How will you create a healthy learning environment?
A healthy learning environment is the product of
careful planning by the teacher to create a safe, welcoming classroom
environment for all students, have effective procedures for routine processes
throughout the day, and interact with students with positivity, fairness, and
consistency.
I
believe a safe and welcoming classroom environment is vital for all students. I
also believe that it is their right. To create a physically welcoming
environment, classroom furniture should be sturdy, as well as age and size appropriate
(Allen & Cowdery, 2015). Materials, posters, and books displayed in the
classroom should represent the cultures, backgrounds, family structures and
abilities of the students in the classroom (Derman-Sparks, Edwards, &
Goins, 2020). When arranging furniture and materials in the classroom, I
believe it is important to consider the needs of all students in the class.
Aisles must be wide enough to allow for access by students of all means of
mobility. Student-used items should be placed where all students are able to
reach them. Multiple sets of the same materials should be grouped together to
encourage cooperative play. Through collaboration children learn not only
cognitive skills, but social and emotional skills as well. The classroom should
be accessible to all students. Classroom layout is also important. A TK
classroom should have centers carefully arranged so that the flow of traffic
(student movement) is smooth yet encourages students to interact with the
materials. High energy, loud, active centers such as the block area will not be
next to quiet, calm areas like the library. Through a carefully designed
classroom I will be implementing preventive discipline. By considering the
safety of the room, furniture, equipment, and materials accidents will be
prevented. Preparing centers and desks in a way that my aides and I can see all
students at all times is also a preventive strategy I will take. By using dual
focus, in which a teacher is always aware of the students and activities within
the classroom, I will be able to monitor behaviors, and should be able to
intervene or provide emotional and social support when needed. When setting up
materials, I will use labels and materials will be organized in containers to
foster student independence and self-efficacy when cleaning up (Allen &
Cowdery, 2015). These are just some of the ways I plan to create a safe and
welcoming physical environment.
Along
with a safe and welcoming physical environment, effective procedures and
routines are necessary to create a healthy learning environment. Through
consistent use of procedures, students become independent and confident.
Predictability through routines and a consistent schedule will help my students
feel safe, in control, and ready to participate (Wong & Wong, 2018).
Procedures will be developed for first thing in the morning when students
arrive-both how to enter and what to do after they enter the classroom. Other
procedures I teach will include movement around the classroom at centers,
circle/whole group times, small group times, snack and lunch times, quiet
reading time, independent work/play time, what to do when they need to go to
the bathroom, washing hands, what to do when they need help, when they want to
share something with the class, preparing to go outside, coming in from
outside, preparing to go home, and transitions (Allen & Cowdery, 2015).
While some of these routines may need to be taught in explicit, whole group
lessons, others will be taught in small groups or individually. They will not
all be taught at one time at circle time, but as each process occurs throughout
the day or week. With all procedures and routines, I will teach them, the
students and I will practice them, they will be reinforced through positive
acknowledgement, and reviewed as needed (Bateman & Cline, 2016).
The
third vital element of creating a healthy learning environment is the teacher.
An effective teacher must interact with students positively, with fairness, and
consistency. First, and foremost, teachers are models for their students. Keeping
this in mind, I will model behaviors and attitudes I hope students to adopt. One
important characteristic I will demonstrate for students and help them develop
is positivity. By helping students set small, achievable goals and recognizing,
not only their big achievements, but also their small successes, kind
behaviors, shows of responsibility, and friendship, I will help students
develop self-efficacy. Having high expectations for all students is a key
element in helping students develop resiliency, or the ability to cope with
adverse circumstances (Webb & Metha, 2017). Fairness and consistency help
create a healthy classroom environment and trust between the teacher and the
students. Trust is a key part of any healthy relationship. Some examples of
ways I can demonstrate positivity, fairness, and consistency include welcoming
every student and family into the classroom, consistently reinforcing classroom
rules equally with all students, consistently reminding students of procedures,
having all students follow through with set procedures, and using positive
descriptive acknowledgement throughout the day. Along with these
characteristics, Allen and Cowdery mention that teachers should also be
enthusiastic, flexible, have a sense of humor, and be patient (2015). I will
practice these characteristics diligently. Going into the classroom prepared
and focused on the students can go a long way in creating a healthy learning
environment.
Through the creation of a safe and welcoming classroom, procedures and routines, and the right mindset, I will create a healthy learning environment for my students.
How will you create and
maintain a supportive and safe learning environment?
A supportive and safe learning environment is important for all students. In the previous section, I addressed this goal. For a supportive environment, it is important to consider the needs of all students. California promotes the use of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, or PBIS, to maintain a supportive and safe learning environment. In the early childhood classroom, PBIS is better known as The Pyramid Model. Just like the PBIS, the Pyramid Model is a three-tiered system to address the social, emotional, and behavioral needs of all students. These three tiers provide a framework of promotion, prevention, and intervention (Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports [Center on PBIS], 2022).
In the classroom, a healthy learning environment is also supportive and safe. By maintaining a positive, consistent, and fair relationships with students and ensuring a safe and healthy learning environment as discussed, I will also be creating a supportive and safe environment. To sustain this supportive and safe learning environment, I will help students engage in positive relationships with peers; I will maintain connections with families; I will provide engaging experiences for children; and I will help them develop social and emotional skills. These are all part of tier 1 of the PBIS framework (Center on PBIS, 2022). The use of preventive discipline and using positive descriptive acknowledgement to reinforce desired behaviors is key to guiding behavior in the early childhood environment. With enough positive attention, most students will be successful. Allen and Cowdery also note that the first factor that should be considered when met with challenging behavior in the early childhood classroom is the learning environment. Preventive discipline can often address behavioral issues. Rearranging the classroom or materials may take care of the behavior (2015).
If problem behaviors continue to disrupt the learning environment, the next steps I will take follow tier 2 of the PBIS framework. They include teaching students specific self-regulation skills, identifying emotions, encouraging students to work together and providing structure or support to help the children learn how to interact, and facilitating problem-solving with the students (Center on PBIS, 2022). I can implement these steps using stories or videos that teach specific social and emotional skills, dialogue, role plays, or by other means in whole group, small group, pair, or individual settings.
After the basic interventions above have been implemented, if problem behaviors are not resolved, intensive intervention is needed. This is part of tier 3 of the Pyramid Model. I will first use the tool referred to as an ABC chart. I would work with my aides and mentor teachers to identify and clearly define the challenging behavior (B), the antecedent (A), and the consequences (C) of the behavior. The antecedent includes the learning environment and activities or situations prior to behavior. The consequences include anything that happened just after the behavior (Fink, 2022). Through the use of the ABC chart, hopefully, my team and I will be able to identify any environmental factors or behaviors of our own or other students that might be encouraging or contributing to the undesired behavior. Once identified, adjustments can be made to modify any contributing factors. If still unsuccessful in addressing the undesired behavior, I will consult with my principal or other specialists at the school. At this point, a functional behavior assessment may be necessary to develop a behavior intervention plan (Bateman & Cline, 2016).
The steps mentioned above to create a healthy, safe, and supportive learning environment will also contribute to the climate of learning in my classroom. To foster peer relationships and students promoting each other’s learning, I will encourage students to have a sense of ownership over the classroom environment and their own work. Together, students will create classroom rules. These rules will promote inclusion, kindness, and safety. I will encourage students to work together to problem solve-both academically and socially. We will practice problem-solving together in small and large groups. My classroom aides and I will positively reinforce acts of kindness and friendship through statements of acknowledgement. We will add character qualities to those statements. For example, “Sam shared the blocks with Beth. He is a kind.” A climate of learning for TK students will encourage students to recognize their own feelings and their own strengths. It will also incorporate a focus on getting along with and supporting each other. Together, these characteristics will result in a climate of caring, support, and acceptance in my classroom.
References
Allen, E. K., & Cowdery, G. E. (2015). The exceptional child: Inclusion in early childhood educatio
(8th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Bateman, J., & Cline, J. (2016). A teacher’s guide to special education. ASCD.
Center on
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. (2022). Early Childhood
PBIS. https://www.pbis.org/topics/early-childhood-pbis
Derman-Sparks, L., Edwards, J. O., & Goins, C.M. (2020). Anti-Bias education for young children and
ourselves (2nd ed.). The National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Fink, M. (2022, March). [Lecture notes on special education and disability]. Poway Adult School.
Webb. L.D., & Metha, A. (2017). Foundations of American education (8th ed.). Pearson.
Wong, H.K., & Wong, R.T. (2018). The first days of school: How to be an effective teacher (5th ed.).
Harry K. Wong Publications.
