Classroom Environment

All learning is a process of gaining new information, fitting this new information into a working model of existing knowledge and then moving forward to gain even more knowledge. I think this process of learning through discovery is even more pronounced when students are learning in the science fields. In fact, the scientific model followed by most scientists everywhere includes sections for asking questions, evaluating the possible answers and reforming the questions to continue the iterative process until an acceptable final answer is achieved. Creating a classroom atmosphere where students do not feel comfortable asking questions robs them of this necessary experience.

 

Developing a classroom environment where all students feel comfortable and safe enough to both ask and answer questions requires deliberate action on the part of the teacher. Doug Lemov is his book, Teach Like A Champion, offers various techniques to engage students to participate in class while maintaining an encouraging atmosphere such as Cold Call, Call and Response, Pepper and Everybody Writes. These strategies sometimes require a student to answer a question for which he or she did not volunteer but it keeps the pressure low stakes so as to encourage participation and effort as opposed to a climate of possible shame and punishment. This environment is created because the climate of being called on, answering questions correctly and answering questions incorrectly has been established to be the norm. I feel it is the responsibility of the teacher to establish this open and safe atmosphere at the beginning of the school year by having a zero tolerance for any behavior that causes another student to feel ashamed or belittled. Creating the correct classroom environment off the bat ensures the possibility of success of these techniques.

 

As the teacher it is my responsibility to maintain a classroom that is full of energy and positive instruction with high expectations in a safe and encouraging atmosphere where all students feel comfortable enough to ask questions and make mistakes and have the space to learn and grow from those mistakes without fear of feeling shamed or embarrassed. For it is only in these environments where students can truly learn. This is reiterated by Duckworth in, “The Virtues of Not Knowing” where she stresses to the class that having wonderful ideas is more important than being wrong.”