This is a 7-part series. You are reading Standard 5 of the 7-part series.
Having great classroom management can increase your evaluation score and boost your confidence. The plan starts on the first day of school, is reviewed throughout the school year, and explained after breaks such as a winter break. Strong classroom management makes students confident, parents at ease, principals relieved, and gives you the ability to provide quality education. You will be less stressed and enjoy teaching once you get your learning environment managed. Classroom management has to be promoted and consistent each day. If it is not fostered daily, quality learning cannot be executed. As a teacher, this is a very important aspect of your job. It can cause you to be recognized as a superior teacher or labeled as a teacher who does not have control over your class. Establish a positive learning environment by having a classroom management plan, building rapport with your students, and promoting students to work independently to improve their learning environment.
Learning Environment standard 5 is part of the Standards for Ohio Educators and is used for the evaluation of the teachers within the state of Ohio. The book is organized with the standard, narrative summary, element, and indicators: proficient, accomplished, and distinguished. Standards are “Overarching goals and themes that provide a framework…Elements: Specific statements of knowledge, skills, or performance. Indicators: Observable and measurable statements that provide evidence of effectiveness in practice” (7). This is the foundation and the structure of teaching. If you are not creating, promoting, motivating, and treating students with respect, your plan for the class is not going to go smoothly. Remember, you are the manager, facilitator, and instructor of your classroom.
The first standard element (5.1) is “Teachers treat all students fairly and establish an environment that is respectful, supportive and caring” (31). At the beginning of the school year, establish a classroom management plan. Have the rules, procedures, consequences, and incentives posted in the classroom. Prepare and anticipate any classroom issues. Your classroom management plan should be positive and show respect and care for each student. State the plan to the students, have the students model the behaviors, and model the expectations. Be consistent. It’s hard, but do not ease up on the plan. If you have to jot down the behaviors and execute the consequence at the end of class, be consistent. Students will recognize that you follow through with the classroom plan. Create a positive learning environment that upholds respectful discipline.
Creating a Positive Learning Environment
Teachers have to “create an environment that is physically and emotionally safe” (32). This includes clarifying behavior expectations, offering a safe learning environment, responding respectfully to behavior, motivating students, and creating an environment where students take responsibility for their learning. Now, show students that you really care and want them to be the best students they can be by setting expectations and incentives. Use a student survey and parent survey to get to know your students better. Afterward, use the information to design lessons that cater to the students. Incorporate diverse images within your lessons and read books like Cultivating Genius by Gholdy Muhammad to culturally include students. Produce a plan to show how you created a respectful environment and place it in your evaluation binder. Also, design lessons using the “I do, We do, and You do,” plan. This consists of guided instruction, group work, and independent lessons. When you design lessons using this plan, you promote independent and productive work. You will quickly notice a change in your students’ attitude if you create a safe environment.
Motivation and Responsibility
Similar to standard element two (5.2), element three states, “Teachers motivate students to work productively and assume responsibility for their own learning” (32). One motivation for teaching a lesson is to provide suspense or curiosity. You don’t want to give everything away. Allow students to problem solve and self-direct. Create an environment for independent learning. As mentioned above, “I do, We do, and You do,” is an excellent way to plan a lesson. For example, you model the behavior of a lesson, you provide minutes for students to collaborate, and then you give students time to work independently. The independent work can include homework or an exit slip. Vary your role as a teacher; you may be the instructor, facilitator, or coach. To excel in this area, you want to share your strategies with other teachers. You can show proof of this in an email, professional development, or a department meeting. Remember, your goal is to promote independent learners within your class and other teachers’ classrooms.
Working Independently and Collaboratively
To have a productive classroom, teachers must have a procedure for behaviors and learning situations, and this should be stated in your classroom management plan. Before you have students work in cooperative groups, state the behaviors and expectations of the groups to create a positive learning environment. Standard 5.4 element states, “Teachers create learning situations in which students work independently, collaboratively and/or as a whole class” (33). Proficient indicators for this element are providing flexible learning situations (modeling, small groups, and independent), developing guidelines for cooperative learning, offering independent practice, and reflecting on the skills. This demonstrates the basic level of instructing students how to behave during a lesson. Employing cooperative lessons and combining flexible lessons that “maximize student understanding and learning” (33) is the indicator of accomplishing the standard element. This takes plenty of planning. You have to plan the lesson, set the guidelines for the groups, and execute an assessment of learning.
Conducive Learning For All Students
Standard 5.5 element encompasses all the elements and states, “Teachers maintain an environment that is conducive to learning for all students” (33). The focus of this element is to manage the class effectively so that learning and understanding are maximized. As mentioned, proper planning is the foundation of this element. How will you begin the class? What supplies are needed? How will you transition among the lesson structure? How will physical space be used? Using a timer is my best teaching tool. I use it when I use the think, pair, and share strategy. I use it for exit slips and when having students clean up. A timer keeps my students and me on schedule. Throughout the school year, teachers should review rules, procedures, and routines. Make changes to the classroom rules when needed. Recently, I had to make changes to my late policy on my syllabus. Students were turning in work by the end of the quarter, and that was unacceptable, even for essays. I wrote a new policy stating that students had until the end of the week to turn in any work with points deducted. The new policy allowed me to grade assignments in a timely manner. Earning a distinguished indicator, teachers that influence district-wide policy can have this recognition according to their evaluator.
Working on Your Teacher Binder
To impress your evaluator, create a binder labeled with the seven state standards: students, content, assessment, instruction, learning environment, collaboration and communication, and professional responsibility and growth. Standard five, learning environment, should include student survey sample, classroom management plan, schedule of classroom lessons, a reserve teacher lesson plan, positive notes sent home, and record of classroom management situations and follow-up. You can also include a confusion/distress system, behavior chart, teacher’s website, and proud board. Students will feel safe and respected when you implement these behavior strategies.
To earn accomplish on your teacher evaluation, your classroom management plan must promote high learning and respect for all students. Standard 5 makes it very clear that you need a classroom management plan, a supportive environment, motivations for students to complete their work, encouragement to work independently, and respect for all students. Teachers that promote a positive learning environment are often praised and recognized for their excellent classroom management. Implementing this standard will improve students’ confidence and improve your value within the field. The foundation of teaching is first establishing a classroom management plan. Students need to know the expectations, how to behave, and know that you follow through with the plan. Quality instruction cannot be effective within a learning environment that is not conducive to learning.
In the comment section below, write how you will strive to accomplish standard 5, a positive learning environment within your class.
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