Classroom Environment to Create a Positive Classroom

Classroom Environment

To create a positive classroom environment for my second graders, I try to frame everything in terms of what they should do, rather than what they should not do. We use the Responsive Classroom approach in our school, so the first six weeks is devoted to establishing classroom rules and procedures. The children are encouraged to take an active part in this process. During the first week of school, we create a big poster that shows the classroom rules. Each child signs it before it is put on permanent display, so it serves as a contract as well. By second grade, students understand that teachers have expectations. Children know how they are supposed to conduct themselves in the classroom, in the halls, in the lunchroom and on the playground -- even if they do not always do as they should! We spend time at the meeting circle discussing the rules we want for our classroom. If a child volunteers "No hitting!" we work together to reframe that rule using positive language, such as "Keep your hands to yourself" or "Treat others as you would wish to be treated." Children tend to think of rules in terms of "no," so I generally have to help them reframe every rule they suggest. The rule-making is a long process because there is so much discussion and sharing of examples of both positive and negative behavior. However, the rules become theirs, not the teacher's, and they are much more invested in following them. I believe this practice has a positive effect on behavior because we spend time discussing the reasons for our rules. There are no rules for the sake of rules.

When the first bell rings in the morning, I greet every child as he or she walks into the classroom. After the first few weeks of school, children are very familiar with the routine and know they come in, after having put their backpacks in their lockers, make a lunch choice, turn in any homework, then begin morning work already at their tables. I have to provide a lot of reminders the first months of school and of course there are always students who need reminders throughout the entire school year. I try to keep my interactions with early arrivals short so I can continue to greet each student who comes in the door. If a student fails to respond verbally or does not make eye contact, I stop the student with a reminder of how people greet one another. It is a very gentle reminder, then I give the student the opportunity to try coming through the door again, the second time with a smile, eye contact, and "Good morning, Ms. X."

I use wooden sticks, labeled with children's names, to make sure I call on them equitably. Some children always raise their hands, while others tend to hold back. One year I had a child with a serious language processing problem. She loved to raise her hand and contribute, but she had difficulty translating her thoughts to words and sometimes did not even make much sense. It was sometimes painful to call on her because it would take so long for her to answer. Other children would sometimes snicker. I did not want to avoid calling on her completely, but I did try to direct questions to her that I thought would be easy for her to answer. In that way, I set her up for success. Students in my class know that just because I have chosen their stick, I can still call on them again. I believe it helps keep children engaged because they never know when they will be called upon. They know I may call on them if they have hands raised, but I may also call on someone without a hand raised. They never know for sure, so they need to pay attention.