Creating a Positive Learning Environment
- 2. Encourage all students to participate in class discussion. Monitor your own behavior when responding to students. Maintain control of the room. Encourage students to be inquisitive Be sensitive to students whose first language is not English
- 3. Invite viewpoints that present different approaches and values Make it clear that you value all comments Do not allow individuals or groups of students monopolize the discussion If necessary call on students by name to have them become involved When a student makes a comment or responds to a question, to continue their engagement, respond with a “follow-up” question
- 4. Listen attentively and respond directly to students' comments and questions Address students by name (and with the correct pronunciation) Prompt students to provide a fuller answer or an explanation Give students time to answer a question before moving on Credit student comments during your summary ("As ‘Jose’ said . . . ") Give feedback and balance criticism and praise Make eye contact
- 5. One stumbling block for new teachers is to respond with mixed messages ◦ Respond to students questions in a clear and concise manner ◦ Avoid humor (what you think is funny may be offensive to others) ◦ There is no place for sarcasm in the classroom “Mixed Message”
- 6. Set your standards ◦ Expect students to treat you and their classmates with respect - by doing this they can expect the same treatment in return ◦ Arrive on time to class (and return from breaks) and have the same expectation from the students ◦ Eliminate all disruptions by simply saying “silence your cell phones” ◦ Follow campus protocol by having a book-bags & phones brought to the front of the room during tests If a student makes a distasteful remark even jokingly…. ◦ Explain why a comment is offensive or insensitive. Let your students know that racist, sexist, and other types of discriminatory remarks are unacceptable in class (or the profession they are entering). For example, "What you said made me feel uncomfortable. Although you didn't mean it, it could be interpreted as saying.... "
- 7. “Trust” equates to “Respect” and this is modeled by the instructor Do not let “small issues” fester and divide the class into cliques If you are experiencing problems immediately contact your Program Director or a College administrator
- 8. Encourage Students to be Inquisitive
- 9. Dialogue is the key to “active learning” ◦ Rather than saying “Any questions?” before moving on, ask a student to summarize what has just been discussed ◦ Start with one student and have them ask the student to their right a question pertaining to the previous topic – after the student responds to the question, they ask another question to the student to their right, etc. ◦ Just before students are going to break, assign one student to create three questions from the material just presented and when the class returns, that student then asks these questions to his fellow students ◦ Most students love games – use your imagination to create your version of “Jeopardy” using questions from students’ readings
- 10. In today’s environment teachers must remain sensitive to cultural differences Show tolerance for students experiencing difficulty (help them find a study group where they are comfortable) Immediately deal with any displays of intolerance in the classroom