Creating

Productive
Learning
Environments
ED 1010

Characteristics of Productive
Learning Environments
A focus on learning
Effective schools: Academic focus

A focus on learners
Classrooms as learning
communities
Personal and social development
Positive classroom climate

Classroom as
Learning Communities
Inclusiveness: all students participate
and believe they can succeed.
Respect for others: students respect the
teacher and other students.
Safety and security: students feel safe
and protected. Blind Caterpillar: Team Building
Trust and connectedness: students
count on each other for help and
Make a Machine
assistance.
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Personal Development
Self-discipline and motivation to
learn
Organizational skills and goal setting
Personal and moral responsibility
Control of personal impulses
Self-awareness in terms of personal
strengths, needs, and values
4

Social Development
Students ability to interact with
and get along with others
Perspective taking: the ability to
understand the thoughts and
feelings of others
Social problem solving: the ability
to resolve conflicts in ways that are
beneficial to all involved
Conflict Resolution Scenario

Social Skills That Develop in

Productive Learning
Environments

Perspective taking
Social problem solving
Respect for others
Working cooperatively with classmates
Empathy and compassion
Appreciation of diversity

Positive Classroom
Climate
Emotional and physical
environment of a classroom
Pleasant surroundings
Displays respect students
Procedures for a safe and orderly
classroom
Respectful and friendly

Essential Human Elements of

Productive Learning
Environments

Caring
Personal teaching efficacy
Positive expectations
Modeling and enthusiasm

Communicating Caring
Learning students names quickly and
calling on students by their first name
Greeting students daily and getting to know
them as individuals
Using effective nonverbal communication
such as making eye contact and smiling
Using we and our in reference to class
activities and assignments
Spending time with students
Demonstrating respect for students as
individuals Formations
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Personal Teaching
Efficacy
Belief that you can make a
difference as a teacher
Internal locus of control
Transfers to students

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Positive Teacher
Expectations
Teachers beliefs in students
capabilities to learn
Ways that teachers communicate
positive expectations
Emotional support
Teacher effort and demands
Interactive questioning
Feedback and evaluation
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Modeling and Enthusiasm

The tendency of people to observe
and imitate others behaviors and
attitudes
Demonstrate interest and
enthusiasm in topic
Model appropriate behavior

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Classroom Management
What impact does classroom
management have on learning?
As you have observed, have you
seen good and bad examples of
classroom management?
What made it good?
What made it bad?
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Classroom Management
Goals
Developing learner responsibility
Creating a positive classroom
climate
Maximizing opportunities for
learning

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Dimensions of
Classroom Time
Allocated time: amount designated for a
particular topic or subject
Instructional time: amount left for teaching
after routine management and
administrative tasks are completed
Engaged time: time students actually
spend actively involved in learning activities
Academic learning time: amount of time
students are both engaged and successful
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Elements of
Successful Management
Preventing problems through
planning
Rules
Procedures

Intervening effectively
Handling serious management
problems
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Common Classroom Activities

Requiring Procedures
Entering and leaving the classroom
Handing in and returning papers
Accessing materials such as
scissors and paper
Sharpening pencils
Making trips to the bathroom
Making up work after an absence
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Guidelines for
Effective Rules

State rules positively.

Emphasize rationales for rules.
Minimize the number of rules.
Monitor rules throughout the school
year.

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Guidelines for
Effective Interventions

Intervene immediately.
Direct the intervention at the
correct student(s).
Use the least intrusive intervention.

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Serious Management Problems:

Violence and Aggression
Most management problems are minor and
involve day-to-day logistical and
cooperation issues.
Steps to follow when serious problems
arise
Stop the incident
Protect the victim
Get help

Teachers are legally required to intervene

when problems occur.
Seek the advice of administrators and
veteran teachers.
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Effective Classroom Management

in Urban Schools
More challenging because of student
diversity and large class sizes
Essential components for effective
management:
Caring and supportive teachers
Clear standards for acceptable
behavior
Structure
Effective instruction
Video
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Benefits of Involving
Parents

Greater willingness to do homework

Higher long-term achievement
More positive attitudes and behaviors
Better attendance and graduation rates
Greater enrollment in postsecondary
education

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Strategies for Involving

Parents
Communicate early, positively, and
often
Try email communication
Get to know students
Use newsletters and individual
notes to emphasize positive
student accomplishments.

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Communicating with
Parents
from Diverse Backgrounds
Cultural diversity, SES, and caregivers
for whom English is not the first
language all pose communication
challenges.
Effective teachers make a special
effort to reach out to these parents.
Sending home homework guidelines
and suggestions are effective in
involving parents in their childrens
education.
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