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2022 / 2023 School of Education
The Classroom Environment
Domain 2
2A
Creating an Environment of Respect and Rapport [Cultivating Respectful and Affirming Environments]
An essential skill of teaching is that of managing relationships with students and ensuring that relationships among students are positive and supportive. Teachers create an environment of respect and rapport in their classrooms by the ways they interact with students and by the interactions they encourage and cultivate among students. An important aspect of respect and rapport relates to how the teacher responds to students and how students are permitted to treat one another. Patterns of interactions are critical to the overall tone of the class. In a respectful environment, all students feel valued, safe, and comfortable taking intellectual risks. They do not fear put-downs or ridicule from either the teacher or other students. “Respect” shown to the teacher by students should be distinguished from students complying with standards of conduct and behavior. Caring interactions among teachers and students are the hallmark of component 2a (Creating an Environment of Respect and Rapport); while adherence to the established classroom rules characterizes success in component 2d (Managing Student Behavior).
• Respectful talk, active listening, and turn-taking
• Acknowledgment of students’ backgrounds and lives outside the classroom
• Body language indicative of warmth and caring shown by teacher and students
• Physical proximity
• Politeness and encouragement
• Fairness
2B
Establishing a Culture for Learning
A “culture for learning” refers to the atmosphere in the classroom that reflects the educational importance of the work undertaken by both students and teacher. It describes the norms that govern the interactions among individuals about the activities and assignments, the value of hard work and perseverance, and the general tone of the class. The classroom is characterized by high cognitive energy, by a sense that what is happening there is important, and by a shared belief that it is essential, and rewarding, to get it right. There are high expectations for all students; the classroom is a place where the teacher and students value learning and hard work.
Teachers who are successful in creating a culture for learning know that students are, by their nature, intellectually curious, and that one of the many challenges of teaching is to direct the students’ natural energy toward the content of the curriculum. They also know that students derive great satisfaction, and a sense of genuine power, from mastering challenging content in the same way they experience pride in mastering, for example, a difficult physical skill.
Part of a culture of hard work involves precision in thought and language; teachers whose classrooms display such a culture insist that students use language to express their thoughts clearly. An emphasis on precision reflects the importance placed, by both teacher and students, on the quality of thinking; this emphasis conveys that the classroom is a business-like place where important work is being undertaken. The classroom atmosphere may be vibrant, even joyful, but it is not frivolous.
2C
Managing Classroom Procedures [Maintaining Purposeful Environments]
A smoothly functioning classroom is a prerequisite to good instruction and high levels of student engagement. Teachers establish and monitor routines and procedures for the smooth operation of the classroom and the efficient use of time. Hallmarks of a well-managed classroom are that instructional groups are used effectively, non instructional tasks are completed efficiently, and
transitions between activities and management of materials and supplies are skillfully done in order to maintain momentum and maximize instructional time. The establishment of efficient routines, and teaching students to employ them, may be inferred from the sense that the class “runs itself.”
• Smooth functioning of all routines
• Little or no loss of instructional time
• Students playing an important role in carrying out the routines
• Students knowing what to do, where to move
2D
Managing Student Behavior [Supporting Positive Student Behavior]
In order for students to be able to engage deeply with content, the classroom environment must be orderly; the atmosphere must feel business-like and productive, without being authoritarian. In a productive classroom, standards of conduct are clear to students; they know what they are permitted to do and what they can expect of their classmates. Even when their behavior is being corrected, students feel respected; their dignity is not undermined. Skilled teachers regard positive student behavior not as an end in itself, but as a prerequisite to high levels of engagement in content.
• Clear standards of conduct, possibly posted, and possibly referred to during a lesson
• Absence of acrimony between teacher and students concerning behavior
• Teacher awareness of student conduct
• Preventive action when needed by the teacher
• Absence of misbehavior
• Reinforcement of positive behavior
2E
Organizing Physical Space [Organizing Spaces for Learning]
The use of the physical environment to promote student learning is a hallmark of an experienced teacher. Its use varies, of course, with the age of the students: in a primary classroom, centers and reading corners may structure class activities; while with older students, the position of chairs and desks can facilitate, or inhibit, rich discussion. Naturally, classrooms must be safe (no dangling wires or dangerous traffic patterns), and all students must be able to see and hear what’s going on so that they can participate actively. Both the teacher and students must make effective use of electronics and other technology.
• Pleasant, inviting atmosphere
• Safe environment
• Accessibility for all students
• Furniture arrangement suitable for the learning activities
• Effective use of physical resources, including computer technology, by both
teacher and students
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