POSITIVE CLIMATE SKILLS
- Recognize individual differences
- Learn names
- Arrange seating
- Establish expectations
- Make yourself available
- Encourage the students
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What an instructor does in the first few class sessions sets the tone
for the rest of the semester. We know from research on teaching
that students learn best in student-centered classrooms where they
are actively involved not only with the subject matter but also with
their classmates and their teachers. Teacher-centered courses,
which emphasize formal lectures and note taking, questions held until
the end of class, and little student participation in learning
activities, do not seem to promote as much learning as classrooms in
which students have a voice. Although students may be reluctant at
first to take part in learning activities, most of them report that
they remember material best when they engage with it during class,
not just during private study time. What can teachers do to create
an environment in which students are willing to be active participants?
BE SENSITIVE TO INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES. One essential
characteristic of effective teaching is that it be responsive to the
individual needs of students. There are simply too many differences
among students for a teacher to be able to teach all of them the
same thing at the same time. However, quality teaching entails being
sensitive to individual differences in preferred learning styles by
varying the rate, amount, nature or content of the instruction
given. Teachers who alter instruction to accommodate individual
differences send the message that they want to reach all of their
students all of the time. Students are much more likely to
participate actively in learning activities when they know that
their teacher has carefully considered their needs.
During one of the first few class meetings, tell your students that
you will incorporate a variety of teaching approaches toward
the subject matter; then, keep your commitment throughout the
course. Ask your students to suggest new methods of learning
material and to give feedback on the methods you implement.
Students will respect you when they know that they have a
voice in how they learn, not just what they learn.
LEARN STUDENTS' NAMES. Calling students by name
signifies a positive relationship between teachers and students.
Students who recognize that their teachers think of them as individuals
with individual needs will feel more comfortable in class and be
more responsive in discussions.
Ask your students to introduce themselves the first day and have
them state their names whenever they speak during the first
few class sessions. Write a few notes about students to remind
you of their names and interests. Encourage your students to
learn classmates' names as well and to use them in class
discussions.
MAKE SURE THAT THE CLASSROOM IS SET UP IN A WAY THAT IS
CONDUCIVE TO A POSITIVE CLIMATE. Asking students to come to the
front of the room so that they are close to each other encourages
more participation than an arrangement with students scattered around
the classroom. For a small discussion section, it may be useful to
arrange chairs in a circle or a U shape.
Feel free to change the seating arrangement in your classroom
according to the method of instruction you are using. Your
students will be less likely to become bored if you show them
that your classroom is not a static but a changing
environment. Having them switch seats can make them interact
with more of their classmates. However, do not experiment with the
seating arrangement so often that your students feel
uncomfortable.
TELL STUDENTS WHAT YOUR EXPECTATIONS ARE THE FIRST DAY
OF CLASS. Most students feel anxious when they are not certain
what behaviors teachers expect from them. When teachers clearly and
consistently communicate their expectations for student behavior,
they help to ease student anxiety.
Tell your students that you expect them to come to class prepared,
to ask questions and to discuss the material on a daily basis.
Work out a system for holding your students responsible for
class participation, include a section in your syllabus about
how you will evaluate their participation, and consistently
follow the rules you established. Encourage your students to
help develop ground rules for discussion and include these guidelines
in your syllabus. Ground rules may include:
- No personal attacks
- one person talks at a time
- everyone has a right to his or her opinion.
COME
BEFORE AND STAY AFTER CLASS TO TALK TO STUDENTS. This time can allow
the teacher to build individual relationships with students. These
small contacts can create more personal climate. Students may feel more
comfortable asking questions, expressing their concerns, or seeing
you about difficulties on an individual basis.
Tell your students in advance if you have to rush off to another
class directly after the one(s) you teach so that they will
not feel snubbed if you do not have time to answer their
questions after class. Be sure to tell them when and where
they can reach you to ask you additional questions.
CREATE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR STUDENT PARTICIPATION. Teachers can foster a safe climate by insuring that:
They never ridicule a student's questions or remarks. It takes
only one or two instances of "That's a stupid comment. Haven't
you prepared for class?" to discourage participation.
You can disagree with a student without attacking him or her
personally (e.g., "As I see it ...."). Remember always to
dignify learners' responses by restating their valid points or
crediting the thoughtfulness of their contributions.
They confront students who attack other students. (e.g., "John, state
what you think rather than attacking another student.").
When you confront students who treat their classmates
disrespectfully, you model for your students proper classroom
etiquette. Your students will take you more seriously if they
know you enforce the rules you include in your syllabus.
One way to encourage participation is to reinforce appropriate student behavior both verbally and non-verbally.
Make frequent eye contact with your students.
Move around the room often and offer words of praise such as "good" or
"interesting" to students who are participating. Refer to
student contributions in your remarks with phrases such as "As
Sally said..." or "Would anyone like to respond to Joe's
point?" Write student responses on the board, a flipchart, or a
transparency, and include them in your handouts as often as
possible to acknowledge contributions. Use student points in your
remarks (e.g., "As Mike pointed out...").
BEGIN TEACHING THE SUBJECT MATTER THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS. Because
your class roster is not stable the first day of class, it is
tempting to do little more than administrative housekeeping. Remember,
however, if you do not take the subject matter seriously, neither
will your students. If you want a classroom where students come to
work diligently, you need to begin teaching the content the first
day of class. Let the first day set the tone for the rest of the
semester. Let the first class set the tone for the weeks to follow
by enlisting student interest, inviting their participation, and
beginning to build a sense of community.
Tips for Managing the Classroom Learning Environment
Plus FRAMEWORK
designed to help instructors optimize classroom civility, generate
productive responses to classroom incivility, and promote a constructive
learning environment that will discourage disruptive behaviors (pdf)
1. Start class on time, sending a message that
being there is important. If a student arrives late several days
in a row, say something before it becomes a habit.
2. End class on time. If you begin letting
students out early, they will begin routinely packing up their backpacks
before class is over; if you go over time on a regular basis your
students will become resentful.
3. Announce your office hours and keep them faithfully. Being accessible can prevent many problems.
4 . Set policies at the beginning of the course. In particular,
make sure attendance and grading policies are clear, preferably in
writing.
5. Be conscious of signs of racial or sexual
harassment, whether by you, towards you, or towards other members of
the class. Make it clear by your wordsand actions that put-downs or
derogatory comments about any groups for whatever reason are simply
not acceptable.
6. Refer students with psychological, emotional,
academic, or financial trouble to the appropriate counselors. You
can be sympathetic and supportive, but becoming a student's counselor
can cause problems.
7. When acting as a teaching assistant, involve
yourself only to the extent that you are expected to be involved.
If the professor you are assisting is in charge of determining grades
and you receive complaints about grades, have the students deal
with the professor. Do not foster a "me against you" attitude, and
do not side with the students against the professor.
- These tips are adapted from those provided by the Center for Teaching Effectiveness at Pennsylvania State University.
