creating a safe environment:
We want to impart on our students that it is okay to make mistakes – and encourage learning from those mistakes. We want our students to feel free to take risks when it comes to learning. We want our classrooms to be a safe haven for our students, providing them with a place where they are free to share open and honestly with each other, and be given ample opportunities to learn from their fellow students. Goodwin and Hubbell offer some great insight in to making your class a safe environment for your students:
1. Establish rules of behavior and consequences for misconduct:
5. Enlist student support
Not being a teacher yet, I tried to come up with some classroom guidelines that I would want to have in place for when I become a teacher. Of course, I will want to include the students in the creation of the class rules, so they may change once I begin teaching. I think that including the students helps them “buy in” to the rules. Rather than just following rules set by their teacher, they have an opportunity to help create the rules. I used information that Goodwin and Hubbell discussed in the reading when formulating my rules. They state:
CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS FOR BEHAVIOR:
For the time being, these are the rules that I have come up with:
Be SMART:
Check Out My Class Rules Video -- Click Here
Rights and Responsibilities:
1. Establish rules of behavior and consequences for misconduct:
- Rules and expectations of behavior should be made very clear
- Frame rules in the positive
- Involve students in defining expectations
- Know your consequences
- Accentuate the positive: call out students who are doing appropriate behaviors rather always the ones who are doing bad behaviors
- Dispense commendation cards or notes
- Provide opportunities for students praise each other
- Offer public praise for exemplary behavior
- Organized! = tight transitions, have procedures and structure
- Respond quickly: neglecting problem behavior only send the message that it will be tolerated.
5. Enlist student support
- Peer recognition
- Adopt different points of view
- Let student recognize each others accomplishments
- Encourage risk taking, questions and wrong answers
- Establish rules for group work
- Guidelines for formal cooperative activities
- Establish expectations and time limits
Not being a teacher yet, I tried to come up with some classroom guidelines that I would want to have in place for when I become a teacher. Of course, I will want to include the students in the creation of the class rules, so they may change once I begin teaching. I think that including the students helps them “buy in” to the rules. Rather than just following rules set by their teacher, they have an opportunity to help create the rules. I used information that Goodwin and Hubbell discussed in the reading when formulating my rules. They state:
CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS FOR BEHAVIOR:
- Frame the rules in the positive
- Don’t get too complicated
- Involve students in defining expectations
- Know your consequences (Goodwin and Hubbell, 2013).
For the time being, these are the rules that I have come up with:
Be SMART:
- Say please and thank you
- Make friends and be thoughtful
- Arrive on time, prepared, and ready to learn
- Respect yourself and others
- Try your best
Check Out My Class Rules Video -- Click Here
Rights and Responsibilities:
- You have the right to a safe environment
- You have the responsibility to follow safety rules
- You have the right to voice your opinion
- You have the responsibility to respect the opinions of others
- You have the right to use school books, materials, and equipment
- You have the responsibility to take care of all school materials
- You have the right to fair treatment
- You have the responsibility to treat others fairly
- You have the right to a good education
- You have the responsibility to do your best
Reference
Goodwin, R. & Hubbell, E. R. (2013). The 12 touchstones of good teaching: A checklist for staying focused every day. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Goodwin, R. & Hubbell, E. R. (2013). The 12 touchstones of good teaching: A checklist for staying focused every day. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.