Building a Positive Classroom Environment

Building a Positive Classroom Environment

Environment in Early Childhood Education: A Case Study

As important as teachers, curriculum, and a supportive home environment, the educational environment has a direct impact on the ability of the child to thrive in an early childhood education environment. Among other things, the environment consists of the physical description of the classroom, as well as the attitude and personalities of those who make up the classroom -- teachers, students, and aids. When a child feels safe and comfortable in his or her learning environment, he or she is more likely to thrive than if he or she feels threatened, frightened, intimidated, sad, or like he or she is in the way. A safe, comfortable, and stimulating environment allows a child to feel that it is normal and right to take advantage of the resources around him. In this environment, a child is encouraged to be creative, growing in academic, social, and life skills.

There are many things that teachers can do in order to improve a child's learning environment. In order to discuss these in more depth, it is advantageous to consider the case of Tabitha, a 2-year-old child in a preschool environment. While she was once enthusiastic in her work, Tabitha is now withdrawn. She does not interact much with the other children, and her natural curiosity seems to be stalled -- she does examine new toys as she once did, and her former favorite station -- the art station -- no longer takes up a large portion of her day. By examining three factors -- the physical classroom environment, the environment created by the teachers, and the environment created by the other students, I will reveal what kinds of tactics I can use in order to help Tabitha thrive.

When examining the classroom, I will be sure to look from Tabitha's point-of-view ("A Preschool Classroom"). Because "children need an at home like atmosphere," I will be looking for three primary factors -- that the classroom is "attractive and inviting and safe" ("A Preschool Classroom"). In Tabitha's case, I will be especially sure to examine the art station to see if any safety or aesthetic issues are occurring. In addition, I will be sure that Tabitha can reach all art materials, that her portraits are displayed in a way that encourages her to be proud of her work, but that they are out of reach of other students. Based on this examination, I note two things that may be causing Tabitha's reaction. The first is a change of material. Instead of crayons, the facility had recently purchased markers at a discounted rate. The second is color. While the portraits usually hanging in the area are generally quite colorful, this week's batch seem to be made exclusively of dark browns and blues. To solve this problem, I will bring out an array of new materials, in addition to encouraging Tabitha to draw a new batch of colorful pictures, telling her the room needs it.