I 100% agree with just about everything in Subjects Matter chapter 7. This chapter discusses the importance of building trust and community in a classroom, and even provides some strategies proven to help teachers do just that. One thing I have learned from working with students through 4-H and the 4-H camping program, is that kids have to trust you and want to be a part of your teaching if they are going to learn. In a classroom where it is so easy to answer incorrectly and be embarrassed about your abilities, we should be uplifting our students to a place where they are comfortable, secure, and willing to participate fully. On page 168, the author states, “A class where students work well together and respect one another needs to be an orderly group. And the results are not just a better climate, but greater learning. Students who know each other well and have been taught to listen to one another are are likely to take risks and stretch beyond their comfort level as they learn” (Subjects Matter, 168). I believe in structure and discipline, as, like this author, I believe most students strive where there is order and direction. In creating an open and inviting classroom environment, your environment must be clean and orderly. Much like you clean your house before guests come over so they feel comfortable, you keep your classroom neat and clean for your students to feel comfortable. When things are “loosey goosey”, learning may be impeded.
Another important point chapter 7 makes regards the role of students in the classroom. One of my personal teaching strategies involves students having “jobs” in the classroom, in particular the students who may be distracted or a distraction to the other learners. By giving students appropriate roles, we are giving them something to focus on, a responsibility, and allowing them to feel they serve a purpose in the learning, not just to answer correctly on a boring standardized test. These are just two small ways to help students feel at home in a classroom, but I fully believe they can make all of the difference. 
Hi Courtney! It's awesome to hear you've already begun experimenting with giving students jobs to perform in the classroom. Making each student feel like an important part of a whole can go a long ways toward mitigating classroom management problems. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteCourtney, I’m totally on board with your ideas about classroom community. Interactive activities are going to engage your students so much more than just sitting in a desk and hearing you lecture the whole class period. I also totally agree about the importance of classroom “jobs”. Having a job or role in the classroom really helps students feel included, as well as can help some those “disruptive” students to behave and feel more responsible.
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Emily