TAP+Environment



Creating A Physical Learning Environment From Heather Summary: All three articles explain how to foster respect in your classroom, but in three separate ways. For example, in "Building Relationships With Challenging Children", the main theme was that the teacher showed, by his or her actions, that the student was a respected and valued member of the classroom. They did this by respecting boundaries, not escalating volatile situations, and attempting to connect with each student on an individual bases.

In the article, "Creating Respectful Environments", the authors state that by creating a safe and genuine environment, where respectful behavior is modeled by the teacher first, a classroom is set to produce not only learning students, but responsible citizens. They stress that students need to feel safe and accepted in order to learn effectively.

The third article, "Creating A Physical Learning Environment", lists very practical, tangible ways to subtly show respect for your students in your classroom. The mere act of making sure each and every student as adequate space, and can see all instruction areas, lets the student know that you value their time in your classroom. You can also provide a sense of ownership for the students by letting them have a say in where things are placed.

I was recently in a classroom when I noticed that a student did not look like he could see the board due to the flag. I pulled the teacher aside to let her know. Sure enough when she asked him, the poor kid had not been able to see the board for months, but never spoke up. The teacher was one of the best teachers I have ever known, and this seating situation was certainly not intentional. However, because the student didn't speak up, his educational experience was subpar. By changing his seat, the teacher showed the student that she respected his efforts to learn and that it was important to her that he succeed.

THREE ARTICLE COMPARISIONS (wk 1 response)Mr. Parcells

The first article about the student and the chocolate milk incident was a fantastic example of how I think a good classroom should be run. The teacher never got out of hand and took no action on the child, she simply let the child go through her actions and then demonstrated that those actions would not intimidate her (give student control over a situation). After this incident the student felt comfortable with the teacher. When the students feel comfortable in the classroom and have a connection with the teacher they are willing to try and do well because they feel cared for by the teacher. When teachers are constantly scolding students or degrading them, students become disinterested and cause distractions in the classroom. The article that I looked at online is loosely tied with this. It talks about dealing with students and classroom arrangement. Student’s placement in the classroom and the placement of tools (projection screen, front of class, windows, and walls) are crucial to the learning environment. When students are connected/paired/sitting next to/working with certain other students there performance can decrease or increase. As a teacher it is our responsibility to recognize these performances and place students and objects accordingly to obtain the highest level of performance. The other article talks about respect. It talks about all different kinds of respect. Respect in the classroom for the teacher, respect for the students from the teacher, respect for the parents of the students and respect for the environment. This article explains how respect is a key component in learning. In a respectful environment there are no put-downs, negative language, or degrading type of conversations. A respectful environment is built on relationships. Relationships between teachers and students are vital in classroom success. Forming positive relationships where there is trust involved will allow for a smooth classroom with productive student-teacher performance and a classroom where students will want to learn and be engaged in the material. [] (another article I used)

This was a picture taken in Ms.Sleaks class. It shows different mistakes that writers may use.(Trent)

CLASS JOBS. A tool used to get students involved in daily activities.(Trent)

V ision statement and Mission statement posted in the classroom as a reminder to students about their school.(Trent)

Mr.Parcells (wk 2 entre response to EQ#1)

Environment has a big influence on student learning and positive behavior. If a learning environment is not suitable for the students or the teacher, the class as a whole is not going to perform to the expectations necessary. A good learning environment is an area where students are not worried/concerned about surroundings and only concentrating on the task/activity at hand. If a student is distracted (various factors, other students, offensive posters, poor teacher planning, ECT…) it can disrupt their learning and also cause many students to misbehave. When students become disengaged, regardless of the reason, they participate less and are more likely to disrupt the rest of the class. When this happens it affects everyone and students and teacher can get off task very easily.

Nyla Davis-Valencia EDU 521 //Building Relationships with Challenging Children (Hall & Hall,2003)// This article was interesting in that it showed step by step an alternative method for dealing with a difficult student. In a traditional model, the student would have beeen scolded and punished for spilling milk and tearing up her work. In this situation, the teacher addresses the child’s emotional needs more. Perhaps teachers should consider a combination of strict punishment enforced discipline and steps to counteract the psychological standpoint of a student. If the teacher could convince the student to think differently, then the student will do well over the long term. //Creating Respectful Classroom Environments (Miller and Pedro, 2006)// Respect seems like a vague term when you say it. I can easily see students saying “what does that mean?” This article mentions not hitting, not calling others names, and other forms of disrespect. What really stuck out to me was the concept that teachers need to instill the idea of respect. Often teachers are responsible for enforcing order but this made me think of teachers being immersed in the concept of respect themselves. Teachers are role models. They have to show respect while they remind the students to be respectful as well. //Desk Arrangement Effects on Classroom Behavior// [] This study found that arranging desks in a circle encourages more student involvement and on task behavior amongst students. I have noticed that where you sit in a classroom does make a difference in terms of your class experience. How desks are arranged can affect your view of presenters and your comfort with being involved with the class. Seating arrangements probably influence the way students feel and who they focus on. In clusters, students can interact in their group more. In rows, students are focused on looking at the teacher or whoever is presenting. A large class circle allows students to see each other and the teacher all at once and thus makes them more of a participant of the whole class population. This article shows that teachers can use desk arrangement to facilitate class discussion.

Mathematical charting and math tools (TAP Environment) The alphabet with mathematical terms (Tap Environment) The schedule and discipline consequences (Tap Managing Student Behaviors)

All three photographs taken in Ms. Saclaridies room.

EQ #1: How does the learning environment affect student behaviors and student achievement? A student's environment will affect their behavior and thus their achievement. Students need to feel comfortable in their surroundings and their school should provide an environment that fosters learning. For instance for some students it may be a distraction to play music while they are doing school work because it breaks their concentration so they need to be in a more quiet environment. Some of the features that we may take for granted are helpful. It is nicer to write using a desk for support then to hold a paper over your lap and write. If a student exhibits good behavior that correlates to his or her achievement because the student who is paying attention will be able to process more information and do better as far as understanding new concepts. - Nyla Davis-Valencia

I found the article, "The Key to Classroom Management," to be a really great resource. In fact I printed it out in order to reference it again in the future. Learning environment greatly affects student behavior and achievement. Classroom management is crucial. It is imperative to being an effective teacher. Research shows that teachers' actions in their classroom have a huge impact on student achievement. Students spend the majority of their day in the classroom, therefore we should provide them with a safe, positive, nuturing environment where learning can flourish. The section on dominance really resignated with me. It is easy for me to build strong relationships with others, however I will need to focus on exhibiting dominance in my classroom. Last week the substitute gave me great advice, start out tough and THEN lighten up. Students need to know that the teacher is in control of the class environment and learning goals.
 * Tisha Marple - Response to EQ#1:**

Nicholas Kelln - Response to 3 Articles - (Photos Following Article Reviews)

//Building Relationships with Challenging Children (Hall & Hall, 2003)//

This article helped me to start thinking about those difficult situations that will arise & how to deal with them. If one is equipped with this type of knowledge, when the difficult times present themselves, it will not be so overwhelming and will not throw you off course. Knowing how to react & turn it into a positive learning experience for the student seems to me to be the ultimate goal here.

//Creating Respectful Classroom Environments (Miller and Pedro, 2006)//

This topic of respectful classroom environments gets me going! I am all for a respectful classroom. That should mean that the teacher is respectful of the student, the student's parents, and respectful of the position that they hold. It should also mean that the student also has respect for their teachers as well as their parents, classmates, school property, and the learning environment as a whole. With the help of the student's guardians to reinforce the respectful environment at home, this all could work together perfectly to create a superior learning environment for all students. If all the parts aren't put together properly, the learning environment will not operate at it's highest capacity.

//Writing Lesson Plans/ Seating Arrangements (Dr. Holtrop, 1999)// http://www.huntington.edu/education/lessonplanning/seating.html

This article is very basic, but if you are new to the teaching environment like me, it gives you reasons why to arrange your classroom to maximize the learning environment depending on what type of lesson you are presenting. Different arrangements make a huge difference in how smoothly your plan comes together.

Picture A = Shows the building of community in the classroom Picture B = Shows us technology being integrated in the classroom Picture C = Shows us how to build community in quick and simple ways

This concludes my post to our Wikispace......................................................................................................................................................... Nicholas Kelln

Series on Highly Effective Practices-Classroom Environments (Sam Lyons)

[|http://education.odu.edu/esse/docs/classroomenvironments.pdf]

The physical environment of a classroom is one element to improve the learning environment and prevent problem behaviors before they start. The way a teacher arranges his/her room establishes what the teacher values in behavior and learning when students and fellow teachers walk in the room. Studies show that a well-structured classroom tends to improve student academics and behavioral outcomes. A poorly organized classroom can impede the functioning of the day as well as limit what and how the students are learning. When arranging the classroom, teachers should keep in mind of how students are seated, where the students and teacher are in relation to one another, how the students will move around the room, and the overall sense of the atmosphere. But most importantly, teachers should strategically arrange the classroom to limit student contact with high-traffic areas like the area around the pencil sharpener and the trash can. It’s also to the teacher’s advantage to limit visual and auditory stimulation to avoid distracting students. Most importantly the teacher should address the academic, social, and emotional needs of his/her students. But, ultimately, a teacher should keep a classroom orderly and well-organized! It will make your day run Slip-n-Slide smooth.

Sam Lyons- Response to EQ #1
= How does the learning environment affect student behaviors and student achievement? = The learning environment in the classroom should be safe, inviting, open, and respectful. If a student feels safe and accepted, they are bound to go beyond your wildest expectations. In that environment, students know their ideas and answers (right and wrong) will be respected by teacher and peers, the audience every student wants to get a 5-star review from. Students will be more willing to participate in everyday classroom activities and strive to improve both academically and socially.

Creating a Physical Environment: Nizhoni Miller:
===The three articles discussed ways to make your classroom a place of learning. They also discussed why it is important to build relationships with your students. This seems to be something that I am learning in just about every class. If have found that it is very important to have a classroom that is not only well organized but also a place to learn. From the first article, "Building Relationships with Challenging Children" was very interesting because in the beginning of the article it says, "Teachers who intervene gently, forego punishment, work at bonding and ensure student success can help at risk students make positive changes in their lives and in the classroom." This truly was an eye opener for me because I do want to have the children to be discipline but also I need to have a good solid relationship with them which is better than punishment and a negative relationship. The second article,"Creating Respectful Classroom Environment" was also more about the teacher's role in the classroom and to the students. We do play a major part in the children's lives. We model about 40% of the behavior that they learn and act out. The article said, "Respect is a fundamental human value that forms the basis of character and personality." This is a very true statement and it is up to the teachers to make sure the students are learning the value of respect because it will help them a lot when they get older. The last article, "The Effects of Seating Arrangement on Student's On- Task Behavior" was about how seating arrangment has an effect on students especially on how they behave. I liked this article because it pertains to how the teacher sets up the classroom can either be a positive environment or a negative one. Thus it is important and sometimes over looked because it seems so simple and small but it is very important. We have many things to cover and keep in mind but if we create a physical learning environment for our students than we can a better opportunity of having control over our classrooms and a better relationship with our children. ===

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