What Is Module 1 Online Classroom Environment

Module 1: Online: Classroom Environment

Grade: 4 Subject: Reading

Indicator 4: Teachers promote student engagement, independence and interdependence in learning by facilitating a positive learning community by: Fostering appropriate standards of behavior that support a productive learning environment for all students

Goal: I plan on improving all student’s behavior in class by making them responsible for setting and following the rules as well as setting and accepting the consequences for when those rules are broken. By setting the standard for acceptable behavior, students will be more productive in class. These rules will also be revisited and revised by students after they complete self evaluations on how well they followed the rules.

During the first week of school we spent a few days setting our own classroom rules. I took the rules from all of the classes and made a master list of rules. I read them to the students to make sure they all agreed that those rules were fair and agreeable. Once we settled on the list of rules I created a contract for my classroom which was signed by each student. Students do not consistently follow the rules at all times, especially in the larger classes. I am finding that a lot of instruction time is wasted on correcting the negative behaviors of students. Most of the time I instruct students to follow rules and then I wait for them to comply. When that doesn’t work I find myself having to repeat my instruction and raise my voice to compete with the volume of the class. I am also realizing that I am not strict enough with the consequences set at the beginning of the year, resulting in more student non

I let them take charge and set the rules without first making it clear that it is my classroom and they have to respect that for the class to work. My focus was so aimed at making the students comfortable in my room, I lost sight on making them understand my number one goal is to educate them. Based on the recommendation of my mentor and new information I got from Discipline with Dignity, one part that immediately stood out with me and aligned perfectly with my mentor’s guidance. “The “me generation” … has grown into a world where many expect entitlement without effort. The continued erosion of social activity, often poorly modeled by our political, civic, and entertainment leaders, has legitimized name-calling, blame, and meanness as acceptable methods by which to express disagreement. These troublesome activities are often experienced in the home by our most difficult students. Our observations and experiences tell us that somewhere between 70 and 90 percent of discipline problems have their root causes in places outside the school- the aforementioned issues as well as others, including dysfunctional families and drug and alcohol abuse.” (Curwin, Mendler, and Mendler, 2008). After reading that and taking a close look at my students, I found it to be spot on. In an urban school like NBHS there are many issues with families, drugs, alcohol, and almost