,all+isher to surve! m! stu'ents a)out a to$i# +ithout them %eelin& sh! or a+k+ar' a)out havin& to raise their han's or voi#e their o$inions in %ront o% their $eers( to allo+in& m! stu'ents to #reate a 'o#ument all their o+n usin& a $ro&ram su#h as 7lo&ster* M! #lassroom o)servations this semester have $roven .uite interestin&* I am at a small #harter mi''le s#hool* It has ;< stu'ents $er &ra'e level an' %our tea#hers $er &ra'e* I am o)servin& the seventh &ra'e stu'ents an' tea#hers* Most o% the time the stu'ents are tau&ht in t+o &rou$s o% 28 +ith t+o tea#hers team-tea#hin&* ,hat I %re.uentl! o)serve +hile there is +hat I like to #all =or&ani0e' #haos>* O%ten( the room is .uite lou' an' the stu'ents are +orkin& either in $airs or small &rou$s( an' o##asionall! the! are havin& to )e u$ out o% their seats movin&

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aroun' the room* ,hat +as im$ortant %or me to o)serve( ho+ever( +as that 'es$ite the a$$arent 'isor&ani0ation o% the room( learnin& +as takin& $la#e* All o% the stu'ents +ere on task an' the! +ere tea#hin& ea#h other an' learnin& to&ether* This +as im$ortant %or someone like me( +ho likes to have #ontrol( to see* The tea#hers at this s#hool +ere still in #ontrol o% the #lassroom( ho+ever( )e#ause the! ha' esta)lishe' $ro$er e/$e#tations %or &rou$ +ork earl! on in the !ear* These stu'ents kne+ the limits an' )oun'aries o% +hat it meant to +ork an' #olla)orate in &rou$s* O% #ourse( there +ere al+a!s those stu'ents +ho $ushe' the limits an' the tea#hers 'i' a &oo' 3o) o% re'ire#tin& those stu'ents( )ut overall( it +as &reat %or me to see that a #lassroom 'oesn1t have to )e silent an' or'erl! in or'er %or e%%e#tive learnin& to take $la#e* In %a#t( I )elieve that more e%%e#tive learnin& takes $la#e in an environment that is not silent an' or'erl!* One o% the thin&s that I still stru&&le +ith is ho+ to mo'i%! lessons to meet the var!in& a)ilit! levels o% m! stu'ents* I +ant all o% m! stu'ents to )e #hallen&e'( )ut not too mu#h to the $oint at +hi#h the! are unsu##ess%ul( an' I still 'on1t .uite %eel like I kno+ ho+ to ensure that all o% m! stu'ents are learnin&( +ithout some )ein& )ore' or other %eelin& like %ailures* Another area o% #hallen&e %or me +as learnin& a)out elements o% min' an' ho+ to a$$l! them to stu'ent learnin&* I un'erstan' that stu'ents make $er#e$tions a)out the +orl' aroun' them( +hi#h the! turn into #on#e$ts +hi#h #an )e #ommuni#ate' to others +ho #an inter$ret those #on#e$ts in a variet! o% +a!s* ,hat I still stru&&le +ith is ho+ to a$$l! those elements to s$e#i%i# lessons( an' ho+ to re#o&ni0e +hen a stu'ent is havin& trou)le $er#eivin&( #on#e$tuali0in&( or inter$retin& a su)3e#t( an' then ho+ to hel$ them su##ee'* 9e%ore I starte' this #ourse( I ha' a )asi# i'ea o% +hat kin' o% tea#her I +ante' to )e( )ut I 'i'n1t kno+ ho+ to #reate that tea#her +ithin me* ,hile I still kno+ that I have mu#h to learn( I %eel that I have &ro+n a &reat 'eal over this semester an' I have the )asi# un'erstan'in&s o%

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+hat it takes %or me to )e#ome not onl! a kno+le'&ea)le tea#her( )ut an e/$ert tea#her* A kno+le'&ea)le tea#her kno+s ho+ to tea#h* The! have )een traine' in ho+ to mana&e stu'ents( ho+ to $resent in%ormation( ho+ to #olle#t( &ather( an' assess stu'ent 'ata( an' ho+ to &et results* 9ut an e/$ert tea#her kno+s ho+ to #onne#t all o% that +ith the stu'ents on a 'ee$er level* The! kno+ ho+ to rea' )et+een the lines +ith stu'ents an' reall! un'erstan' +hat it is that makes their stu'ents ti#k* The! kno+ ho+ to #reate =aha> moments %or all their stu'ents( even i% their stu'ents have a mu#h 'i%%erent st!le o% learnin& than their o+n* 5avin& a $lan as I leave the #olle&e environment an' hea' into the real +orl' o% tea#hin& hel$s me to %o#us an' al+a!s remem)er the kin' o% tea#her that I +ant to )e* There +ill al+a!s )e stu'ents +ith +hom I +ill stru&&le to #onne#t( )ut I )elieve that the lessons I have learne' in this #ourse +ill hel$ me to %in' +a!s to en&a&e all o% m! stu'ents an' #reate a res$e#t%ul learnin& environment in +hi#h all stu'ents #an %eel %ree to $arti#i$ate o$enl!*