Positive Classroom Environments By: Kunwar Jee Sinha

Building a healthy classroom environment is crucial, and teachers should play a key role in addressing positive and negative student behaviours, according to my years of experience as a business management educator. Recognizing the complexity of desired student behaviours and the role of procedures in moulding them, Marzano (2005) has argued in favour of matching rules and processes to performance standards. Excellent classroom management is greatly influenced by the teachers' skilful use of rules and procedures, which is acknowledged in their work.

The importance of ensuring students are aware of the rules and procedures in the classroom from the beginning of the school year, especially the repercussions for breaking them, cannot be overstated. Regulations and guidelines should be assessed to determine how they affect learning objectives and the classroom setting. Rules and procedures should be categorized according to their kinds and objectives to improve openness and understanding for educators and learners (Creating Rules & Procedures WITH Students, 2020). This would enable efficient classroom management and supervision of student behaviour. These rules should be general behaviour, clear-cut, enforceable, comprehensive, and conspicuously displayed. Students may disrupt the classroom due to management misinformation or bad choices. Under such circumstances, students can become disobedient, ignore teacher directions, and overlook disciplinary actions, which could instil dread in their peers.

In contrast to the democratic paradigm, certain school discipline techniques strongly focus on manipulation, control, and passivity. A few teachers use unfair methods and show prejudices, putting some students ahead of others and making others feel inferior. In their direct teaching and leadership capacities, these educators have used bribes and unjustified rewards, endangering student safety and damaging their students' self-esteem.

Butchart & Landau's (1998) narratives of teachers' experiences in schools include upsetting stories, such as beatings and solitary incarceration. A fear of losing control drives some teachers to use intimidating and humiliating methods of regaining control. Teachers unintentionally give children the impression that having authority equates with having the capacity to exercise control and power when they enforce rigid behavioural norms without offering instructional direction. By promoting the idea that oppressive behaviour is OK, this message risks setting a hazardous precedent among students. Therefore, although these approaches might temporarily resolve behavioural problems, more instructional elements are needed for students to acquire effective self-regulation abilities that they can carry into adulthood. Because of this, rules and processes in the classroom need to be clear and democratic; any ambiguous or anti-democratic norms ought to be eliminated from the controlled atmosphere.

Teachers can evaluate if rules and procedures have been implemented to create a positive school environment by concentrating on the following important areas:

They ought to assess learning quality first. Academic learning is greatly impacted by the way the classroom is run. Measuring the efficacy of student learning is, therefore, crucial. Enforcing regulations and guidelines will result in beneficial learning results, provided that the classroom atmosphere is suitable and supports education. Teachers and students will have a trouble-free academic year as a consequence, demonstrating the effectiveness and consistency of the established policies and procedures (Wong, 2017). Teachers should evaluate immediate and long-term learning objectives to ensure that the policies and guidelines are effective. Students' behaviour in the classroom should be taken into account next. Teachers can help students learn what to do, how, and when to do it by following established protocols. Students who participate fully, follow the rules, take the initiative, and produce observable results are examples of well-managed classroom behaviours (Wong, 2017). The effectiveness of a teacher's implementation of rules and procedures in creating a positive learning environment can be assessed.

The teacher's actions should be the last thing to discuss. According to Kounin, "With-it-ness" and "momentum" are two essential traits of successful teachers, according to Wong. A well-organized classroom exhibits fitness, as teachers are constantly aware of what is happening, allowing for seamless lesson progression and maintaining learning momentum (Wong, 2017). Teachers can also evaluate the efficacy of policies and procedures by engaging in self-reflection. Teachers can improve classroom productivity by identifying areas for improvement and making necessary adjustments to their approach through reflection (Wink, 2019).

Additionally, obtaining student opinions and thoughts might yield insightful data regarding the efficacy of classroom management techniques. Students can suggest improvements and reflect on their experiences through group discussions, individual conversations, and student surveys (Shindler, 2009). The foundation of a productive learning environment is a skill-based education system. Teachers may create a climate where all students feel valued, safe, and supported by emphasizing interactive teaching strategies and building connections and trust with their students. This encourages involvement and active learning in the classroom.?

A positive learning environment also includes several other elements, such as respect for diversity, physical and emotional safety, student involvement in classroom expectations, academic challenges catered to individual abilities, consistent application of behaviour standards, individualized experiences, and positive teacher-student relationships (Creating a Classroom Environment That Promotes Positive Behavior, n.d.).

Creating a positive classroom environment goes beyond academic results in many ways and is consistent with sustainability ideals.

Long-Term Effects: Creating an inclusive and respectful culture teaches the next generation about social responsibility and sustainable behaviours.

Conservation of Resources: Stressing economical resource usage in the classroom cultivates pupils' sense of environmental responsibility, supporting larger sustainability campaigns.

Participation in Community: Students in positive learning environments are more likely to advocate for environmental causes and participate in neighbourhood sustainability projects.

Project-based learning: Teachers allow students to address real-world problems and develop creative solutions by including sustainability themes in class projects.

Lifelong Learning: Students who are equipped to confront global issues and make a lasting contribution to a sustainable future throughout their lives are those who have had their curiosity and critical thinking abilities nurtured.

In conclusion, creating a respectful, responsible, and stewardship-based classroom atmosphere improves student academic performance and promotes responsible citizenship and sustainable practices.

References

Butchart, R. E., & Landau, B. M. (1998). Classroom Discipline in American Schools: Problems and Possibilities for Democratic Education (B. McEwan, Ed.). State University of New York Press.

Creating a Classroom Environment That Promotes Positive Behavior. (n.d.). Higher Education | Pearson. Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://www.pearsonhighered.com/assets/samplechapter/0/1/3/2/0132272350.pdf

Creating Rules & Procedures WITH Students. (2020, July 9). SteamHead. Retrieved April 26, 2022, from https://steamhead.space/creating-rules-procedures-with-students/

Marzano, R. J. (2005). A Handbook for Classroom Management that Works (R. J. Marzano, Ed.). Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Shindler, J. (2009). Transformative Classroom Management: Positive Strategies to Engage All Students and Promote a Psychology of Success. Wiley.

Wink, J. R. (2019). A Teacher's Guide to Excellence in Every Classroom: Creating Support Systems for Student Success. Solution Tree Press.

Wong, H. K. (2017). The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.

Wong, H. K. (2017). The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.