Practice: Classroom environment

Practice: Classroom environment

What's that and why is it important?

Environment is a very wide term. Many factors creates it, everything that surrounds you in the place, every little object, but also every person present in the place, even the temperature or amount of daylight. Nevertheless, all of the factors have the most important, common feature: they affect people present in the place.

Writing about why is it important seams pointless because it seams obvious. I think it's highly important to be aware of environment potential and impact all the time. Only then can you think of a change which could improve the realia. As a teacher you are the leader of the classroom and it's your task to handle it. Moreover, you should listen and talk to your students about it to settle common agreements about your mutual environment as every person in the classroom should be respected in the same way.

In my practice school

I observe lessons conducted in two classrooms but they have common features when it comes to environment. What I really liked are posters on the walls, rather small ones but carrying a lot of meaning. They are simple, one of them hangs near the whiteboard in the maths classroom. There is text "Don't be scared of mistakes" and a clipart of  thumb up. The meaning is simple, language as well and the message is very important. I don't know if the teacher spoke to the students about those posters (other say for example: Be better every day; Change is good) but even if she didn't, I believe some bored student reading those sentences can take something beneficial for himself.

The history classroom is also an English classroom. That's why there are a lot of England flags hanging under the celling, a picture of the Big Ben hanging on the wall or a family photo of the royal family. I don't know how the decision about history in English being conducted in this specific classroom was made, many it was an accident, but even if, it was a fortunate one. On one lesson the teacher spoke about the industrial revolution in which England was the leading country. The interior of the classroom was on place on that lesson. Also the teacher tried to talk in English mostly, that is when English decor somehow helped to encourage students to understand her seeking and speak by themselves.

Other characteristics that helps are those which makes students feel comfortable and safe on the lesson. Grade 5th and 6th both have most of the lessons in one classroom. They keep their school materials in their personal cupboards and are able to take anything form there any time of the lesson. I believe this reduce stress successfully.

Placing of the seating helps students to feel more safe. They don't stress out before each lesson only thinking if they get to sit next to their friend or not. They have their usual place waiting for them. This solution have both advantages and disadvantages. Students may feel safe but changing seating place can do some good as well, like make them more open to changes or see the lesson from other perspective.

To sum up, classroom environment is something that you as a teacher should always remember about, and at the same time something that you as a teacher can easily forget. Despite that, my idea to keep that in mind is to create a schema in my mind: I have a problem as a teacher/ I want to be more efficient as a teacher. I think of changes I can make and factors which can be destructive to my students and on my lessons. I change.