INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL

Overview
It’s important to get off to a
good start before students even
set foot in the classroom.
Be ready for them
on that first day of school. First
impressions really do count.
The
attitudes and expectations
students develop as early as the
first few hours of school affect
their

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behavior and learning all

year Classroom management
is an essential component
to the
classroom learning
environment. Thus, this unit
provides a clear picture of the
learner centered
classroom organization,
procedures and physical
structure
Overview

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It’s important to get off to a

good start before students even
set foot in the classroom.
Be ready for them
on that first day of school. First
impressions really do count.
The
attitudes and expectations
students develop as early as the
first few hours of school affect
their
behavior and learning all
year Classroom management
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is an essential component
to the
classroom learning
environment. Thus, this unit
provides a clear picture of the
learner centered
classroom organization,
procedures and physical
structure
Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, students are able to:

1. identify various forms of learner centered classroom organization based on learners’ needs.

2. formulate classroom procedures and routines that promote discipline, fairness, respect and
care among learners and encourage learning.

3. design, organize and explain the significance of the layout of the physical structure of the classroom
for active engagement of learners, individually or in groups, in exploration, discovery, hands on and self-
learning activities.

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4. describe the roles and responsibilities of the teacher and the learners for a supportive, inspiring,
motivating, and productive learner-centered classroom; and

UNIT III: – ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT OF LEARNER CENTERED CLASSROOMS

Overview
It’s important to get off to a good start before students even set foot in the classroom. Be ready for
them on that first day of school. First impressions really do count. The attitudes and expectations
students develop as early as the first few hours of school affect their behavior and learning all year
Classroom management is an essential component to the classroom learning environment. Thus,
this unit provides a clear picture of the learner centered classroom organization, procedures, and
physical structure.

Lesson Proper-
ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT OF LEARNER – CENTERED CLASSROOMS

The classroom is a vehicle for getting students from where they are when they enter the
schoolhouse door to where they need to be an academic year later. Ideally, we all would like to see at
least one year of progress for one year of seat time. In talking about classroom
management and student achievement, it may help to think of the teacher as the driver of the car who
needs to respond to the passengers' needs to ensure that they reach their destination. In driver
education there is a substantial focus on the mechanics of driving and the rules of the road, but not very
much attention is given to keeping the automobile functioning.

People learn about preventive maintenance as a secondary set of skills through

guidance, observation, reading, and trial and error.

DEVELOPING A LEARNER - CENTERED CLASSROOM

In the more traditional "teacher-centered learning" environment, the teacher is center of the
learning experience and takes the "active" role of teaching, while the students assume a more "passive"
or receptive role. In contrast, in the student-centered learning environment, the interests of the
students' take center stage, and the teacher gives students choice and voice, finding ways to provide
learning experiences that focus on what students’ value. In the student- centered classroom, students
take a more "active" role in the education experience.

It doesn't matter if you're a kindergarten teacher, high school instructor or college professor,
developing a student-centered learning environment will help your students become independent
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learners who will ultimately take charge of their own education–students who are curious, eager to
learn, and willing to do whatever it takes to be successful. Unfortunately, developing a student-centered
learning environment isn't always easy, especially if your experience frames learning in a more
traditional way. For many, implementing student-centered learning environment sounds great in theory,
but putting it into practice is a different story. Below we'll explore some strategies, principles and offer
some proven tips that can make the student-centered learning environment a reality, and success, in
your classroom.

Turn your classroom into a community

In a traditional classroom, the teacher speaks, the students listen. In a student-centered
classroom, the students speak, the teacher listens, interjects and facilitates conversation when needed,
and then thanks the students for their participation. By involving students directly in the education
process, and by enabling them to interact with one another, students begin to feel a sense of
community. More importantly they are shown that what they feel, what they value, and what they
think are what matter most. In the student-centered classroom, the teacher acts not only as
educator, but as both facilitator and activator. Develop trust and communication student-centered
classroom or learning environment cannot exist without trust and open communication. Trust and open
communication are achieved by always being fair with students, listening to them, and allowing them to
speak. However, it's much easier to develop a student-centered classroom if you get started right away
at the beginning of the year. Getting started at the beginning of the year sets the tone and allows
students know what's expected of them the rest of the year. Find ways to integrate technology
Developing a student-centered classroom is all about engagement. The better you’re able to engage
students in any activity or project the more involved they'll become in the learning process. In today's
world, technology is one of the most effective tools for engaging students. Technology is not the future,
it's the present. Everything kids do these days revolves around technology–specifically mobile
technology. When students are given the opportunity to integrate exciting web tools and technology
into the learning process, they become eager, anxious participant in just about any learning activity.
Create an environment where mutual respect and a quest for knowledge guide behavior–not rules A
classroom without rules seems a little farfetched. Well, it may be if you plan on having a teacher-
centered classroom where students spend half their time learning, and the other half trying to keep
from being bored out of their skulls. So, what’s the key to the "no rules “approach?
Engagement! If you keep activities engaging, behavior will rarely be an issue. Having an engaging
classroom environment, with engaging projects, engaging activities and engaging discussions will foster
mutual respect and encourages a pursuit of learning that leaves little time for disruption Replace
homework with engaging project-based learning activities Some studies indicate there is a positive
correlation between homework and improved grades and test scores, while other studies suggest
little correlation. However, the entire premise for these studies assumes that grades and test scores
are an accurate barometer for academic achievement and learning. In the teacher-centered classroom,
in class learning and student productivity is lower, doing homework more necessary and regular testing
essential for measuring learning and performance. In the student-centered classroom, where activities
and projects are engaging, students become much more eager to learn, and in class productivity is much
higher. Where student’s complete schoolwork outside of the classroom in a student-

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centered learning environment, it's typically because they want to complete projects, they're working
on inside the classroom.

Develop ongoing projects

One of the keys to developing a student-centered classroom and learning environment is to create
ongoing projects for students. Ongoing projects promotes mastery of subject matter being taught and
learned. Learning objectives and standards, for just about any subject matter, can be met through well-
designed projects and activities. And providing students with various project choices allows them to
demonstrate what they're learning

Allow students to share in decision making

Creating a student-centered classroom requires collaboration. It requires placing students at

the center of their own learning environment by allowing them to be involved in deciding why, what,
and how their learning experience will take shape.

CLASSROOM ORGANIZATION: ROOM STRUCTURING

The physical layout reflects your teaching style. If you want students to collaborate in small groups,
for example, organize them around tables or clusters of desks. For frequent up discussions, try
a circle or U-shaped desk configuration. If you plan on an individualized, self-paced
curriculum, you might set up learning stations.

The physical layout should also reflect you. Don't hesitate to give the room your personal touch
with plants, art, rugs, posters, and maybe some cozy pillows for the reading corner. "Creating a caring,
child-centered environment takes lots of thought and planning. Author and educator Mike Hopkins
point out that personal teaching style and specific educational needs should largely determine how you
design your classroom space. Hopkins urges teachers to forget about the way things have always been
done and to visit museums, libraries, other schools, and colleagues' classrooms to identify
different ways of organizing learning space.

Many teachers prefer to create different areas within the classroom. For example, a classroom
might feature a quiet reading corner, a music area where students can play soft music while completing
work, a discussion/conversation center, a large table for cooperative projects, spaces for wet or messy
projects, multimedia spaces, learning centers or stations, and individual work areas.

Flexible Room Arrangements

In learning-centered classrooms, teachers no longer determine physical arrangements primarily to

provide personally assigned individual space. Rather, the spatial environment is designed to facilitate
collaboration. Some teachers in learning-centered classrooms arrange their rooms in advance;
others set up the room arrangement after negotiations with their students. In reviewing research

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on seating arrangements, Lambert (1995) concluded that seating flexibility—as opposed to a

perpetually fixed seating arrangement—is a necessary prerequisite for an interactive classroom.

Appropriate room arrangements that support the curriculum will often shift across grade levels,
and these tend to become more formalized with increasing grade levels (Gallego and Cole 2001;
Johnson 1985, as cited in Gallego and Cole 2001). Therefore, teachers at the higher grade levels who are
establishing learning-centered environments will be especially aware of the room arrangements
change, students must be socialized to working in these shift from the prevailing norms as they
arrange seating to support more face to-face interaction. If different configurations.

Varied Social Forum

Another important aspect of the environment is providing flexible and diverse forum for
students to gain information and share expertise. In some classrooms, teachers design small group
inquiry centers through which students rotate on a weekly basis (Bruer 1993). In others, students are
members of different groups created for different purposes. To provide multiple forum and flexible
grouping arrangements in your classroom, you may change seating patterns from unit to unit and from
activity to activity. For example, each student participated in a home group of four students as well as a
center group of four students, but the mixture of students was different in each group. During center
time, groups were given freedom to move to a carpeted area or other space for private workspace or
needed supplies and equipment. For many students, center time was the highlight of their day because
they could have their “own” space. Some researchers (David 1979) have found that students
consistently listed as concerns adequate personal space and having private places. The emphasis on
collaboration in learning- centered classrooms should not be misinterpreted to mean that students
never work alone. Not all students learn in the same way. Classrooms that nurture a social
environment can also attend to students as individuals. Students have more choice about when they
might need personal space. Teachers have more flexibility to confer either with groups or privately with
individual students, as needed.

Collaborative Classroom

Effective communication and collaboration are essential to becoming a successful learner. It

is primarily through dialogue and examining different perspectives that students become
knowledgeable, strategic, self-determined, and empathetic. Moreover, involving students in real-world
tasks and linking new information to prior knowledge requires effective communication and
collaboration among teachers, students, and others. Indeed, it is through dialogue and interaction
that curriculum objectives come alive. Collaborative learning affords students enormous advantages
not available from more traditional instruction because a group--whether it be the whole
class or a learning group within the class--can accomplish meaningful learning and solve problems
better.

Characteristics of a Collaborative Classroom

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Collaborative classrooms seem to have four general characteristics. The first two capture
changing relationships between teachers and students. The third characterizes teachers' new
approaches to instruction. The fourth addresses the composition of a collaborative classroom.

1. Shared knowledge among teachers and students.

In traditional classrooms, the dominant metaphor for teaching is the teacher as
information giver; knowledge flows only one way from teacher to student. In contrast, the
metaphor for collaborative classrooms is shared knowledge. The teacher has vital knowledge
about content, skills, and instruction, and still provides that information to students. However,
collaborative teachers also value and build upon the knowledge, personal experiences,
language, strategies, and culture that students bring to the learning situation.

2. Shared authority among teachers and students.

In collaborative classrooms, teachers share authority with students in very specific ways. In
most traditional classrooms, the teacher is largely, if not exclusively, responsible for setting
goals, designing learning tasks, and assessing what is learned. Collaborative teachers differ in
that they invite students to set specific goals within the framework of what is being taught,
provide options for activities and assignments that capture different student interests and
goals, and encourage students to assess what they learn. Collaborative teachers
encourage students' use of their own knowledge, ensure that students share their knowledge
and their learning strategies, treat each other respectfully, and focus on high levels of
understanding. They help students listen to diverse opinions, support knowledge claims with
evidence, engage in critical and creative thinking, and participate in open and meaningful
dialogue.

3. Teachers as mediators
As knowledge and authority are shared among teachers and students, the role of the teacher
increasingly emphasizes mediated learning. Successful mediation helps students connect
new information to their experiences and to learning in other areas, helps students figure out
what to do when they are stumped, and helps them learn how to learn. Above all, the teacher
as mediator adjusts the level of information and support to maximize the ability to take
responsibility for learning.

4. Heterogeneous groupings of students

The perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds of all students are important for
enriching learning in the classroom. As learning beyond the classroom increasingly requires
understanding diverse perspectives, it is essential to provide students opportunities to do this in
multiple contexts in schools. In collaborative classrooms where students are engaged in
thinking curriculum, everyone learns from everyone else, and no student is deprived of this
opportunity for making contributions and appreciating the contributions of others. Thus, a
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critical characteristic of collaborative classrooms is that students are not segregated

according to supposed ability, achievement, interests, or any other characteristic. Segregation
seriously weakens collaboration and impoverishes the classroom by depriving all students of
opportunities to learn from and with each other. Teachers beginning to teach
collaboratively often express delight when they observe the insights revealed by
their supposedly weaker students. Thus, shared knowledge and authority, mediated learning,
and heterogeneous groups of students are essential characteristics of collaborative classrooms.

Activity Based Learning

Understanding activity-based learning is significant for creating the appropriate
social environment; however, in conjunction with this knowledge, the physical environment
must be well-thought-out to support the transactions that are intended to take place.
The concepts that validate situated learning theory must be extended to the design
profession; for, situated learning theory provides the foundations for creating activity-based
learning environments. The reason for this is that it emphasizes the significance of authentic
learning experiences and acknowledges that these experiences occur at specific times within a
specific place.

CLASSROOM ROUTINES AND PROCEDURES

Establishing effective classroom routines early in the school year helps keep your
classroom running smoothly and ensures that no time is wasted while students wonder what
they should be doing during times of transition. Classroom routines can be established for many
activities, including entering the classroom in the morning, transitioning between activities, and
preparing to leave the classroom. The basic procedure for establishing solid routines remains
the same regardless of the routine procedure that you are teaching your students. Explain the
routine to your class. Tell your students why the routine is important and what you expect them
to do as part of the routine. If you want your students to enter the classroom quietly in the
morning and select a book to read, explain how entering the room this way helps get the day
started quickly; define what quietly means, because without clarification, some students may
consider quietly to mean a whisper voice while others will take it to mean no talking. Allow
students to ask questions about the routine and your expectations. Model your expectations.
Act out, in detail, what you expect from students when completing a routine. Break the
routine down and narrate what you are doing. Show each step of the routine and how it should
be properly completed. Have students practice the routine. Select one or two well-
behaved students to demonstrate the routine first, allowing the class to see how the routine
should be completed by a student. Once students all understand what is expected, have the
whole class practice the routine. Younger students may benefit from completing the routine one
step at a time before practicing the whole routine at once. Have students practice the routine
until the class feels comfortable completing the routine without teacher assistance. Implement

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the routine in your day. Once students understand the routine, have them complete it during
the day. As you implement the routine, remind students of the proper procedure and your
expectations, making your reminders less detailed until they can complete the task completely
on their own. Review your routine as necessary. If the class struggles to remember the routine
or has trouble completing the routine after a break from school, review your expectations and
have students practice the proper way to complete the routine again.

Here is a list of general routines and procedures

a. Entering the room:
Enter quietly and politely; remove your hat if you're wearing one; don't interrupt other
students; follow the appropriate procedures for each time of day (e.g., morning, after lunch,
after a special class). Lining up: Stand up quietly; push in your chair; take all necessary
items; line up without touching others or talking; face the front of the line; watch where you
are going.
b. Leaving the room:
Tell me where you are going; take the correct hall pass; do not run or play in the hallways or
restrooms.
c. Beginning the day:
Enter the room politely; put away your backpack, lunch, and coat; turn in your homework;
sit at your desk and read alone or do before-school work silently.
d. Ending the day:
Clean off your desk; leave out your work notebook; pick up any trash within three feet of
your desk; stack your chair; collect your mail; wait quietly to be dismissed.
e. Taking out/putting away/caring for supplies:
Share group supplies; recap markers and glue; check the number written on the supplies to
make sure they belong in your group basket; if something belongs to another group, return
it to them quietly.

f. Participating in group lessons:

Do not bring anything with you unless I ask you to; politely find a place to sit where you can
do your best learning; sit flat, not on your knees; listen carefully for new information; raise
your hand to speak; do not speak when someone else is speaking.
g. Obtaining help with assignments:
Quietly ask the students at your table for help with directions if you need it; if you are
working alone, raise your hand to get help from me; if you are working with a group, ask
them for help in understanding how you do the assignment.
h. Handing in finished work/homework:
Make sure your name is on your paper; place your paper upside down in the "finished work"
or "homework" basket.

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i. What to do with unfinished work:

If I ask for work to be turned in, let me know if it isn't finished; if I ask you to keep an
unfinished project, put it in your class work notebook.
j. When and how to use the school restroom:
If I am not teaching the whole group, stand by the classroom door with your hand raised; if I
say "no," wait for a better class time to go; if I nod, leave the room quietly; do not play in the
restroom; return to class before two minutes have passed (promptly).
k. When and how to use the drinking fountain or sink:
When I am not teaching the whole group, you may get a drink; take only a three-second
drink; you may bring a water bottle to keep on your desk; if you need to wash your hands,
use only a little soap; wipe up any water you spill.
l. When and how to use the pencil sharpener:
At the beginning of each assignment, the person I've chosen to be the "Pencil Sharpener"
will invite you to have him or her sharpen your pencil; if your pencil breaks during an
assignment, use a community pencil; only the "Pencil Sharpener" can run the sharpener and
empty it.
m. Being a classroom helper; learning a classroom job:
If you get a job on Monday, see the person who did the job last week during silent reading
time, ask him or her for the job description card, and have him or her help you on the first
day. For the rest of the week, it is your responsibility to remember to do your job.
n. Getting into work groups:
Take all the materials you will need; greet each other; complete the task doing your
personal best; make sure each person signs the project; thank the others in your group.

o. Using the classroom library:

When I am not teaching the whole group, you may check out a book. To do so, select a book
(you only have three minutes at the class library) and sign out the book on the sign-out
sheet. Take good care of the book; when you are finished, return the book to the basket and
check it off the list.
p. Handling seatwork pages:
As soon as you get a paper, print your first name and last initial at the top on the right-hand
side and today's date at the top on the left-hand side.
q. Preparing for lunch:
Wait quietly at your desk; when your lunch number is called, get your lunch or lunch money
and line up in order; take everything with you, as you will not be allowed to come back to
the classroom after we leave for lunch; while you're waiting in line, think about the way you
need to behave in the lunchroom and on the playground; while you're at lunch and at
recess, find one person who is behaving responsibly and be prepared to tell the class what
you noticed.

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r. Getting a tissue:

You may get a tissue from the closest of the four tissue boxes wheneveryou need one; you
don't even have to ask; throw the used tissue away immediately; make sure it lands in the trash
can; get right back to work.

s. Lunch count/attendance:
"Hot lunch" means you are having school lunch; "cold lunch" means you brought a lunch from
home; move your attendance tag/magnet/clothespin to the "hot lunch" or "cold lunch"
sign/spot; wait patiently for your turn.
t. Throwing away trash:
You may throw away trash whenever you need to if I am not teaching the whole group; do not
play basketball with your trash; make sure all trash lands in the can; pick up trash even if it isn't
yours.
u. Turning in lost items:
Ask the people around you if they lost the item you found; if not, write your name and the date
on a slip of paper and tape the item to it; if it is money or something valuable, put the item and
slip on my desk for safekeeping; if not, put it in the Lost and Found box; give yourself a "pat on
the back" for being honest.
v. Locating lost items:
Ask the people around you if they found the item you lost; if not, check the Lost and Found box;
if it is not there, ask me at a time when I'm not teaching the class; if you find it, thank the person
who turned it in; next time, try to take care of your things. Consider going through the Lost and
Found box at the end of each month with the whole class. If an item remains unclaimed, give it
to the person who turned it in.
w. Pledge:
When you hear/see the signal, stop what you're doing immediately and stand up; place your
right hand over your heart; say the Pledge of Allegiance respectfully; during the 30 seconds of
silence, quietly think about the things you want to learn today and how you will act in class and
on the playground Visitors in the classroom: When visitors enter the room, let the designated
classroom "host" or "hostess" greet them; when the host or hostess rings the chimes, get ready
to listen to and look at the visitor — a smile is great!; when the host or hostess introduces the
visitor, say, "Welcome to our class, __________"; remember, most visitors are here to watch
you learn, so be ready to explain what you are working on; treat visitors respectfully.
x. Fire drill: Stop everything; stand up and head for the door quickly, but without running or
pushing; do not cover your ears; do not make any side trips; the classroom "fire chief “takes the
fire drill packet and leads the line outside; the second person in line holds the classroom door
for the rest of the class; the third person in line holds the outside door only for our class, then
becomes the last person in line; wait patiently, calmly, and quietly in line outside until we are
allowed to go back to what we were doing.

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Signals for attention:

When I need your attention, I will ring the chimes (or sound the rain stick, open the music box,
etc.); as soon as you hear the signal, stop what you are doing, look at me, and listen for directions.

1. Helping other students: In a cooperative classroom, it is good to help one another; if someone
needs help with directions or reading an assignment, help him or her if you are able; if someone
needs help with understanding the problem, tell him or her to ask me for help; never put down
another student who asks for help.
2. Organizing desk: Remove all loose papers; decide if they should go home or stay at school; put
papers that should stay at school in the front pocket of your work notebook; put pencil or art
supplies in your school box; put your folders and work notebook on the left side of your desk
tray; everything else goes on the right side; pick up your trash.
3. What to do during free time: If you finish an assignment, first work on any unfinished
assignments that are in the front pocket of your work notebook; when you finish those, you may
choose to do your classroom job, read a book, write a story, illustrate a book, make up math
problems, work on a research project, peer-tutor someone who needs your help, or create a
song about what the class is studying.

SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT

From the point of man's birth, (s)he is welcomed into a social environment, firstly the family. The
family is therefore the basic social group whose influence on the child at the earliest stage of
development cannot be compared to any other group as manifest in the child’s helplessness in
the formative years. Furthermore, it is clear that the family is the sole medium by which all initial
emotional and physical needs of the child are met. Infancy and early childhood are periods of
opportunity for growth as well as vulnerability to harm. The socio-economic status of the family, which
goes a long way in determining the family lifestyle, is the first component the child encounters. A child
comes into either the wealthy or poverty status of the family. Children's social environment is largely
dictated by where their parents live and send them to school. In turn, the social environment largely
determines from whom children form social relationships with, and the quality of those social
relationships, as many of the relationship’s children form are within their family or neighborhood. As
such, parents' decisions (or, on the contrary, indecision) about where to live, work and school can
markedly affect the health and wellbeing of their children’s choices, preferences and desires and helping
them to arrive at decision that will not lead to regrets and pains later in life.

Fairness

Promoting fairness in the classroom not only gives the teacher respect but also gives the students a
sense of safeness and trust within the classroom. Creating an environment that revolves around
fairness, trust and respect will be beneficial to all the children in the class. The terms respect and trust
are straightforward. There doesn’t need to be a debate on what those two means, but the same cannot
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be said for fairness. When one usually hears the word “fair” it is often looked at as synonymous to the
term “equal” but the two are not the same, especially in a classroom setting. The term fairness on the
classroom level means that the individual students are given what he or she may need to be successful.

Respect

Students—particularly children and teenagers—often learn to reciprocate respect, empathy,

and other positive attributes by way of a strong example. Here are thought starters and tips for all
educators on how to cultivate a learning environment grounded in respect and understanding!
Students model and internalize the repeated and influential behaviors they observe in adults. It’s
important for all educators to try and set examples of respect, and here are four places to start!

Listen to student concerns and make it known that they are being heard

Practice integrity so that it “infuses into classroom culture”

Speak to students with encouraging language to build growth mindsets

Treat all students fairly, especially when it comes to delivering fair consequence

Care

Creating a caring classroom starts on the very first day of school. One of the most important
steps a teacher can take that first week is to establish a warm and caring atmosphere in his or her
classroom. You’ll need to build an atmosphere of trust, where students can feel free to be themselves
without worrying that classmates will make fun of them. At the same time, you’ll want to establish clear
expectations for acceptable behavior right from the first day. It is critical that our classrooms
provide safe, warm, and supportive learning environments. As we meet our students’ academic
needs, we must also concern ourselves with who our students are going to become. If we ultimately
want caring adults, we must nurture that tendency in our children. It is essential that we build
classrooms that foster positive relationships among all students and give students activities and
responsibilities that foster personal accountability, kindness, and respect for others. We need to
give students opportunities to care.

Encouraging learning

Every teacher has a dream of encouraging lifelong learning in all their learners. They will not rest
until their students shine. It happens by osmosis when you demonstrate you are as passionate and
curious learner as you want your kids to be. The ultimate trick to teaching lifelong learning effectively is
to become a lifelong learner yourself. Lifelong learning is a conscious and joyous effort to keep learning
as we grow. So, what does a lifelong learner look like?

There are 4 pillars to lifelong learning:

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Learning to know

Learning to do

Learning to live together and with others

Learning to be

In addition, lifelong learners are able to manage uncertainty and communicate across and within
cultures, sub-cultures, families, and communities. They are also exceptional at negotiating
conflicts. We can keep encouraging lifelong learning habits in our classrooms by taking these pathways
as both teachers and parents.

1. Be a Model of Inspiration

Kids are always watching and imitating us. By showing that you are always learning, students will
realize that it continues throughout adulthood and is an unending journey of personal growth and
development.

2. Speak the Language Often

What can you say to keep encouraging lifelong learning? Take cues from Carol Dweck’s Growth
Mindset. If we praise effort alone, even if the outcome is not satisfactory, we might hear ourselves say,
“Great effort!” to make them feel good. This may cause disillusioned students to feel misled when they
realize their low achievement.

3. Rethink the Definition of Failure

Too many of us are setting our children up for a fixed mindset and a fear of learning. So, we need to
begin redefining the word “failure” as “opportunity” to debrief, improve, and excel. When students are
ashamed of failing, they will do everything in their power to look like they didn’t fail. They will hide their
failures for fear of looking stupid. Patience is of the utmost importance here so be sure to plan carefully
to set your children up for success. Scaffolding skills deliberately and thoughtfully set up realistic
expectations and minimize failure.

4. Assume That Everyone Learns by Doing

Use all resources and materials around you, even the great outdoors if the weather (and school
policy) permits. Get their heads out of the textbook, go out into the world, and gets hands-on with
learning, and be prepared to get messy. There’s no better way to get kids excited about learning and
discovering that it can be fun after all.

5. Teach Positive Self Talk

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The skill of positive self-talk lives on long after students have left your classroom.
Encouraging lifelong learning involves remaining positive about the journey, and with this focus, we can
turn negative into empowering ones. It comes down to choices—what we choose to think, say, and feel.
Encouraging lifelong learning involves always remaining positive about the journey of learning. No one
crawls inside our heads and controls our thoughts and beliefs. They are ours and we must own them as
lifelong learners. You can guide children to turn around negative self-talk using logic, compassion, and
encouragement to help them banish those deconstructive ideas.

6. Remember Learning Doesn’t Stop After School

Most kids think that learning stops at summer vacation. We see students leaving for summer as a
happy time when we should be figuring out how to keep the students learning during summer. If we
make learning fun, there should be no problem in getting kids to come back for an awesome summer
session.

CREATING A MOTIVATING LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Positive educational environments are necessary to facilitate optimally adaptive student outcomes,
including learning, motivation, school adjustment, and achievement (Eccles, Wigfield, &
Schiefele,1998). Researchers (e.g., Goodenow, 1992; Juvonen & Weiner, 1993) have been noting for
some while that school success does not only involve academics -- schools and classrooms are inherently
social places, and students go about their work in the presence of many peers. To understand students’
success at school, therefore, we must attend to their relationships with others at school and ways that
the environment promotes different types of social interactions and relationships

The classroom social environment is comprised of students’ perceptions about how they are
encouraged to interact with and relate to others (e.g., classmates, the teacher), and
encompasses dimensions of: (1) teacher support, (2) promoting mutual respect, (3) promoting student
task-related interaction, and (4) promoting performance goals. Recent research has indicated that these
various dimensions of the classroom social environment are separate, can be measured quickly and
reliably, and relate significantly to students’ motivation, self-regulated learning, classroom behavior
(both positive and negative), social relationships, and achievement (Ryan & Patrick, 2001) The
emphasis on the importance of the classroom social environment, including support, mutual
respect, task-related interaction among students, and a lesser focus on competition among students, is
apparent . The most basic way to begin is for the teacher to take the four motivational conditions from
the framework and to transpose them into questions to use as guidelines for selecting motivational
strategies (Wlodkowksi, 1999) and related learning activities to include in the design of the
instructional plan:

1. Establishing inclusion. How do we create or affirm a learning atmosphere in which we feel respected
by and connected to one another? (Best to plan for the beginning of the lesson)

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2. Developing attitude. How do we create or affirm a favorable disposition toward learning through
personal relevance and choice? (Best to plan for the beginning of the lesson)

3. Enhancing meaning. How do we create engaging and challenging learning experiences that include
learner perspectives and values? (Best to plan throughout the lesson)

4. Engendering competence. How do we create or affirm an understanding that learners have effectively
learned something they value and perceive as authentic to the real world? (Best to plan for the ending
of the lesson).

STUDENT -CENTERED DISCIPLINE PROMOTES SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING

Discipline is a key component to effective classroom management. Classroom discipline refers to

the strategies a teacher uses to manage student behaviors and attitudes during instructional
time. A teacher who uses consistent discipline strategies exhibits more effective classroom
management than an inconsistent teacher. Student-centered discipline is the classroom
management strategy that a teacher uses that is developmentally appropriate for their students and
motivate their students to behave in the classroom. A thought out and well- implemented classroom
management system is not only how teachers get through their day without losing their minds, but also
how students make themselves available for learning.

Classroom Norms

Class norms are the behavioral expectations or rules of the class. Class norms inform us how we are
expected to behave towards each other and towards the materials we use in school. Students who are
partners in composing class norms are more likely to experience a level of ownership, participate in
instruction, and engage in mutually respectful and cooperative relationships. In addition, students and
instructional team members jointly developing and implementing norms shifts some of the
responsibility for supporting and encouraging socially appropriate interactions from the teacher to the
students. It also helps to ensure that students indeed understand the classroom community’s
expectations and provides the rationale for them to monitor and change their own behaviors.

Logical Consequence

Logical consequences are different from natural consequences in that they require the intervention
of an adult—or other children in a family meeting or a class meeting. It is important to
decide what kind of consequence would create a helpful learning experience that might encourage
children to choose responsible cooperation.

Consistent Application

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A classroom without consistent practices can often be chaotic. But creating an

environment that welcomes uniform responses to behavior choices will support each student’s
understanding of expectations. Unchanging rules and regulations ensure that students and
families understand classroom norms and know what to expect when those norms are not met.
Consistency is critical to creating space for effective learning environments. Students can participate in
learning more effectively when they have a clear understanding of classroom procedures and their
importance. If students can name, the expectations and receive consistent responses to their behavior
they are in better control of their actions. Classroom expectations are important to academic
achievement—consistent learning environments allow students to really thrive academically by
providing time and space to focus on the academic material.

Calm Spaces

Do you have students who have a hard time controlling their emotions? Are you unsure of the best
approach to help meet your students’ social and emotional needs? One strategy to try is called a
calm down corner. A calm down corner, sometimes referred to as a mindfulness corner, is a
designated space in your classroom where students can go when they need to regulate their emotions.
Calm down corners are becoming popular for their ability to help students implement social and
emotional learning skills. If you are unfamiliar, Committee for Children defines social-emotional learning
as, “the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the
knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive
goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make
responsible decisions.”

References

Everston, Carolyn M; Neal., Kristen W. 2006. Looking into Learning- Centered Classrooms

Implications for Classroom Management: National Education Association

Webliography

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Organization.aspx

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establish-classroom-routines

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