While undertaking my duties as a teacher, teaching does not automatically result in effective learning among my pupils. Many teachers can be teaching in a class, but effective learning is low. Managing children to ensure there is a good teaching environment, has been the biggest challenge. As a teacher, I need to make the classroom a good learning environment to ensure that my pupils comprehend everything I teach. To manage the class for effective learning, I need to apply several strategies that create a good classroom environment. Children portray different characters while in and outside the classroom. Each will behave based on both the environment they come from (home) and the environment they are learning in (Classroom). A teacher requires some competence to ensure effective classroom management (Gilbert & LIgnugaris_Kraft, 1997).
My first strategy is to structure the classroom environment to suit learning. This will customize the children’s minds to be positive. When children are disrupted in class, the chances of understanding are reduced. Children have high learning capacity when they are still young, this should be capitalized by creating an environment with the least interruptions. I will customize the class environment to suit the age and the grade of the pupils. I will develop a classroom environment that gives the children a chance to be creative and experimental whatever they learn. The class will be an arena for communication, taking responsibility, teamwork, and exchanging options among the children and myself (Lave et al, 1988).
Children in second grade and those in fifth grade learn different content. I will, therefore, have a suitable arrangement for the class. The arrangement will be based on the subjects being taught. Teaching aids, images of minority groups, role models, and interesting scripts will be displayed on the classroom walls. The portraits and charts will be used easily when giving examples hence, creating a good learning environment. Pupils will be allowed to interact with culturally and socially diverse groups either by visits or exchanges. The classroom will also have a section to display pupils’ work. The pupils will access equipment, teaching aids, and materials that are used for learning in each lesson with ease. The storage area will be within the classroom. Walls will be decorated with bright colors, as young children like them (Smith, 1996)
The other strategy which I will apply is supervising pupils’ engagement in class. When children are engaged in class academic activities, they cannot engage in disruptive activities or tasks which are not in line with the current activity at the same time (Carnine, 1976). When children are engaged effectively, disruptive behaviors are relatively reduced and their minds are engaged with more academic activities (Jones, & Jones, 2007). To increase child engagement, I will use relevant materials in the subject being taught including teaching aids.
When I ask a question and a pupil gives me an answer, I will give him/her immediate feedback to comprehend. Sometimes children give the wrong answers; they should not be told directly that they are wrong. This might discourage the child who has already been engaged. I will find a kind way to tell the child that the answer is not right for that question and encourage him/her to try another answer which is right for the question. I will give the children also an opportunity to respond to questions or issues being discussed by the teacher (Kumar, 2010).
The final strategy I will apply its Implementing Rules and Regulations simply to ensure children remember and follow them. This can be done by generalizing rules to make them few. I will involve my pupils in making the rules and regulations. Pupils will be allowed to brainstorm on the rules for class (Davies, 2009). To make them contribute to the class rules, I will ask them to state/name the things which make them learn well in school. When a pupil mentions something negative, I will correct it and help them understand why it is negative. These rules should be the ones that allow them to make the right choices. A reward system will be used to encourage competition for the best-behaved student in each class.
The rules will be written using simple language to make it easy for children to understand. The terms used in the regulations will not be degrading, abusive, condemning, or judging. Instead, I will use terms and words which are guiding and encouraging. Rules and regulations should not have consequences as negative or threatening to the children. The rules and regulations will not interfere with their social life but rather encourage the learning and order in class. The regulations should include positive attributes (Smith, 1996). For example, instead of having a regulation that says “Do not break glass”, the regulation should say “Handle apparatus with care”. Social, ethical, and moral considerations will be reflected in the rules and regulations in the classroom to encourage students to respect each other, parents, and teachers (Davies, 2009).
Measures to mitigate the effects of pupils disobeying these rules and regulations will be there too. The pupils must be informed of the consequences of disobeying these rules and regulations. The rules and regulations will be universally acceptable to all pupils to be applied evenly (Smith, 1996).
References
Carnine, D. (1976). Effects of two teacher-presentation rates on off-task behavior answering correctly, and participation. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 9 (2), 239-253.
Davies, L. (2009). Elementary Classroom Rules and Management, Web.
Gilbert, G. H. & Lignugaris_Kraft, B. (1997) Classroom management and instruction competences for preparing elementary and special education teachers. Teaching and Teacher Education, 13, 567-610.
Jones V. & Jones L., (2007). Comprehensive classroom management: Creating communities of support and solving problems (8th ed.) Boston MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Kumar, S. (2010). Creating Conducive Classroom Climate. Web.
Lave, J., S. Smith, and M. Butler (1988). Problem Solving as an Everyday Practice, in Learning Mathematical Problem Solving. (Report No. IRL88-0006) Palo Alto, CA: Institute for Research on Learning,
Smith, A. (1996) Accelerated Learning in the Classroom, Network Educational Press Ltd.