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    Creating A Positive Learning Environment

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    Jaca
    The document discusses creating a positive learning environment in the classroom. It covers establishing expectations and rules for class discussions, the importance of the physical environment, and how an understanding of brain functions and the hidden curriculum can help create a positive space. The physical space should facilitate movement, display student work, and be well organized. Preparation is also key to demonstrating care for students. Understanding how the brain's regions work can inform strategies like praise, building esteem, and appealing to emotions. The hidden curriculum socializes students to society's norms through the school's organization and practices.

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    Creating A Positive Learning Environment

    Uploaded by

    Jaca
    83 views76 pages
    The document discusses creating a positive learning environment in the classroom. It covers establishing expectations and rules for class discussions, the importance of the physical environment, and how an understanding of brain functions and the hidden curriculum can help create a positive space. The physical space should facilitate movement, display student work, and be well organized. Preparation is also key to demonstrating care for students. Understanding how the brain's regions work can inform strategies like praise, building esteem, and appealing to emotions. The hidden curriculum socializes students to society's norms through the school's organization and practices.

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    pedagogy

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    Creating a Positive Learning Environment

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    The document discusses creating a positive learning environment in the classroom. It covers establishing expectations and rules for class discussions, the importance of the physical environment, and how an understanding of brain functions and the hidden curriculum can help create a positive space. The physical space should facilitate movement, display student work, and be well organized. Preparation is also key to demonstrating care for students. Understanding how the brain's regions work can inform strategies like praise, building esteem, and appealing to emotions. The hidden curriculum socializes students to society's norms through the school's organization and practices.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    83 views76 pages

    Creating A Positive Learning Environment

    Uploaded by

    Jaca
    The document discusses creating a positive learning environment in the classroom. It covers establishing expectations and rules for class discussions, the importance of the physical environment, and how an understanding of brain functions and the hidden curriculum can help create a positive space. The physical space should facilitate movement, display student work, and be well organized. Preparation is also key to demonstrating care for students. Understanding how the brain's regions work can inform strategies like praise, building esteem, and appealing to emotions. The hidden curriculum socializes students to society's norms through the school's organization and practices.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    of 76

    Creating a

    positive learning
    environment ……

    ….in the classroom


    Session Objectives
    To show how a basic understanding of the
    functions of the brain can help us to create
    a positive classroom environment

    To show how an understanding of the hidden


    curriculum can help us to create a positive
    classroom environment
    What is a Thunk?
    A Thunk is a beguiling
    simple-looking question
    about everyday things that
    stops you in your tracks and
    helps you start looking at
    the world in a whole new
    light

    Little Book of Thunks – Ian Gilbert


    ENTRY TASK
    Is all crime a bad thing?
    Can you have a
    friend you don't like?
    Some more thunks
    Which is more important, being right or being
    nice?
    Does a sound exist?
    Why can’t you tickle yourself?
    If you could take a pill that meant you would
    never fail, would you?
    Can you touch the wind?
    If I acquire your memory who am I then?
    Science - Genetics

    Why is diarrhoea hereditary?

    7
    POLLUTION
    One doesn’t swim in the Mediterranean Sea

    One merely goes through the motions

    8
    N

    Palindrome

    9
    A 4
    Metaphor
    10
    Antonym

    11
    Being open to different perspectives

    Man Man with


    bending helmet on
    over

    or
    Look at this picture sideways
    Man
    Face of a
    playing
    girl
    saxophone

    or
    Skull Woman
    at her
    vanity
    table

    or
    Young Old
    woman woman

    or
    Old Young
    man man

    or
    W
    2 4 6
    H
    1 3 5 7

    A
    T’ 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

    T 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

    H
    E 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

    T
    O 29 30 31 32 33 34
    35

    P
    I 36 37 38 39 40 41 42

    C
    ?
    18
    What do you want to know?

    19
    20
    Establishing a positive climate for class discussions
    Expectation/Rule Rationale. (Reason (s)
    Unless this is a ‘no hand up’ Some pupils need more ‘thinking time’
    than others. Thinking about an answer is
    lesson you should always put an important part of the learning process.
    your hands up if you want to If someone shouts out their answers it
    reduces the thinking and learning
    respond to a question. Do not opportunities of others in the class.
    shout out your answers.
    You should listen to, and be Listening to, and learning from, the
    contributions of your fellow pupils can
    respectful of, the responses help you to make progress in this subject.
    made by your fellow pupils.
    We need all need secure environment in
    order for us to be able to learn. If pupils
    feels that they will be made fun of if they
    answer a question, they will be reluctant
    to respond.
    Have a go at the activity
    Creating a positive learning environment
    Setting up expectations, rules, rewards and sanctions prior to
    specific activities – beware of the ambush!
    ‘When I enter the classroom first thing in the
    morning, I feel a sudden sense of security.
    Everywhere I look there is advice and
    information to help me through my work. The
    room also has a natural side to it with the
    plants in the corner and I like that feeling in a
    classroom. I prefer a classroom which makes
    a person feel good.’
    Pupil aged 14

    From Dixie, G 2005 ‘Getting on With Kids in Secondary


    Schools, Peter Francis Publications, Dereham
    ‘When I enter this room, I feel very welcome.
    There are many colourful posters and
    motivational quotes. It makes me feel
    comfortable and willing to work. If the
    teacher has put in a great deal of effort
    making this room welcoming, I feel I must put
    in a great deal of effort into the work he sets
    me.’
    Pupil aged 14

    From Dixie, G 2005 ‘Getting on With Kids in Secondary


    Schools, Peter Francis Publications, Dereham
    “This classroom makes me feel welcome
    and because a lot of effort and time have
    been put into it I will put effort and time
    into my work. It makes me motivated and
    gives the teacher respect as well as
    gives the room respect.”
    Pupil aged 14

    From Dixie, G 2005 ‘Getting on With Kids in Secondary Schools,


    Peter Francis Publications, Dereham
    Conversely

    Conversely
    Neo-Cortex

    Limbic System

    Reptilian Brain
    Using a knowledge of the Reptilian Brain to
    create a positive learning environment

    Praise five times more than you criticise


    – Display pupils’ work with positive
    comments
    Provide opportunities for pupils to explore
    and talk about their feelings and how to
    deal with them – Display emotive pictures
    80% of learning difficulties are stress-related – so
    reduce stress – use primary colours, plants,
    calming music
    The Physical Environment

    Page
    84/85

    19/06/2019 31
    The Physical Environment - some small scale
    research.

    •They weren’t aware where basic equipment was and how this
    interrupted the ‘flow’ of their learning and of my teaching
    •Time was lost setting up OHT and finding places to lay out
    other resources. Individuals felt they received less personal
    attention
    •There was also more teacher tension because of this
    •They felt they could ‘get away with more’ in this classroom
    because I was distracted from the teaching role. It was more
    like a ‘cover lesson’ They were a lot noisier
    •Conditions were cramped and not conducive to learning

    19/06/2019 32
    These quotes say it all!
    “We are familiar with our original room and I find that it
    is more spaced out and has a better “working
    atmosphere”. We also have our resources where we
    don’t have to spend time looking for or having to go
    and get resources”
    “ I think the behaviour and motivation of the pupils is
    different for the worse but I don’t know why. The
    behaviour doesn’t dramatically change but I notice a
    difference. I think that getting distracted is very easy but I
    don’t know why. I don’t think we get as much work done
    as in our normal teaching room because in our classroom
    the work environment is brighter and more spatial
    whereas in classroom X we are more cramped and we
    don’t know where anything is.
    19/06/2019 33
    What does your room say about
    you as a teacher?
    •Does it advertise your care or lack of
    attention?
    •Does it demonstrate to the pupils that
    you are not too bothered about the way
    they leave it?
    •Have you thought about the role of the
    “Hidden Curriculum” and the learning
    and socialisation process?
    19/06/2019 34
    The Physical Environment
    •Make sure the layout of the room facilitates as much ‘ease
    of movement’ for pupils as possible. Think about ‘flow
    lines’. Don’t sit awkward pupils near ‘flow lines’ e.g.: near
    resource store.
    •Have alternative seating plans for different activities.
    Display these on your notice board and appoint monitors to
    set the desks out accordingly.
    •Produce an effective display of pupils’ work
    •Keep the room tidy- chase up on situations where graffiti
    and vandalism have occurred – don’t let it go!…and
    finally……
    •Label equipment and resource drawers – peripatetic
    teachers get a “resources wagon”
    19/06/2019 35
    Preparation and Planning
    • Three most important ingredients for
    pedagogic success are “preparation,
    preparation, preparation”
    • Pupils can see in the ‘whites of your
    eyes’ whether you are prepared or not.
    • “Teacher ‘X’ is never fully prepared;
    they make it up as they go along. It’s
    not worth concentrating”
    Don’t just take my word for it -
    19/06/2019 36
    Using a knowledge of the Limbic System
    to create a positive learning environment

    Introduce the ‘feel good’ factor – positive


    emotions create endorphins. These make us feel
    better – Display jokes or humorous pictures
    Raise esteem – Celebrate pupils’ successes on a
    regular basis
    Create a corporate identity – Produce a pupil
    scrapbook, display photographs of class events
    Appeal to the emotions – Display stories that
    would appeal to pupils’ experiences and values
    Using a knowledge of the Neo-Cortex to create a
    positive learning environment

    The neo-cortex builds up maps and models of the


    world – novelty is vital – so change those displays

    Feedback is vital- Put constructive and formative


    comments on pupils’ display work

    Challenge pupils - Display brain


    teasers and quizzes, optical
    illusions etc
    Hidden Curriculum - What is it?
    The Hidden Curriculum is a set of values, attitudes,
    knowledge frames, which a to pupils. Although all
    schools have a formal curriculum comprising areas
    of academic knowledge which pupils are expected
    to acquire, it is the form of schooling, the messages
    transmitted as a result of its organisation and
    practices, which is more powerful than the content
    of subjects. It promotes social control and an
    acceptance of the school’s, and hence society’s
    authority structure.
    Functionalist explanations for the
    role of the hidden curriculum
    Functionalists stress the importance of the link
    between education and the economy.
    SOCIALISATION
    Functionalists would see the hidden curriculum as a
    means of transmitting socially agreed norms and
    values. Through these norms and values pupils learn to
    become good social citizens and societies achieve
    social cohesion and stability. Acceptance of particular
    ways of behaving is important for the operation of the
    economy, because many types of work can be boring.
    Schools encourage good “work habits” such as
    punctuality, honesty and accepting authority.
    LEARNING THE RULES
    Durkheim saw schools as microcosms of
    society

    “It is by respecting the school rules that the child learns to


    respect rules in general; that he develops the habit of self-
    control and restraint simply because he should control and
    restrain himself. It is his first initiation into the austerity of
    duty. Serious life has now begun”
    An alternative viewpoint
    In practical terms what things are we
    talking about?
    How the timetable and
    curriculum is organised

    School policies

    Teacher pupil
    relationships
    School rules

    Assemblies

    Extra Curricular
    activities
    Careers and Work
    Experience opportunities

    Book and non-book


    resources
    Quality of classroom and school
    displays
    How are the following qualities encouraged
    through classroom displays?
    Hard work and productivity
    Good attendance and punctuality
    A respect for authority
    A respect for others
    Appropriate behaviour
    Appropriate dress
    How do corridor and classroom displays
    help to impart the culture and ethos of
    the school?
    •Skills
    •Personal qualities
    •Attitudes towards work
    •Attitudes towards authority
    Attitudes towards work
    Work with Pride
    IT’S O.K. TO BE WRONG!


    X X
     

    X X X
      

    X X X X
    Mr Dixie is so good
    looking
    This is a ‘Can Do’
    classroom
    S C I C
    U O N
    C M A
    C E N
    E S S
    S
    S
    ‘He who asks a question is a fool for
    five minutes. But he who does not
    ask remains a fool forever.
    Traditional
    ‘Failure lies not in falling down
    but in not getting up’
    Traditional
    Encouraging skills
    Extending knowledge
    Celebrating pupils’ work
    That’s All
    Folks

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