Classroom Environment: Creating a Safe and Nurturing Place for Learning August 29, 2007 Agenda
1. Anticipation Guide- What are thoughts? 2. Class meetings- Ways to use them to save you time & energy 3. Video: Doing Morning Meetings 4. Classroom Environment- Make your space into your saving grace. 5. Wrap-up and Evaluation
Presented by your Area 5 ALTs: Michael Smith & Angela Whitehead For more great resources on this topic & many more visit our Area 5 blog at http://professionallearning.typepad.com/alt5/
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Classroom Environment:
Creating a safe and nurturing place for learning
Essential Question
How does classroom environment impact student performance? Goals:
1. Understand the role of classroom meetings. 2. Foster proactive and reactive ways to structure classroom management and relationships.
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Anticipation Guide
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Classroom Environment Tips
Creating an environment of respect and rapport Greet students in the morning - stand at the door, walk around to indiv desk, make rounds when students are doing morning procedures Talk in a calm voice Be aware of your body language Never argue. It takes two people to argue dont be the second person. State your request, clarify understanding, give an if then statement and end the conversation. Establishing a culture of learning Communicate high expectations for all students Lighting lamps can provide softer lighting and be calming - flourescent lamps can be harsh Music use it to change the mood in the room classical, jazz etc for calming activities up tempo music for active activities Temperature- keep the room at a comfortable temperature and be sensitive to the fact that some students are more sensitive to temperature change than others be flexible allow jackets, sweaters etc.
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Managing classroom procedures Post schedules. Let students know in advance when there will be a change. Model, and practice classroom procedures (lining up, walking in the hall, entering the room, center procedures, transitions) this will save valuable instructional time later!
Gives cues and prompts
Managing student behavior Use a system that is easy to manage and understand keep it simple. State your rules clearly and positively Set consequences you can enforce and always follow through Be consistent.
Organizing physical space
Make materials easy for students to access on their own Teach them to organize their materials Give them adequate space to move around and store things. Students should have a place to work quietly and a place for group work
If something isnt working, dont be afraid to change it!
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Why Have Classroom Meetings?
To purposely teach students how to:
Be a part of a group Problem solve effectively Cooperate with others See how their actions impact the class and vice versa
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Class Meeting Procedures
Create Ground Rules Together Have an Agenda Time: 20-30 minutes Focused/On Task Record Ideas Student Led Takes Practice
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Class Meetings can be:
Proactive- ways to structure the learning
OR
environment to prevent problem behaviors
Reactive- attempt to decrease inappropriate and
increase appropriate school behavior.
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Proactive Suggestions
Engagement Drawing the kids to the learning
Reactive Suggestions
Whole Class Self-Monitoring
Conferencing Action Plans
Instructional Strategies Multiple intelligences & learning styles Cooperative learning Real world application
Organization Visual organizer/agenda/flow charts Materials Class jobs Procedures
Contracts
Behavior Management Charts/Plans Rewards & Consequences
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Problem-Solving in Class Meetings
Graphic Organizers Role-Play Discussion Decisionmaking/Class Consensus Review norms/Procedures/ Rules
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Meeting Topics:
Issue Bin: Kids can post academic or social concerns to be added to be discussed. No names are used. Teacher has right to say that a topic should be handled privately.
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Video Clip
Doing Morning Meetings
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Ways to Foster a Positive Classroom Environment
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Post class procedures in a positive manner.
Taken from Joanna Vaughn at Frey Ele.
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Class Jobs
Give Students Ownership in Class Community
Essential Questions & Goal Setting for Behavior
Continually Create Class Norms/Procedures/Rules Together
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Give kids a place to offfer compliments and other positive classroom reflections.
Taken from Lisa Millers classroom at Frey Elementary.
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Give Students Opportunities to Reflect and Problem-Solve
Plus (+)/Delta(-) Journal Entry Re: Sub Plan-Do-Study-Act for Behavior too much Free powerpoint template: www.brainybetty.com noise during literacy
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Create & Review Class Procedures Continually
Be Flexible: Your Plans Can Change Set High Expectations by Creating Procedures for Everything Model Procedures
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Keeping things ship shape
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Intervention Strategies
Ignore Eye contact Proximity Pause The look Touch Signal Cue Humor Praise Gesture
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When considering reactions/interventions, consider reasons for behavior.
Is the student
1. Seeking attention
2.
3.
Seeking power
Seeking revenge
4. Seeking to avoid repeated failure
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Books:
Resources
Tribes: A New Way of Learning and Being Together
The Teachers Guide to Behavioral Interventions The Pre-referral Intervention Manual
The Teachers Encyclopedia of Behavior Management
The First Day of School
**The Morning Meeting Book
Websites: Area 5 Blog Intervention Central Lifeskills and Lifelong Guidelines
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Wrap Up
Think about your classroom environment/ behavior.
On separate Post-Its, write down a
Kudo Question Suggestion Concern
about your experiences so far this year.
Evaluation Thanks for coming!
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