Zach Robertson

EDUC 451

Citizens on the Path:

Creating a Classroom that Students Feel Part of

The Question

“I think I am going to leave.” My first lesson had flopped with this grade 10 girl and she was going to the Choices room for the rest of class. The Choices room is an option for some students who would otherwise not be in school to go to when they need support. While I value this program, I felt that there should be enough support in my classroom for this student. Meanwhile, the young boy with autism was working in a corner of the room with his SEA and I had not involved him in the class. Even though the rest of the class was engaged in the task at hand, I felt like I had not done enough to include these two in my lesson. My lesson had involved a placemat activity about Canadian confederation and I had hoped that everyone would get involved with their groups. This experience drove the inquiry process for me. I want a classroom where both of these students feel like they are a part of the class; more than that, I want a classroom where every student feels engaged in the class. Originally I was looking at activities, like the placemat activity, to keep students involved but as my research developed, so did my question. It became a question about classroom environment rather than activities. Of course, planning interesting activities and lessons is an integral part of creating an engaging class but it does not end there. My question became what strategies can a teacher use to create an engaging classroom where all students feel like a part of the class. For the purposes of this paper, I am organizing the strategies into three categories: before, during, and after class. There is some overlap between these categories but for organizational purposes, I believe this delineation makes the most sense.

Before Class

“Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is                        sure to             be failure.”

-Confucian Saying

I like this quote as an inspiration for preparation. Success in the classroom is not something that comes easily; it takes the proper legwork to create a strong classroom community. Without the preparation the classroom community will fail.

Planning must begin early in order to create a classroom environment that every student feels part of. As Tammy Jones (2012) writes, the classroom “is a place where students should feel safe to engage intellectually, socially, and emotionally in the act of learning” (p. 58). This begins with planning before the school year even begins. One way to create a more exciting classroom environment is to reconceptualise how your curriculum is designed, especially in social studies. Misco and Castaneda (2009) propose a reverse chronological curriculum design for social studies in order to use current events as a springboard for looking into the curriculum (p. 186). The idea is that students will be more interested if the material is related to their everyday life. This means that the teacher is not simply working through the social studies textbook. It is important to generate interest in the material itself; however, I believe that a class must have more than just interesting material for the students to feel involved.

This all starts with having a plan for the whole year. Roland Case (2008) compares planning a class to taking a hike and “[w]ithout a clear sense of direction… hikers may waste considerable time and energy and may fail to reach their intended destination” (p. 247). Similar to a poorly planned hike, a poorly planned year may have a lot of nice views along the way; however, in the end the class will fail to reach its goals. This does not mean that you cannot have some lesson ideas to begin with. On a hike, you plan some checkpoints along the way and with a class you need to have some lessons that you are excited about. It is important to plan on who you will try to involve in the classroom. Studies have shown that involving parents in their children’s learning improves attitudes towards education as well as their performance (Hall, 2010, p. 47). Incorporating parents and other adults into your class is not something that can be done ad hoc during the year; it takes planning and commitment from the beginning of the year.

Once you have your general plan for the year is when it gets fun. Starting the year off right is important. In your first few lessons, plan icebreakers and create a classroom constitution. Freiberg (1996) states “80 percent or more of classroom management is problem prevention rather than intervention” (p. 33). If steps are taken from the beginning of the year to negate classroom management issues that take up time and detract from classroom community then there is more time for all of the good parts of school to take place. Freiberg (1996) proposes a less traditional classroom model called a “Person-Centered Classroom” (p. 34). In this classroom, the students have roles that make them a part of the class. Freiberg compares this to the students being citizens of the class rather than tourists coming through. This is an effective metaphor to address my inquiry question. Students should feel like active citizens in the classroom; they should feel that they are a part of something.

It is also important to look at the diverse learners in your classroom, as not all students will be able to participate as citizens of the class if it is only taught to one level. J. Michael Peterson and Mishael Marie Hittie (2003) write that addressing students with different learning levels is often more difficult for more traditional teachers that favor straight rows, worksheets, quiet classrooms etc. (p. 89). These teachers struggle to incorporate diverse learners because their methods are not conducive to adaptations and modifications. It is a lot more work to make multiple levels of worksheets than it is to incorporate diverse learners into a group activity. Peterson and Hittie (2003) suggest that “teachers engage [students] in active learning through a range of strategies such as cooperative learning, community projects, research, and drama” (p. 89). While planning the year, make sure to include as much diversity as possible.

During Class

“Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any             experience that reveals the human spirit.”
-E.E. Cummings

I like this quote to sum up how I look at the importance of preparation to producing a healthy classroom environment. The belief that comes from being prepared allows the teacher freedom to be flexible while delivering the lesson. This is when the most genuine learning happens and when the classroom feels the best. It is important to allow the class to dictate the path at times, to borrow from Roland Case’s metaphor; however, the teacher has to have the goal in mind and guide the students towards it on whatever path they choose. This can only be done if the teacher is confident in themselves to turn over the learning to the class.

All the before class preparation in the world cannot be enough to create the sense of classroom community without effective implementation during class. Peterson and Hittie (2003) lay out some simple strategies for inclusive teaching:

• Be patient and allow [students] to communicate even if it is clear what the student wants. This can be encouraging and motivating.
• Give students classroom jobs that require communication on a smaller scale
• Provide choices and ask students to verbalize their choice.
• Get to know students and ask questions about their interests.
• Encourage peer interaction
• Attend to what students say, focusing on meaning, not on how they are saying it. Other students will follow the teacher’s example.
• Allow for wait time when students [are struggling]. Do not finish their thoughts. (p. 388)

These strategies allow all students to feel like they are being heard and taking part in the class. This is easy to do if the teacher gets along with all the students; however, that is not always the case. Sue Grossman (2008) addresses the fact that all students deserve to be treated fairly but “sometimes, however, our feelings about a particular child make that obligation a challenging task” (p. 149). The teacher should manage their feelings by remembering to always be honest with themselves as it will not help the student if the teacher cannot acknowledge the fact that the teacher does not like that student. The teacher needs to realize that their feelings can change and that their feelings may not be shared by others and that discussing this dislike with staff members may help the teacher find a solution to the problem (p. 149). It is not fair to the student to allow the teacher’s feelings to affect their learning in the classroom. Also, this will affect not only the student that the teacher does not like but also the rest of the class’s trust for the teacher will be affected. Students are perceptive and if the teacher is playing favorites or picking on one student then the rest of the students will know that the teacher is unfair. Of course, the reality is that the teacher cannot get along with every student so it is up to the teacher to manage their feelings.

 

After Class

“Do not limit a child to your own learning, for [they were] born in another time.”

-Rabindranath Tagore

I like this quote to sum up what I believe a teacher’s job is after class ends. It is important to never get stagnant in one’s teaching style. The quote sums this up as a teacher should never be constrained by their age. It is important to keep up with the trends in education, such as technology, to continue to create a classroom environment. More than that, a teacher must keep up with the students’ interests, at least to a point. Teachers need to be aware of what is going on in the school as well as what the students are doing outside of school. I do not mean that teachers need to be monitoring the behavior; however, teachers should be connected to the community in order to provide the best education possible.

The dismissal bell is not the end of creating classroom environment and having students feel like citizens in the class. In fact, after class may be the most important time to create the feeling of a classroom community. This is when the teacher can make the most meaningful connections with students; extracurricular activities are often when students feel the most comfortable around teachers. Whether it is getting involved in the school play, coaching a team, running a club, or just being around after school, students feel the most comfortable when they are doing the things that they enjoy. As well, teachers need to collaborate after class. Schools “can no longer function effectively as separate organisations outside the community” (Loreman, Deppeler, & Harvey, 2010, p. 101). Teachers cannot be disconnected from the rest of the community as well as the rest of the school. It is important to be in constant collaboration with fellow teachers. Loreman, Deppeler, and Harvey (2010) propose twenty ways to make collaboration effective, but my favorites are:

• Start and finish discussion on time
• Make the specific purpose and common goal/s for the session clear at the outset
• Conclude each session with a plan and timeline for next steps or the next collaborative discussion
• Send a follow-up email to all members outlining the discussion and decisions (p. 100)

These tips make the meetings specific and the goals explicit which aids teachers who are generally busy. If collaboration becomes difficult then teachers will be reluctant to partake. The notion that collaboration is needed between not just teachers but the community at large is reflected in Ontario’s Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy. The document states that “all partners” need to be involved to better educate youth (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2009, p. 5). All partners means teachers, government, and the community-at-large.

It is after class when I think the most meaningful student-teacher relationships are formed. The “school community greatly affects the way students and teachers feel about the time they spend at school” and that school community seems like it is formed after class (Hamre & Pianta, 2006, p. 64). It is important that the school feel like a community for both students and teachers. This is one of the final important points that need to be made. Teachers need to take care of themselves as well. A teacher can burn themselves out quickly if they are not careful and so teachers need to look after their health. That was one of the first things said to the teacher candidates and I believe it is even more important during the practicum than it is during class work.

Mr. Robertson’s Top 10 Tips for Creating a Classroom Community

*These are ten things that I am going to try on my practicum to engage my students and create a positive classroom environment. This is not meant to be a definitive list and has some overlap with Peterson and Hitte’s list laid out earlier in this paper. Some are things that I struggle with and others are things that I do well and want to focus on.

1. Work hard to learn names as quickly as possible and greet your students at the door. Seriously, grab a class list and a yearbook and memorize those names and faces; students will appreciate that you are trying to make a connection. This will also help your students feel that they are a part of the class, a citizen of it, when they come in each day.
2. Start with some chatting. Begin each class with a few minutes of relaxed conversation with your students to get them talking and engaged in your classroom. Anybody on Candy Crush? Watch the game last night? This will relax you and allow the students to settle in to your class.
3. Assign students roles in the class. Let them know that you are not there to dictate everything to them. Instead, you are encouraging them to become an active part of the class.
4. Keep up with what is going on around the school. Find out about what your students are doing and talk about the game last night, the progress of the school play, the next show the band is having etc.
5. Start the year (or in this case practicum) by discussing your classroom policies and allow the students to have a say before everyone signs it.
6. Make your lessons multi-modal. Appeal to all learners in the class.
7. Address issues immediately. Do not let problems fester. Whether it is a classroom problem or a staffroom problem it is important to be up front and honest in dealing with any issues.
8. Collaborate with your colleagues. Remember that you are not alone and can bounce ideas off colleagues. Other teachers have resources and many are willing to share. The counsellors and administration have a different view of students as well. Do not try and reinvent the wheel.
9. Be around. Just spend time at the school. Don’t be in a rush to get out of there because your students will notice.
10. Take care of yourself. You will not be an effective teacher if you are not taking care of yourself.

Moving Forward

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”

-Benjamin Franklin

I do not want to call this a conclusion and that is why I like this quote. This paper is not something that I want to forget or just remember. These strategies that I have looked at are things that I want to take forward with me into my practicum. I want to be a lifelong learner not just a teacher and I want my students to feel involved in their class. I do not want tourists in my classroom and I do not want to dictate their education to them. Students should be encouraged to find their own path through their education and it is the teacher’s role to support them through this. This paper is just a beginning and in it I have tried to categorize different strategies to look at before, during and after class. These will help me moving forward on my practicum.

Here, I would like to return to the story from the start of this paper that inspired my inquiry. I hope that this helps me go forward into my long practicum. I would like to tell another story here and that is how I hope my first week of my long practicum goes. The first day of class I will greet students at the door and welcome them to my classroom. I am fortunate to have a School Advisor that will turn over the class to me right from the start. I plan to reintroduce myself since I was there and taught a lesson to the Socials 10 class I will have the first week. Tip number two will be next on my list then; start the class with some low key chatting. The lesson plan will be simple and flexible as I will have some icebreakers ready to go as well as the unit plan and my classroom policies to go over and students will be allowed to vote on some of these classroom policies. I will also have an information card for each student to fill out with their name and some facts about themselves so that I can begin to get to know them. I can use these forms to learn their names as well. Throughout the rest of the week I will work on learning my students’ names and their interests. I also hope to have plenty of feedback on my plans for the long practicum from my SA and invite administration to view one of my future lessons. That collaboration will only help me during long practicum and going forward after. I truly believe that education is a path, a long and winding one, that you may lose your way sometimes, and that the best experiences come from spontaneity. Spontaneity comes about when the teacher is prepared enough to be flexible and the students feel like citizens in the class instead of tourists.

 

 

 

Reference List

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            Strategies for Secondary Teachers. Vancouver: Pacific Educational Press.

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Grossman, Sue. (2008). “‘I Just Don’t Linke That Kid’: Confronting and Managing Personal

Feelings about Children.” Childhood Education, 84, 147-149.

Bridget K. Hamre and Robert C. Pianta. (2006). “Student-Teacher Relationships.”  In Children’s

            Needs III:  Development , prevention and intervention, Ed. G. Bear and Kathleen M.

Minke. National Association of School Psychologists, Bethesda: MD.

Loreman, Tim, Joanne Deppeler, and David Harvey. (2010). Inclusive Education: Supporting

            Diversity in the Classroom. New York: Routledge.

Jones, Tammy. (2012). “Community in the Classroom: An Approach to Curriculum and

Instruction as a Means for the Development of Student Personal Engagement in a High

School Classroom.” Educational Perspectives, 44, 58-64.

Hall, Horace H. (2010). “Student-Parent-Teacher Partnerships: Creating Safe Classrooms and

Communities.” Democracy & Education, 18, 46-49.

Misco, Thomas, and Martha E. Castaneda. (2009). “‘Now What Should I Do For English

Language Learners?’ Reconceptualizing Social Studies Curriculum Design for ELLs.”

Educational Horizons, 87, 182-189.

Ontario Ministry of Education. (2009). “Realizing the Promise of Diversity: Ontario’s Equity

and Inclusive Education Strategy.” www.edu.gov.on.ca

Peterson, J. Michael, and Hittie, Mishael Marie. (2003). Inclusive Teaching: Creating Effective

            Schools for All Learners. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.