“Build connection before focusing on content”

Morgan Strother Johnson

The Learning Environments standard highlights the importance of creating a positive and inclusive classroom environment where students feel  safe and welcomed. A few important ways to create a positive classroom environment are getting to know students well, establishing clear expectations through a classroom management plan and incorporating instructional practices which focus on community building and cooperative learning.

Getting to know students starts before entering the classroom. Teachers can send an introductory note before the school term starts, initiating contact with students and caregivers.

Having a clear classroom management plan will help the teacher implement rules and consequences and gain students’ respect.

Sharing the management plan with students, for example displaying it in the classroom and occasionally revisiting it or adding to it, will relay the message that classroom rules and procedures are relevant all throughout the academic year.

Feeling they can add their “rules” or sign off on the rules after discussing them will send the message that students’ input is valuable.

Getting to know students well and establishing a relationship with them is imperative. Not only will it facilitate classroom management  reinforcement but it will also open doors to an easier communication flow and content delivery. Finding out what students are interested in and building on their skills will make the student/teacher interaction and bond stronger which in turn will help propel students’ academic and personal growth.

Employing instructional strategies that favor team building as well as highlight individual skills are essential to establish a positive classroom environment.  Having students working together on an “Escape Room” activity was an excellent way to engage students with the material in a more playful way. Students worked together to solve puzzles, complete graphs, and solve clues to “escape” from the Cold War period. Students divided tasks according to individual interests and skills but had to work together to solve all seven stations to “escape.”

A strategy to foster a cohesive classroom and school community is working together on school wide projects and taking part in activities that engage the school as a whole. Such activity for example is a door decorating activity to celebrate Black History Month. With the teacher’s lead, students work together to envision and create a door decoration that portrays an important historical event which highlights African American contribution.

For more information please see my reflections paper “Learning Environments.”