The physical environment of the classroom as part of an overall classroom management plan seems to play a significant role in behavior management - an ongoing theme of this course. I noticed a connection between creating a positive physical environment and some of the basic tenets of classroom discipline theories. For example, the video stated that managing the physical environment means creating a clean, comfortable, and safe environment for students to learn in; this safe and comfortable environment can also put students at ease and keep inappropriate behavior at a minimum, especially within the context of a democratic classroom (Charles, 2008). I also liked the idea of students having "pleasure" in the classroom because it is inviting and engaging. This reminds me of Kounin's suggestion that students be constantly engaged in the classroom to prevent misbehavior (Charles, 2008), and proper arrangement of the physical environment could be a key component to his lesson management ideas.
Considering ideas put forth in the Sheets text, I thought a lot about the configuration of desks and rows as well as accounting for gender, race, and culture when creating my physical environment.
How do these two component of the classroom environment foster more meaningful communication (social contact)?
Charles, C.M. (2008). Building classroom discipline, ninth edition. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
The physical environment in the classroom is something that has a very large impact on students learning. I really liked the theme of symbolic identification and pleasure in the classroom. The idea of modeling the look and feel of your class to identify with the diverse nature of your students allows for a more welcoming atmosphere. Students who see things on the walls that they enjoy or take interest to become more engaged in what you have on the walls. These posters or wall hangings can be very informational for the students and can provide a means in which they can find out more information on topics that interest them. In Chapter 5 of the Sheets text, the ideas of social interactions and interpersonal relationships and their role on student development is examined. Having a variety of things on the wall or around the classroom that interest the students can also allow for students to find others who have the same interests, thereby creating social development for the students.
In response to Brett's question, I think that the arrangement of the seating allows for social contact between students who may not normally interact with each other, which can help to foster a more welcoming atmosphere in the classroom for students who feel left out or isolated. Providing a setting where all students feel comfortable and welcome is a critical aspect to meeting the needs of the developing student.
Question:In what way's can we include the students interests and culture into our classroom setup?
Sometimes it is hard to relate the normal classroom to a physical education setting. Most times for PE you in a gymnasium without desks. This is where classroom management skils come in. Students are expected to be seated quietly in a desk for a period. They are encouraged to be active and enthusiastic. The gym should still be bright with colors and posters on the wall promoting fitness. Safey and security are essential in a physical education classroom since kids are very active. Only the assigned equipment needs to be available for the students access. Otherwise dangerous equipment needs to locked up or in safe spots in the gym. They need to feel comfortable to participate in their environment. Question: According to the video, the physical environment is the main factor in enhancing a climate of classroom discipline, would you all make this your main focus or what would you put in its place?
Tom jkeimi: I think physical environment will probably be the very first thing I address as a new teacher, in part because it is the easiest to put into place. I will be in a art room, and agree that students should have access to only the needed materials for accomplishing the day's goals. It will be necessary for students to access them as quickly as possible as well: This is where the Task Instrumentality will become important. Wong and Wong (Charles, 2008) describe how teachers can plan procedures and even provide checklists of tasks that can be completed even before the first student walks through the door. Reading and implementing many of these can help me feel more prepared to deal with the other elements of the classroom, such as the social and growth goals depending on the needs of the students. So, I will absolutely be addressing the physical environment as the most important element of classroom discipline; in the PE class or art room, all teachers must feel comfortable that physical issues are addressed so students feel comfortable learning from us and growth can then take place.
Charles, C.M. (2008). Building classroom discipline, ninth edition. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Do you feel the physical, social, or cognitive elements will be harder to accomplish as beginning teachers?
To Devon: In an art classroom, I hope to encompass all cultures, in the form of posters, books, photos, or art samples on the walls, shelves, or even hanging from the ceiling. Many of these cost little to nothing as well, and can be found by checking out library books, or searching the internet for great examples. Hopefully, some of these will also relate to students interests as well. They will always be great reference points during discussion because they can give the students immediate insight into our subject matter, material choices, or project examples. I most definitely will want to allot enough space to display student projects, as a way to get the students excited about and take ownership of something they made. By feeling pride toward their accomplishments they will attribute positive emotions with art class, and continue to work hard to sustain it. They would also feel like they contributed to the group when they know others will be seeing their work. This is how I can impact both the social and cognitive nature of the students by manipulating the physical space.
I think social development will be one of the harder aspects in the beginning of my career. Not necessarily helping students develop socially (establishing appropriate behavior, fostering social interaction, etc), but building a community in my classroom - one like the Christensen article describes. I think, like you said, that managing the physical environment will be my first plan of attack when it comes to classroom management, and cognitive components are our ultimate focus.
I found a really helpful PDF on the Web for tips in fostering a sense of community in your classroom. Some ideas listed throughout are:
-Set aside time to play games together -Pair and share about what students did over the weekend (I love that one) -Allow students to share their work with one another -Model language of cooperation
It is geared toward elementary teachers, but the ideas can be adapted and are valuable none-the-less. The link to the file is in the reference below.
Hittie, M. (2000). Building community in the classroom. Retrieved June 1, 2010 from the Wayne State University Web site: http://www.coe.wayne.edu/wholeschooling/WS/WSPress/CommBldgMH.pdf.
In response to John's note that it is hard to relate the normal education class to the physical education setting. I agree it can be difficult, but I think Steele's 6 functions relate to the normal education room also. In fact I actually think that to be very successful at creating an environment for learning, no matter what type of class, pleasure must be made visual to the students. They need to have an interest in the class. If they believe they will have fun while working, their effort will increase.
Question: Many classes I have been in have talked about studies showing that when students are physically active in class they learn more. Does anyone have any strategies for increasing physical activity in the normal ed setting? Besides just going to the board!
First I would like to say that the video was well thought out on connecting the gym class to the regular classroom. I never thought of it in that way before.
In response to Devon: Deciding how to decorate or set up you classroom seems to be a daunting task. You want to include what appeals to you, while at the same time including something that appeals to your students. These two do not necessarily go hand-in-hand. As I was thinking about what is more important, your interest or the student’s interest, I found a nice article on TeacherVision (http://www.teachervision.fen.com) that addresses this issue. They recommend that you involve the students in the process by letting them make contributions to the decor. To me this article was saying that in order to build a better community you should gear your classroom more towards your students and involve them in the process which really makes sense to me.
TeacherVision (2010). Creating an effective physical classroom environment. Retrieved on 1 June 2010 from: http://www.teachervision.fen.com/classroom-management/decorative-arts/6506.html?page=2&detoured=1
I feel that the incorporation of student culture into the classroom set up is an easy task that is overlooked. Since my experience is mostly in the English classroom, I'll use that as an example. It's easy to find posters of literature's "greatest hit" writers, throw those on the wall and call it a day. A little bit more searching, however, and one can find posters of a number of writers from other cultures and backgrounds. Of course, it's always a great idea to also include student work, creating a section of the room for the teacher to put up exceptional work or even letting the students choose which of their work goes on display. It's just a matter of varying what you present in your classroom.
I thought this video brought out something that, I think is sort of slipping to the back burner in classrooms I've observed and substituted in. The classroom environment, be it your average classroom, a portable classroom trailer, a gym, or a music room, is the space where students spend a large part of their day. Since most misbehavior occurs when Glasser and Charles' needs aren't met - it's clear that to stop misbehavior, we must make sure the basic needs are met (Charles, 2008). First on this list is security. The classroom needs to be welcoming, inviting, and secure. Without that, all of the classroom discipline tactics in the world won't help with classroom management.
My question (Ben touched on this a little bit, so, sorry if I'm sort of stealing): What are some things we can do as teachers to make sure that students feel that they have also had an input to their classroom environment?
The physical environment of the classroom as part of an overall classroom management plan seems to play a significant role in behavior management - an ongoing theme of this course. I noticed a connection between creating a positive physical environment and some of the basic tenets of classroom discipline theories. For example, the video stated that managing the physical environment means creating a clean, comfortable, and safe environment for students to learn in; this safe and comfortable environment can also put students at ease and keep inappropriate behavior at a minimum, especially within the context of a democratic classroom (Charles, 2008). I also liked the idea of students having "pleasure" in the classroom because it is inviting and engaging. This reminds me of Kounin's suggestion that students be constantly engaged in the classroom to prevent misbehavior (Charles, 2008), and proper arrangement of the physical environment could be a key component to his lesson management ideas.
ReplyDeleteConsidering ideas put forth in the Sheets text, I thought a lot about the configuration of desks and rows as well as accounting for gender, race, and culture when creating my physical environment.
How do these two component of the classroom environment foster more meaningful communication (social contact)?
Charles, C.M. (2008). Building classroom discipline, ninth edition. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
The physical environment in the classroom is something that has a very large impact on students learning. I really liked the theme of symbolic identification and pleasure in the classroom. The idea of modeling the look and feel of your class to identify with the diverse nature of your students allows for a more welcoming atmosphere. Students who see things on the walls that they enjoy or take interest to become more engaged in what you have on the walls. These posters or wall hangings can be very informational for the students and can provide a means in which they can find out more information on topics that interest them. In Chapter 5 of the Sheets text, the ideas of social interactions and interpersonal relationships and their role on student development is examined. Having a variety of things on the wall or around the classroom that interest the students can also allow for students to find others who have the same interests, thereby creating social development for the students.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Brett's question, I think that the arrangement of the seating allows for social contact between students who may not normally interact with each other, which can help to foster a more welcoming atmosphere in the classroom for students who feel left out or isolated. Providing a setting where all students feel comfortable and welcome is a critical aspect to meeting the needs of the developing student.
Question:In what way's can we include the students interests and culture into our classroom setup?
Sometimes it is hard to relate the normal classroom to a physical education setting. Most times for PE you in a gymnasium without desks. This is where classroom management skils come in. Students are expected to be seated quietly in a desk for a period. They are encouraged to be active and enthusiastic. The gym should still be bright with colors and posters on the wall promoting fitness. Safey and security are essential in a physical education classroom since kids are very active. Only the assigned equipment needs to be available for the students access. Otherwise dangerous equipment needs to locked up or in safe spots in the gym. They need to feel comfortable to participate in their environment.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: According to the video, the physical environment is the main factor in enhancing a climate of classroom discipline, would you all make this your main focus or what would you put in its place?
Tom jkeimi:
ReplyDeleteI think physical environment will probably be the very first thing I address as a new teacher, in part because it is the easiest to put into place. I will be in a art room, and agree that students should have access to only the needed materials for accomplishing the day's goals. It will be necessary for students to access them as quickly as possible as well: This is where the Task Instrumentality will become important. Wong and Wong (Charles, 2008) describe how teachers can plan procedures and even provide checklists of tasks that can be completed even before the first student walks through the door. Reading and implementing many of these can help me feel more prepared to deal with the other elements of the classroom, such as the social and growth goals depending on the needs of the students. So, I will absolutely be addressing the physical environment as the most important element of classroom discipline; in the PE class or art room, all teachers must feel comfortable that physical issues are addressed so students feel comfortable learning from us and growth can then take place.
Charles, C.M. (2008). Building classroom discipline, ninth edition. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Do you feel the physical, social, or cognitive elements will be harder to accomplish as beginning teachers?
To Devon:
ReplyDeleteIn an art classroom, I hope to encompass all cultures, in the form of posters, books, photos, or art samples on the walls, shelves, or even hanging from the ceiling. Many of these cost little to nothing as well, and can be found by checking out library books, or searching the internet for great examples. Hopefully, some of these will also relate to students interests as well. They will always be great reference points during discussion because they can give the students immediate insight into our subject matter, material choices, or project examples. I most definitely will want to allot enough space to display student projects, as a way to get the students excited about and take ownership of something they made. By feeling pride toward their accomplishments they will attribute positive emotions with art class, and continue to work hard to sustain it. They would also feel like they contributed to the group when they know others will be seeing their work. This is how I can impact both the social and cognitive nature of the students by manipulating the physical space.
Katie,
ReplyDeleteI think social development will be one of the harder aspects in the beginning of my career. Not necessarily helping students develop socially (establishing appropriate behavior, fostering social interaction, etc), but building a community in my classroom - one like the Christensen article describes. I think, like you said, that managing the physical environment will be my first plan of attack when it comes to classroom management, and cognitive components are our ultimate focus.
I found a really helpful PDF on the Web for tips in fostering a sense of community in your classroom. Some ideas listed throughout are:
-Set aside time to play games together
-Pair and share about what students did over the weekend (I love that one)
-Allow students to share their work with one another
-Model language of cooperation
It is geared toward elementary teachers, but the ideas can be adapted and are valuable none-the-less. The link to the file is in the reference below.
Hittie, M. (2000). Building community in the classroom. Retrieved June 1, 2010 from the Wayne State University Web site: http://www.coe.wayne.edu/wholeschooling/WS/WSPress/CommBldgMH.pdf.
In response to John's note that it is hard to relate the normal education class to the physical education setting. I agree it can be difficult, but I think Steele's 6 functions relate to the normal education room also. In fact I actually think that to be very successful at creating an environment for learning, no matter what type of class, pleasure must be made visual to the students. They need to have an interest in the class. If they believe they will have fun while working, their effort will increase.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: Many classes I have been in have talked about studies showing that when students are physically active in class they learn more. Does anyone have any strategies for increasing physical activity in the normal ed setting? Besides just going to the board!
First I would like to say that the video was well thought out on connecting the gym class to the regular classroom. I never thought of it in that way before.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Devon: Deciding how to decorate or set up you classroom seems to be a daunting task. You want to include what appeals to you, while at the same time including something that appeals to your students. These two do not necessarily go hand-in-hand. As I was thinking about what is more important, your interest or the student’s interest, I found a nice article on TeacherVision (http://www.teachervision.fen.com) that addresses this issue. They recommend that you involve the students in the process by letting them make contributions to the decor. To me this article was saying that in order to build a better community you should gear your classroom more towards your students and involve them in the process which really makes sense to me.
TeacherVision (2010). Creating an effective physical classroom environment. Retrieved on 1 June 2010 from: http://www.teachervision.fen.com/classroom-management/decorative-arts/6506.html?page=2&detoured=1
In response to Devon's question,
ReplyDeleteI feel that the incorporation of student culture into the classroom set up is an easy task that is overlooked. Since my experience is mostly in the English classroom, I'll use that as an example. It's easy to find posters of literature's "greatest hit" writers, throw those on the wall and call it a day. A little bit more searching, however, and one can find posters of a number of writers from other cultures and backgrounds. Of course, it's always a great idea to also include student work, creating a section of the room for the teacher to put up exceptional work or even letting the students choose which of their work goes on display. It's just a matter of varying what you present in your classroom.
I thought this video brought out something that, I think is sort of slipping to the back burner in classrooms I've observed and substituted in. The classroom environment, be it your average classroom, a portable classroom trailer, a gym, or a music room, is the space where students spend a large part of their day. Since most misbehavior occurs when Glasser and Charles' needs aren't met - it's clear that to stop misbehavior, we must make sure the basic needs are met (Charles, 2008). First on this list is security. The classroom needs to be welcoming, inviting, and secure. Without that, all of the classroom discipline tactics in the world won't help with classroom management.
My question (Ben touched on this a little bit, so, sorry if I'm sort of stealing): What are some things we can do as teachers to make sure that students feel that they have also had an input to their classroom environment?