The Learning Environment
To maintain a student-centered learning environment that is safe, organized, equitable, flexible, inclusive, and collaborative, the effective educator consistently:
A. Organizes, allocates and manages the resources of time, space and attention.
The classroom should be organized and filled with class schedules, rules and resources. The class should have a schedule posted, and the teacher must manage to complete all the tasks and subjects on it. Every minute of everyday is important. An organized teacher will help their students stay organized and on task. Having class jobs can take some of the burden off a teacher and give the students a sense of responsibility and belonging. The students can use charts, posters and information posted in the room as resources, which can keep them working and on task without wasting precious teaching time.
B. Manages individual and class behaviors through a well planned management system;
Classroom management is extremely important for every teacher. A class in chaos will not learn. In the slideshow above, the class rules are clearly posted in a prominent place in the room. The students and their parents have a list of rules and expectations, which explain the consequences and rewards. The students have stoplights, and start on green. The colors are explained on the left. A student who is having a bad behavior day will change their stoplight to yellow or red. Also, having a seating chart with students who are chatty or not listening seated up front or away from their friends will help any teacher run their classroom smoothly. During instruction, students who are acting up get put on the "baseball list". A student who keeps chatting during instruction gets a strike. I am able to continue teaching and just add the student's name to the board. Sometimes when the class is unruly, I add a lap to the chart, the students have to run or walk a lap in the playground before having free-time recess.
C. Conveys high expectations to all students;
The teacher should have high expectations for his or her students. In the slides above, the students A/R goals are explained to parents in a note home. The students are also given a chart with expected classroom behaviors outlining what they are responsible for. When these tasks are done, the student will receive a reward such as a bear coin or trip to the treasure box.
D. Respects students'cultural, linguistic and family background;
Every teacher must be respectful of their students, their families and background. In the photo above, the student is wearing a yarmulke cap. He is an orthodox Jew and had a strict diet of kosher foods. I had to be sure that he was not eating a snack that was not kosher. He also wore a shirt with tzitzits (strings) hanging out called a tallit. In this class, we had to be sure that we were not observing any holidays that were not recognized by his religion. I used this opportunity to educate the rest of the class about other cultures and diversity.
In the second photo, an informative letter about a lice outbreak is translated into Spanish and sent home with those students whose parents are not fluent in English.
In the second photo, an informative letter about a lice outbreak is translated into Spanish and sent home with those students whose parents are not fluent in English.
E. Models clear, acceptable oral and written communication to all students;
It is important for students to be informed of what is happening in their school and classroom. Each morning, during calendar time, the students can see the date, number of school days, season, specials etc. The teacher orally communicates with the students at this time. Changes in schedule, procedures or other news are conveyed to the students at this time, as well as throughout the day.
F. Maintains a climate of openness, inquiry, fairness and support;
Using sticks with the students' names on them creates an environment of fairness. The teacher calls on a student in random order. (photo 1). The teacher informs the parents about new concepts that the students will be learning (photo 2) The teacher is available to parents via phone, email and even conference. (photo 3).
G. Integrates current information and communication technologies;
A Smartboard and a document camera are key for teachers to integrate technology into their lessons. Teachers can use the provided resources from the textbooks. The Go Math program provides computer models, games, videos and suggestions for intervention, ELL learners and even centers. The Math board program gives the students extra practice by using games and virtual rewards for the class.
H. Adapts the learning environment to accommodate the differing needs and diversity of students; and
Each student is unique and have different needs. An example of adaptation in the classroom is the leveled readers and the readers available for ELL students.
I. Utilizes current and emerging assistive technologies that enable students to participate in high-quality communication interactions and achieve their educational goals.
English language learners can use many programs to improve their understanding. In the photo above, an ELL student uses headphones to drown out classroom noise while working on English in a Flash. This student works on this program on a daily basis to increase her vocabulary, which helps her with spelling, writing and comprehension.