Creating and Maintaining Effective Environments for Student Learning
Creating and maintaining effective environments for student learning begins with implementing policies and procedures. In other words, a strong classroom management plan is needed to create an environment where students feel safe to learn, and in my class specifically, explore the beautiful world of mathematics. When students feel safe, they are free of stress and worry and can enjoy learning. In my classroom, students experience this freedom because I am consist with my policies and procedures, and the high, yet attainable expectations that I hold my students to are known through my clear explanations each class.
I believe the first day of school, and even the first week, is the most crucial time for a teacher. It is during this time that a teacher begins to build and foster a community within their classroom that will last throughout the entire year. During the first week of school, I introduce my policies and procedures with a firm, yet kind hand. Students typically receive my class syllabus and handout of classroom policies and procedures which is adapted from my classroom management plan. These handouts offer my students and I guidelines we can follow to have a successful year together. My primary rule for my classroom is: Respect math. Respect others. If we have a growing respect for the field of mathematics, we will honor the mathematical concepts we are exploring. If we respect one another, we will be able work with efficiently and effectively.
One of my daily classroom routines is greeting my students at the door. I believe the simple act of greeting students at the door sets a welcoming and positive social environment to my classroom. Another one of my daily classroom routines, is having students complete a class starter at the beginning of the period. The minute the bell rings, my students know it is time to begin their class starter. It typically consist of two to four questions about previously learned concepts that feed into the day’s lesson. After giving my students about five to ten minutes to work through it on their own, I allow them to check their work with a partner and then as a class, we walk through each problem to make sure the class has completed each question correctly. Simple procedures like greeting students at the door and beginning class with a class starter adds structure and consistency to my class which my students appreciate, so they know what is expected of them.
Additionally, I like to create a positive social environment by allowing my students to work with one another. One of my college professors once told me, “There is more than one way to do it! That’s the beauty of mathematics!” Her words were so empowering and have impacted how I view collaborative work time. Collaborative work is a time for students to not only use each other resources, but also learn how to think about math in different ways. I always tell my students, “The person sitting next to you does not think in the same way you do, but that doesn’t mean they’re wrong. It means you have something to learn from them!” This helps create class that is not only ready to learn from me, their teacher, but also their peers.
Aside from creating a positive social environment, I also want to create a positive physical environment. My classroom is always buzzing with activity and so are my walls! I love to hang up my students’ work to remind them of the growth of their mathematical knowledge. It also adds color and life to my classroom. My final step in creating a safe environment for my students is by building relationships with them. At the beginning of the year I intentionally give them an interest inventory, so that I can get to know them better. I then use this information to start conversations about their interests throughout the school year and build it into my curriculum. I also make an effort to attend extracurricular activities that my students are involved in outside of school. Taking the time to build relationships with my students shows that I want to learn alongside them and help broaden their understand of the mathematical world. When students walk through my door everyday, I want them to know that I care not only about their mathematics education, but also who are they as a human beings.
I believe adding together my passion for mathematics education, the policies and procedures I have created for my classroom, and my continuous effort to build a positive social and physical environment sums to an effective learning environment for my students.