Learning Environment Examples

Directions: The information below identifies effective practices and responses for an inclusive
learning environment.

Task:

1. Prior to watching the video, review the best practices listed below.
2. Scroll down and read the questions.
3. Observe the teacher and the teacher’s interaction with the students, the classroom, and
the teaching materials.
4. After watching the video, answer each question and provide specific examples of what
you have observed.

Video link: Grade 3 Main Idea Lesson

What to look for in an ELA Grade 2 Classroom

The students will:

● Engage with complex literature and informational texts
● ask and answer questions referencing text explicitly; retell stories, fables, folktales, myths from
diverse cultures; central message, lesson, or moral and key details ; main idea and key details
● Craft and Structure: meaning of words and phrases, literal from figurative language; meaning of
general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; identify common structural elements
of fiction; describe how each successive part of a text builds on earlier sections; text features
and search tools own point of view versus author’s, narrator’s, or character’s
● Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: use of specific aspects of illustrations to convey meaning in
words in a story, logical connection between particular sentences and paragraphs
● Use higher order order thinking skills to ask and answer questions, describe how characters
respond to major events and challenges
● Examine character traits, motivations, and feelings; how actions of characters contribute to
events; relationship between historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, mathematical ideas
or concepts, or steps in technical procedures—using temporal (time and sequence) and
cause/effect language
● Compare and contrast themes, settings, and plots of stories written by same author about same
or similar characters, most important points and key details presented in two texts on same
topic
● Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings
● Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic; gather information from
various sources and sorting evidence into provided categories
 Learning Environment Examples

● Work collaboratively demonstrating rules for discussion, building on others’ points of view,
through clarification, think alouds, think pair share or other collaboration strategies
● Presentation: reporting on topic, text, or story with facts or relevant details; speaking clearly in
complete sentences; appropriate vocabulary, recordings of story or poem readings; use of
visuals to clarify ideas; use of complete sentences; command of standard English grammar and
usage
● Engage in writing based on student opinion, informative and narrative writing styles using a
variety of platforms

The classroom layout and exhibits will:

● Support a variety of tasks and learning formats
● Provide positive reinforcement and motivators
● Clearly display expectations, rules, and routines
● Use clear and effective displays of information, tools, resources, prompts,
● Support student use of resources and scaffolding
● Be safe and respectful of all cultures and backgrounds
● Be rich with connections to student experience and interest
● Be conducive to collaboration and group work
● Allow for smooth physical movement of students and educators
● Create a nonthreatening,positive, and academically rigorous atmosphere

The Teacher's will:

● Help students understand characteristics of different types of text
● Provide concrete strategies to respond to feedback
● Using multiple formative approaches to assess student learning (e.g., conferences, responses
during read-aloud)
● Conduct frequent checks for student understanding and adjusting instruction accordingly

The students will do:

● Understand what they will learn in a lesson and how it connects to prior learning
● Use rich academic language when speaking and writing
● Support their opinions with evidence
● Identify how an author uses figurative language purposefully
● Make connections between reading, writing, speaking and listening
● Draw explicitly upon content they have learned in class in conversations with peers Read and
comprehend a variety of complex texts
● Purposefully incorporate feedback from teacher and peers into actions
● Demonstrate learning in multiple ways (e.g., writing and oral responses during reading group)
● Engage in challenging learning tasks regardless of learning needs (e.g., linguistic background,
disability, academic gifts)
● Engage in meaningful writing in response to text
 Learning Environment Examples

Mackenzie Smith 11/17/20 EDU 205 - 47

Does the teacher create culturally responsive lessons that engages and sustains student attention?
Yes, the teacher creates a culturally responsive lesson that engages and sustains student attention by
having them read a story about a toad and a frog. For third graders, this is an appropriate topic that
students have the potential to enjoy reading about.

Does the teacher highlight when an author uses words to suggest feelings?
In this video, I did not see the teacher highlight when an author uses words to suggest feelings.

Does the teacher design lessons that support successful cooperation in culturally sensitive ways?
The teacher did design this lesson to be coherent and clearly easy to read for all students. It discussed
a topic that in no way was offensive or inappropriate for these young students.

Does the teacher provide opportunities and structures for students to communicate their ideas and
thinking with each other?
Students are able to communicate their ideas to one another when they are asked to come up with
two supporting details dealing with frogs being similar, and two supporting details with frogs being
different.

Does the teacher conduct frequent checks for student understanding and adjusting instruction
accordingly?
At one point, the teacher asked the students to raise their thumbs up or in the middle to monitor if
they were understanding the concept or not.

Does the teacher use scaffolding as needed and provide multiple opportunities for students to practice
new linguistic patterns, features, and vocabulary?
When she discusses a difference between frogs and toads, she relates back to a word that they had
learned previously: edible. She then uses this word on the poster for the difference.

Does the teacher provide examples of work (e.g. mentor texts, student work)?
The teacher provides a main idea web on a paper in front of the class so that all students are able to
understand different strategies on how to organize ideas.

Do the students understand what they will learn in a lesson?

The teacher makes the effort to introduce the topic of the lesson that will be learned in class that day
by asking students questions, in hopes of them engaging in the conversation. They understand what
will be learned and what is expected of them after the teacher explains the task.
 Learning Environment Examples

Does the teacher use multiple formative approaches to assess student learning (e.g., writing and oral
responses during reading group)
The teacher assesses student learning by writing down their collective ideas on the white paper in
front of the classroom. This is so that she can understand who truly understood the topic that they
read.

Do the students make connections between reading, writing, speaking and listening?
The students make connections between reading, writing, speaking, and listening by listening to the
ideas others have, writing down their visual thoughts and comments about the story, and sharing
their answers with the class.

Do the students respond to teacher feedback to improve their work?

Once the teacher is helping the students through their work, trying to stimulate ideas while asking
them questions, the students answer or go back to fix their work on their paper.

Do the students demonstrate learning in multiple ways (e.g., writing and oral responses during reading
group)
Yes, the teacher gives them an oral explanation while she demonstrates the topic she is talking about
on a piece of white paper, on the white board, in front of the whole class. She also encourages them
to visualize the story while reading it and suggests that they then write their ideas down on the paper.

Do the students engage in challenging learning tasks regardless of learning needs (e.g., linguistic
background, disability, academic gifts)?
The students do engage in challenging learning tasks regardless of any learning needs. All students are
encouraged to participate in the small group discussion and class discussion about what they have
found. In their small groups, all students work together to come up with interconnected ideas.