“Improving School Climate” The authors describe 4 elements every classroom should have. Describe these 4 elements as they pertain to your current classroom. Then, start planning for next year. If you were going to make improvements to your classroom, describe the changes you would make in terms of these 4 elements.
How I Improve School Climate
ReplyDelete1--great students at the door; i do this every hour
2--room organization; keep papers in organized manner so students know where to put things or to grab things
3--color; dont have a lot of it altho this year i did add some sloth pics for fun, but i do need to work on this
4--display of student work; when we do projects--posters or what not, they do get put on the walls, just need to do more of this
Describe these 4 elements as they pertain to your current classroom. Then, start planning for next year. If you were going to make improvements to your classroom, describe the changes you would make in terms of these 4 elements.
ReplyDeleteSo since I don't have a physical room where I am everyday, and my students are in rooms across the state -- this is a little different for me. Sometimes students and E-mentors hang up work we do (like Blackout Poetry) locally. A lot of times there is just local decoration going on for events or holidays in local rooms.
I have D2L where I keep a picture and welcome message of myself up on our course homepage. I also make sure my homepage, content page, assignment boxes, and grades look orderly so it's easy to navigate. I try to follow patterns of organization so students have a predictable place that they rely they can find things each week. That way it isn't overwhelming or confusing. D2L (although imperfect and not always my favorite LMS) starts to feel like home.
1. Signs of Welcome: Picture on D2L/ Welcome message on homepage / Welcome signs behind my desk on camera
2. Basic Organization: I keep my office tidy (at least what is on camera -- my emotional support post-it notes can get overwhelming.)
3. Displays of Student Work: -- I probably don't do enough of this. I do put my kids coloring up! And I try to put up pictures of my own children so that the students feel connected to my personal life. Since they don't share physical space with me daily, I try to tell my students lots of little stories about my family life or weather. Those little stories let them know what my home life is like. For example, my 11 year old was roasting me about using Kahoot and how it's "So UNCOOL" -- so I was telling my students that apparently I'm vastly uncool and need Nearpod and Gimkit (which I thought was a word she was making up.)
4. Color: I use decorations seasonally. I put up NSU signs. I try to wear NSU shirts for color. I wear BIG earrings. I put a Christmas tree with lights up behind me. I try to bring a nice glow to the scene with me so it feels like they have a homey scene when I come on camera : )
1. Signs of Welcome. When I pick up my students at their line in the morning, I create students as they are standing in our line waiting to come into school. I make sure that I greet all students in the morning by telling them, “Good Morning!” or “How are you today?”.
ReplyDelete2. Basic Organization. My classroom is very organized and is clean. I believe that students cannot learn in a disorganized environment. I believe it’s important that the classroom is picked up and that students learn to pick up after themselves. With having basic organization in the classroom, it allows students to be independent in grabbing materials when they need the basic materials of scissors, pencils, markers, and crayons. As well as, where to turn in their work or where they can get extra supplies at.
3. Displays of student work. In my hallway, I display student work and the students enjoy looking at their work that is displayed. They love looking at their peers’ work, but they feel a sense of ownership when they see their work displayed for others to see.
4. Environment that has color. It feels more welcoming to students, but also, they enjoying seeing color. In my classroom, depending on the season/month, I do bring out some decorations and students really enjoy the decorations.
The 4 elements every classroom should have:
ReplyDelete1. Signs of Welcome. I have a welcome sign outside my door. When the kids enter the classroom, I always say hi to them and tell them I'm glad to see them or compliment their outfit or something.
2. Basic Organization. Everything in my classroom has it's spot and most of it is labeled on where it should be so all adults can easily access it throughout the day when needed. I feel that the classroom needs to be organized to help things run smoother to keep student attention and engagement.
3. Display Student Work. I have a bulletin board with student work, as well as artwork hanging in the hallway. I have 2 different art walls in the classroom, one is by the work table and the other is above the cubbies. There is always student work in and around my classroom.
4. Color. I add color by putting up monthly decorations (some of the things I do: seasoned name items, window cling-ons, holiday garland strands, holiday animals). I have a wall in the classroom for family pictures and class pictures. There is also color with the alphabet, number, color, and shape posters on the walls.
The four elements include signs of welcoming students, organization of the room, displays of student work, and color. In my ECSE classroom, I try to be intentional about each of these.
ReplyDelete1. Welcoming students: I greet my students at the door each day so they feel noticed and valued as they enter the classroom.
2. Organization: My room is organized with clear spaces and routines so students can easily find materials and move through the day with structure and predictability.
3. Displays of student work: I display student work so they can feel proud of their efforts and see that their learning is valued.
4. Color: I use warm, earthy tones in the classroom. I try to avoid making the room too visually busy so students are better able to focus and attend to activities.
For next year, I would like to continue simplifying the environment, be even more intentional with organization, and create more meaningful displays of student work while still keeping the classroom calm and supportive for my students.
While I do not have a traditional classroom, I have an office and share an outer Counseling space with my fellow School Counselors, where students wait for appointments or take a break, and these elements are just as important in that setting. 1. Signs of Welcome: I always greet students warmly as they arrive, which helps them feel seen and valued. During classroom lessons or small groups, I make sure students understand the purpose of the lesson and the expectations for participation, creating a safe and respectful environment. 2. Basic Organization: My office and our Counseling space are organized so students can easily access resources and know where to find materials. Clear organization supports independence and allows students to focus on learning skills related to decision making, goal setting, and personal growth. 3. Displays of Student Work: While I don’t display traditional classroom work, I incorporate student contributions on a bulletin board in my office, allowing students to share ideas, messages and art work. Highlighting their input fosters a sense of ownership and accomplishment while showing them they are valued. Environment That Has Color: I use visuals, seasonal decorations, and engaging materials to make my office and our Counseling space welcoming and comfortable. These touches create a positive atmosphere where students feel relaxed and ready to participate. Looking ahead, I plan to strengthen these elements by clarifying expectations at the start of every lesson, building more opportunities for student voice, expanding ways to connect with students individually and in groups, and making activities as relevant as possible to their real-life experiences, such as career exploration and stress management. By continuing to focus on these four elements, I can continually work towards making sure students feel supported, respected, and motivated to grow.
ReplyDelete1. Greeting Students. I try to do this as much as possible as they enter my classroom. I have made an effort to do this in the hallways as well and plan on doing it in the hallways even more next year.
ReplyDelete2. Organization: my classroom is SUPER organized. This helps the students feel at ease, and it makes them be able to navigate the classroom better. It also allows for less disruptions (for example, my students know where the pencils are if they need one, they don’t even have to ask me)
3. Display of student work: At the start of the year , I have student students complete a word cloud which has drawings words and pictures of what describes them. I use this work to decorate my classroom. My students are very proud of their work. I also hang up their suicide prevention posters in the hallway outside of my classroom. They deserve the school to see their hard work!
4. Every year I work really hard to make my classroom shine. I always try to find unique themes that other teachers have never done. I am becoming better at this, and Ive really become a “Pinterest master” . The students seem to really like the way I decorate and I think it makes that environment more fun.
Delete“Improving School Climate” The authors describe 4 elements every classroom should have. Describe these 4 elements as they pertain to your current classroom. Then, start planning for next year. If you were going to make improvements to your classroom, describe the changes you would make in terms of these 4 elements.
ReplyDeleteThe four elements are, (1) signs of welcome (2) basic organization (3) displaying student work (4) color. These four elements create a fun and welcoming classroom that students want to be a part of.
For next year, I need to incorporate signs of welcome. Thinking about this, I actually do not have a sign that welcomes the kids into the gym. This is something that I will definitley create and hang up for next year! For the organization piece, I am a pretty organized person, but for next year my office will be moving and I'll get to organize from scratch and I'm so excited about that! Next, I do display student work through my 'Wall of Fame' poster. This is a poster that recognizes student successes in our Fitnessgram testing. I also have a wall recognizing sportsmanship winners of the month. Each month I recognize one boy and one girl in our school that has demonstrated positive sportsmanship. Lastly, color, I try to incorporate color in the gym by hanging posters that teach health and wellness along with posters that identify cues for specific skills. I think I found at least 2 more posters that I would like to hang up for next year.
1. Signs of welcome: Every morning I greet my students at my back door. I let them into the classroom, then they go out in the hall to put their things in their lockers. I stand outside the other door and greet them again when they are done putting their things away. This year a teammate and I started also greeting all students as they enter the side of our building to go to breakfast or the playground before school starts. We do this for about 20 minutes and have been able to build relationships with students across the school we would otherwise never see.
ReplyDelete2. Basic organization: I am naturally an organized person and minimalist. I do not have a lot of clutter around my house and my classroom is the same way. I go through everything at the beginning and the end of each year, getting rid of things that were not touched. This is also the time I tweak organization for my students to make things better for them in the day to day classroom.
3. Displays of student work: I hang writing, math, reading, and art outside of the classroom. I always tell my students to go slow and make it their best, since everyone in the school will walk by and see it. I also share student work with parents on Class Dojo so they can see it in real time. They are always so excited to share with their peers, the other teachers in our grade level, and their parents.
4. Color: Our classrooms are all painted brown (school built in the 1960's). I love the beach and so my colors are usually black and a turquoise/bright blue. I do not have too many things up that are just decoration. Everything in my room has a purpose/function. I also can't hang anything on my back wall because anytime I open my backdoor the wind knocks it all down. So that helps keep it clutter free!
Next year I want to do a better job organizing my math, reading, and phonics books. I am looking to condense and get rid of another bookcase. I wish we could paint our walls, but we can't.
“Improving School Climate” The authors describe 4 elements every classroom should have. Describe these 4 elements as they pertain to your current classroom. Then, start planning for next year. If you were going to make improvements to your classroom, describe the changes you would make in terms of these 4 elements.
ReplyDelete1 Greeting Students - I greet students as they enter my room everyday. I want students to feel that I am happy that they are back and when they leave I am going to miss them. I feel that it is important that students feel welcome when they come to the room.
2 Display Work and Successes - I display student work such as the projects they create. I have also taken a part in creating a yearly accomplishments display. It is important that students and others see all the good work happening in the classroom and the school.
3 Classroom Organization - My room is very organized. When students and visitors enter my room, they see and feel its tidiness. The organized feel of the classroom space helps students feel welcome in a space that provides the structure and easy navigation.
4 - Color - I use a calm coloring to provide a Zen feeling. The coloring makes student feel calm and welcome.
I do plan to make improvement next year to improve school climate. I am going to do a better job being in the hallway before school and after school to welcome and wish them a good night. I really feel that this goes a long way in creating a positive school climate. I also enjoyed the information about having a Student Appreciation Week. This is a great idea that I hope to start next year, even if it is just inside my classroom.
1. Signs of welcome: in my second grade classroom, I always had a fun and catchy welcome on the door with all of their names. I used to make it the hook for the theme of my classroom, so one year it was globes and airplanes for travel, one year it was lightbulbs, one year it was hot air balloons, etc… I used to stand at the door at the beginning of the day with a smile and a welcome to all the students as they came in. If I were to improve upon this, I would stand at the door more frequently to smile and welcome them in, instead of only at the beginning of the day.
ReplyDelete2. Basic organization: I have always kept a neat and organized room, but one that is also homey and inviting to the students. I thrive in neat and organized situations. There is not much I would do to improve in this area.
3. Displays of student work: I kept a rotating wall of student work in the hallway. I would usually change it out weekly. If I were to improve in this area, I would put more displays of student work inside the classroom. I like the idea that was discussed in the book about the best work being hung up in the room.
4. Color: I had a lot of color in my second grade classroom. I had a rainbow colored rug, lots of plants, colorful bulletin boards, globes, paper airplanes made out of maps, and fun posters. It was an inviting and cheery classroom. I would improve upon this by changing up some of the bulletin boards to make more room for student work.
1. Signs of welcome - As you walk into my classroom I have several pictures and signs that are welcoming of any one into a room. They are signs with quotes from famous people like coaches for example (I am a coach at my school!) These signs/pictures help my room feel welcoming!
ReplyDelete2. Classroom Organization - I will admit this is something that I struggle with each year. Although I do attempt to keep my room less cluttered, as the bball coach I keep all my uniforms and materials in my room sometimes making it feel cluttered. I am always looking for good ways to keep organized and I do a good job of keeping the room clean and tidy minus the extra basketball stuff i have.
3. Displays of Student Work - I don't have a lot of wall space for student work to be displayed, I am able to hang student work in the hallway outside of my room. I actually think this works as good because not only is their work displayed for the class but the rest of the school and teachers!
4. Color - My room is full of color! I have many pictures and boards around my room that are fun and colorful. Naturally my room as a history teacher has many patriotic things hung up. My biggest bulletin board is a background of an American flag with the display of why History matters!