Positive Environs in Class
Monica Kochar
Creative Strategist for Education | Curriculum Design | Assessment Frameworks | Learning Innovation | EdTech Strategy | Humane Math Expert| Teachers' Coach
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“What is my goal in teaching?”
What is my teaching philosophy? (Models of Discipline Low Approach, n.d.). Everything else stems out of this, including the philosophy of classroom management. For me, my focus as a teacher is to create a positive classroom environment. The objective of that is to be able to have an atmosphere where everyone can learn in a space of safety and harmony. Once I am clear about the focus, that gives the benchmark rubric to assess if classroom management system has worked or not. In my opinion, the rubric should contain the following:
If answers to all of these is a ‘yes’, then the set of rules and procedure are implemented very well. I can reflect over them and choose to continue or modify them. Such a class, in my opinion, would rest on a “set of procedures that structure the classroom so the students know what to do, how to do it, and when to do it in a classroom”, (Wong, Wong, Rogers & Brook, 2012). For me the most important thing is that the students are clear about what is expected from them. My clarity transfers to them. I also made my expectations very clear for I believe that “A well-managed classroom means that students have a clear view of what you expect of them” (Cox. N.d.).
Taking an example from my own classes in middle school, when I reflect, my best managed classes rested on the following rules:
????????????The beginning was always spent in checking previous day’s work as a class. The day’s work would be on the board or the students had a task-sheet. It took weeks of consistency to develop the sense of self direction in the students towards grasping the day’s work. In the beginning I would get disturbed if students forgot important material such as compass or textbook. But later I realized that it is time wasted and kept spare material in my Almira or organized shared tasks among students.
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??????I found that having a collaborative and understanding approach that did not depend on ‘yelling’ improved the overall flow of my class to such an extent that I can say that we were in a flow. “You don’t notice a well-managed classroom for everything flows so smoothly”, (Wong, 2014). Such classes are like water, they flow smoothly and one does not notice how time flies. The sense of a smooth ‘flow’ defined success to me.
What I would avoid are
I discovered that these do not work in the long run. There are students who thrive on creating confrontation situations and having a firm but calm demeanor helps in developing the capacity to face them. As one of my students said, ‘I was very disruptive in my previous school. But here all of are so caring that I don’t feel like being disruptive’.??I also worked most at ensuring that my explanations were brief but clear. My sense of clarity served as a clear ‘intent’ that the students grasped intuitively.
????????????Personally, I am not comfortable with the word ‘rules’ in my heart. I feel we need clear procedures and systems in the class. A systemic intelligence is what I felt got us through again and again. A system designed based on the classroom psychology and enforced with consistency yet flexible enough to be modified if need arose. For example, a student would always walk in late, which was not permitted. However, once I came to know about his difficult home environment, I allowed him some leeway as he was a natural rebel. This led to a positive relationship and finally the tasks allotted were met. I wondered then why for years I was so rigid about class time!
A rule is not the endgame.
“Of course, the ultimate goal of teaching is not enforcing rule
?and routines but teaching effectively”. (Alber)
?www.humanemaths.blogspot.com
Assistant Language Teacher at govt.of Bihar
2 年Interesting
Managing Editor-Quality Audit at MACMILLAN PUBLISHERS INDIA LTD.- Retired
3 年Classroom management calls for patience and perseverance. When expected outcomes are not achieved, some lose heart and forsake simple methods and practices that can make classroom management an energizing experience. Rightly said Monica, not rules but systems and processes. But many prefer to trod the 'tried and tested' methods forgetting that nothing is etched on stone. Permutations and combinations are allowed.
Teaching Professional
3 年This is a great??
Creating Awareness around Business Agility
3 年Monica Kochar Wow.. you bring yet another interesting article to reflect along the practices. I notice so many distinctions from your article : - Working agreements over rules - Psychological safety over rigidity - Learning goal over content coverage - Learners over Teachers - Continuous improvement over knowing all - Flow over defragmented learning - Self organizing over directing These were to name a few, they're like reflecting as a manifesto to me where values from the left are proving more valuable than on right side. Your principles with regards to how you set the tone in the class is truly conditioning the system as a container to hold those new possibilities to bloom. - System Thinking As a wholesome act there is significant attribute of learning Agility being fostered through out the process. Yes, it is always a challenging to get all students to collaborate and be participative. I'd like to offer my experience and learning from Liberating Structures as a medium to leverage any short falls while facilitating young minds, that can be fun, collaborative and yet playfully learning moments. Thanks for bringing those learning moments from your trenches to this community.
The Lamb's Book of Life
3 年Seamless is flawless .