Sub-categories
2a. Creating an Environment of Respect and Rapport
2b. Establishing a Culture for Learning
2c. Managing Classroom Procedures
2d. Managing Student Behavior
2e. Organizing Physical Space
Classroom Environment is an area in which teachers and students work together to create the space in which learning may occur. Teachers are a large aspect of that environment, and what they do in the room, from rules to decoractions, does a lot to begin the creation of an environment that fosters learning.
The artifacts chosen to represent this domain illustrate a few of the sub-categories from this domain. Those sub-categories include 2a, 2c, 2d, and 2e.
The picture to the right is of a door which I helped to design and draw. This was from a teacher competition set up by the administration and students. It was fun to watch the students get all excited and hapy to come in the room as they saw the door. Even though this was on the outside of the door, students enjoyed seeing teachers get involved and this helped to foster the environment of learning. Students respected that we could have fun, just as much as them, and it helped to create a talking point and stronger interpersonal relationships.
Something else that helps to foster learning is group work, and a good classroom organization. These can both
be seen in the picture to the left. There are no students in the desks, but having the classroom arranged in this way helps the students to know it is time for groups and discussion. It is also a good way to be able to monitor and see who needs help rather quickly.
Students also benefit from a steady and reliable series of classroom procedures. The picture below shows the bins of work which have been graded and are waiting to be returned. Students are made aware of these bins and are welcome to check for their work (if their grade needs adjusted or to see why their grade is the way it is), but are not allowed to take it without permission. The bins are a great way to make sure work is not lost and students appreciate this sort of procedure.