DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

Domain 2: The Classroom Environment

  • Creating an Environment of Respect and Rapport
  • Establishing a Culture of Learning
  • Managing Classroom Procedures
  • Managing Student Behavior
  • Organizing Physical Space 

 

During BSHS, all of my interactions with students, inside and outside of the classroom, have been mutually respectful. This was because, I developed relationships with each of them in one way or another. At first, even small groups seemed to work better when a teacher was there facilitating. Students wrote in their exit slips how they prefer when either Matt or I are part of a small group, because every student feels more comfortable speaking. This signalled to me that there is some sort of uncomfortable feeling/scared feeling students may feel when left alone in small groups. While that is true, by the end of the summer student groups were able to work together effectively, I learned when to pair groups up and when it was okay for them to pair up with the person next to them. I also learned when it was necessary for a teacher to be in a group and when it wasn’t.


In this domain you will see three artifacts that will show a snippet of the classroom environment my team teacher and I were able to co-create. The first artifact is an example of a snapshot autobiography which was one of the first assignments given to students to help us begin conversations with students and for them to relate to each other. The second artifact is a picture of our community norms. The class and the teachers co-created the community norms on the first week of class which helped everyone feel ownership of the classroom environment. The third artifact is a written list of the class routines and how long we each one was. This artifact shows how setting a classroom environment was not just a week one object and/or day one objective, it was a whole unit objective we made sure to not compromise. Overall, I believe this classroom was a safe, respectful, culturally responsive, supportive and challenging learning environment. This was most notably and beautifully shown on the second to last day when students affirmed each other, completed their summative assessment, but also decided on their own to affirm Matt and me.

 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.