When we as teachers take the time to build a positive classroom culture from the very first week of school we, along with our students, have a much better outlook for a successful school year. A strong and supportive learning environment helps to foster student engagement, academic achievement, and overall well-being. The start of a new school year provides a unique opportunity to establish the foundation of a successful classroom culture.
Photo by note thanun on UnsplashIn today's diverse and inclusive classrooms, it is important to adopt approaches that respect and celebrate these differences among students. By:
- offering a variety of choices where possible, and
- allowing students to exercise agency over their learning,
teachers can create an environment that is inclusive, empowering, and engaging.
Student agency refers to the degree to which students have control over their own learning experiences. By giving students the opportunity to make decisions about:
- what they learn and
- how they learn it,
teachers can help to build a sense of ownership and responsibility in the learning process. This, in turn, leads to an increase in:
- motivation,
- engagement, and
- achievement.
This Inquiry Unit into body systems is a great example of how, you as the teacher can lead a teacher inquiry into 1 aspect - in this case the digestive system - and use this as the vehicle to teach the skills your students need to run their own inquiries into a system of their own choosing. They then engage more deeply with their subject matter, are more motivated to persevere through the challenges (aka the learning pit) and strive to achieve an outcome they are proud of, all while practising the skills you taught and moving towards becoming more independent inquires. Click the images to preview the resource on TPT
Another critical component of building a positive classroom culture is a focus on social and emotional well-being. A supportive and inclusive environment is essential for students to feel:
- safe,
- valued, and
- respected.
By encouraging open communication, providing opportunities for collaboration and positive relationships, and promoting a growth mindset, teachers can help to cultivate a sense of community and belonging within the classroom.
Using the language of Growth Mindset can shift perspectives and attitudes that would otherwise impede leading progress.
I’ve used the cards in this teaching resource to explore a different learning challenge every day, by challenging my students to use the language of growth depicted on each card. Once the first 3 students have successfully used it in a learning context (over the next day or two) we add that card to a display, like the Growth Mindset tree in the classroom corner, or across the white board at the front of the room. Click the images to preview the resource on TPT
In order to build a strong and supportive classroom culture, it is important to invest time and energy at the start of the school year. Here are a few strategies that can help:
- Establish clear expectations and rules, but be fair! Focus on equity rather than equality.
- Foster positive relationships and encourage open communication. For example, the I’m sorry - its okay conversation needs expanding. I ask my students to follow this script instead:
Child 1: You hurt me by / when you…(explains to the person what they did) and it made me feel….
Child 2: I am sorry that I …(repeats what they did) and that it made you feel …
Child 1: Thank you for saying sorry. Please try not to do that again.
Child 2: Are you okay now? Is there anything I can do to make you feel better? (This is about making amends, it can be as simple as getting a tissue or fetching their drink bottle)
Then let it take a natural progression from there. Sorry is not a 'magic' word, the magic is in learning that sometimes our actions have negative consequences that could even impact on others. We need to own our mistakes, making amends to the people we affect, and try better next time. We also learn that this can happen to the best of us and we need to learn how to resolve these conflicts.
- Promote student agency and choice in learning, within the context of what you are required to teach. Intentionally build your units of learning around the choice components at the core.
- Create a positive and inclusive learning environment. Show that you value a variety of contributions - and intentionally model / verbalise why diversity matters.
- Look to supporting the social and emotional well-being of all students.
My final yet simple agentic activity recommendation for today - one we absolutely love in our classroom is the Good-bye Animals action activity. I’ve used this resource both at the end of classroom teaching days and also as a subject specialist, at the end of each period.
And my students won’t let me forget, they're always asking for it.
Each students chooses a way to say goodbye, from the chart. The photos help pre readers make their selection.
I then say the chant and do the action, and they repeat.
Older students can do it independently. Some students also like to invent their own.
A couple of examples are well known, like:
- See you later alligator - action resembles a ‘Night Fever’ dance move
- Give us a hug, ladybug - action is obvious
- So long King Kong - fists on chest, and so on
Click the images to preview the resource on TPT
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