Creating a Community of Learners
Floor plans and classroom surroundings
Items that relate to diversity, whatever they may be, whether items of importance to the First Nations, any other race and culture, LGBTQ+, should be put on display for people to know that my classroom is a safe place to interact and learn in.
Items can include things of cultural significance, flags, posters, sayings. They should have educational significance and I, as a teacher should know about them and can properly educate about the importance of these objects.
Because of my plan of teaching an English class someday I believe that an approach like this also gives the students the most learning potential as I believe that English comprehension and general learning of the language is easiest amongst peers
A seating plan such as this allows for more collaboration between students as well as important socializing.
I will have new seating plans pretty often, maybe even bi-weekly as I think allowing students to open up to working with new individuals is important for people growing skills, especially with how I heard that students nowadays, after the effects of COVID have been finding it difficult to socialize and keep up well with classes due to the years of isolation
I will always have a seating plan set up for the students and see how well or not well people are interacting with each other. From there I can decide how I will switch up the seating plan.
There will also be a number of fidgety chairs or even exercise balls that people can sit on, for those that like being active or fidgeting to try and fidget in ways that shouldn't be too distracting.
I would like to have whiteboards placed along the walls on my classrooms.
The idea for my classroom is having tables instead of desks that seat up to 4, allowing students to interact and face each other as well as me when I'm instructing.
Creating a positive and Inclusive learning environment
Establish that your classroom is a safe place for any and all diversities
Another way to show support for any diversities should be physical symbols, posters, flags, maps, anything appropriate and sensible for display and with educational significance so students can learn things from these items.
Simply make it known that your classroom isn't a classroom where any discrimination of any type is allowed.
Failure to follow these rules should be immediately met with a stern warning and further violations to this rule should require administrator and parental intervention, as well as, if it even comes to be that severe, then counselling.
converse with willing students in idle chit chat a lot
Conversing and finding out about what makes up their personality can also allow for some area to even mention and drop some things about yourself, and although the interest may be very surface level, but if a student finds that you even like the same thing as they do, it is likely that they will even look at you in a different light, someone that is not only a teacher but a person that a student can even chitchat with in their off time.
Like mentioned earlier, it is good to have conversations and learn about students. One such, and very good icebreaker with your students is learning about their passions, interests, hobbies, extra curriculars, maybe even their favourite books, movies and music.
Once this is accomplished you know more about your student and you know more about how to tailor certain assignments or even interactions between them, learning about their interests at a surface level can cause them to get excited that someone else is taking interest in their own interests and allow for a deeper and friendly connection, a relationship, if you will.
learning everyone's names ASAP and using them in idle chitchat
It is also extremely important to use this practice in moderation as in the end it is important to remember that you are a teacher and they are the students, one can be friendly but being friends can take the situation too far.
It is important as a teacher to practice this with every one of your students that are willing and should not push a student that is not willing over their boundaries as instead of coming off as a genuine person you may come off as pushy and overbearing.
So what if there are students that do not value interacting with you as the teacher? Well that's completely fine, show the same amount of warmth to everyone, if they don't want to interact then that is no problem at all, but show that you are always a person that is willing to look past that if they ever feel like talking. It's enough to know that there is someone there to talk to sometimes.
I think idle chitchat between teacher and student is an amazing thing to do as it shows that outside of my teacher and student relationship I know them on a personal level, which can easily lead to friendly relationships and trust.
smiling and greeting everyone in the morning
You never know how someone's day is, has been, and will be unless explicitly told. So why not spread a little bit of positivity and happiness in, what is debatably the most miserable part of the day.
It's like the "pay it forward" phenomenon, a smile and positive attitude in the morning can immediately brighten someone's day, happiness and positivity is contagious and whether they do it intentionally or not, they might spread the positivity that you gave them to the next person.
Class doesn't always have to start immediately.
Some students, in response to your at least, mildly entertaining story might goad you on into telling more, a tricky tactic to be sure. But also a pretty goo tell for you to know that you have caught their attention.
Sometimes, depending on the mood general feel of the class, getting into lecturing or learning in any way can be delayed a little for maybe a story, a personal anecdote, anything of interest, and of course, mildly entertaining, the snag the students attention and make them more attentive to the lesson.
Classroom norms and expectations
Homework
Ideally, homework isn't something that I want to hand out to my students, rather, after the instructional part of my lesson plan of that day, I would give an adequate amount of time for student directed practice, whether they want to do it collaboratively or individually is up to them. During this time I would be wandering the classroom answering questions or checking everyone for understanding.
For those that I can trust to be sensible and finish their little task, they may leave the classroom and find another place that they would like to do work at.
The concept is, everyone will end the class with an understanding of the lesson an no homework to go home and mull over and feel bad about not completing the next day.
Breaks
In particularly heavy lecturing classes, or even classes given for project work, students may take a couple minutes to exit the classroom to take a stretch or go for a little walk to refocus back on the topic being taught.
Furthermore, if I notice that students attention is waning then I might just pause the lesson for a while and do a light physical activity to turn off the brain for a second and let them regain or release some energy to replenish their stamina for the rest of the lesson.
Washroom Visits
I generally only have one rule for washroom usage and that is up to a maximum of 2 people may leave to use the washroom, I would like to come to a level of trust with my students that I do not need to assume that they might be leaving to do something else. And if they need a break they can straight up let me know.
Autonomy
In project scenarios and even in the regular classroom, students can choose or be given roles that they would like to play as during their learning, these roles could range from the simple note taking or assignment distributing to leading the group and stirring motivation to doing things.
This not only allows students to better think for themselves and have more say in how they want to help participate in their projects or the classrooms but also gives leadership opportunities to show what students are capable of.
Communication Between Everyone
Communication is an extremely important part of the classroom that focuses on project based learning, collaboration and lectures.
Students should be able to communicate in an effective and timely manner towards the teacher for any circumstances. Ie, asking for assignment extensions. The same should be said about their peers.
Classroom Rules
Rules will be explicitly stated on day one, such as the usage of seating plans. These rules will be enforced fairly but equitably as well, and that may definitely vary with the student so that will be up to my discretion at the time.
I would also like to hear about any rules or expectations that the students might have, that may also include seating plans that they have come up with as well.
Learning strategies
Keeping an Open Mind
Sometimes, students might have different needs then what one might initially expect, it's important to keep your mind open and keep trying different strategies and different ways to reach these students.
As a teacher, you may even want to communicate with these students and find out what works best for them and what they want to see you do in order to reach their learning needs.
Learning Diversities and Ways to Stimulate the Brain
Sometimes students learning needs can be physical, pacing around, contemplating working it out while doing something that may initially seem out of the ordinary but encouragement is always necessary.
For students that need a little extra help or instruction, or a lot then that is still no problem. Ideally I'd like to settle everyone else before focusing my attention on this specific subset of students. Then I will go through whatever it is they need to go through and will help them by bouncing ideas off of them and seeing what interests and stimulates their mind.
If students learn better in complete silence then if they like then they may leave the classroom and find their own spot where they think that they may thrive, I will come check on them once or twice and ask if they need help.
Students may also work better individually and that is not a problem at all, if they choose to work individually than they absolutely may.
Of course, I hope my class to be very collaborative and if students learn that way the best than all the better really, I really encourage collaborative learning.
I allow the listening of music in my class, as long as its not during my lectures or anyone presenting as I believe that it comes to showing people respect and giving them your attention. But when working individually or even collaboratively, I encourage those who like to listen to music to listen and enjoy themselves. I might even play music of my own for students if they so wish.
Activities Regarding Lessons
All of these examples mentioned are ways to stimulate healthy and fun competition in the classroom. A way to get people involved and really stimulate all levels of learning, like visual, kinetic, auditory, anything like that.
Examples of these include acting out a Shakespearan play that we are meant to read and study as a class. This could also be debating hot topics or sharing an opinion on controversial dilemmas. They could even be activites that are like races, progressing and regressing for every right or wrong answer.
Rewards for Assignment Completions and Participation.
Everyone who has completed an assignment will gain a certain amount of currency that I will dub T-Bucks. These can be cashed in for prizes, candies, snacks, class parties, anything of the sorts, to motivate people to do well and participate.
