Productive Relationships, Effective Climates, and Classroom Communities

Chapter 13 provides a multitude of characteristics and ideas associated with creating productive learning environments; those which resonated the most for me were the relationships between teachers, students, and their role in creating effective classroom climates.

The concept of the "need for relatedness" applies not only to the teacher-student relationship, but also corresponding teacher-student-parent relationships. However, the main points to follow are tailored specifically for teacher-student interaction.

The textbook suggests that teachers:
-Regularly communicate caring and respect for students as people.
-Remember that caring and respect involve much more than simply showing.
-Work hard to improve relationships that have gotten off to bad starts.

These go hand-in-hand with concepts for climate which pose that teachers:
-Establish a goal-oriented, businesslike, yet nonthreatening atmosphere.
-Communicate and demonstrate that school tasks and academic subject matter have value.
-Give students some control over classroom activities.
-Promote a general sense of community and belongingness.

Communicating that you care for and respect students involves that students recognize that you take your job teaching seriously, that you are prepared, that you allow some student autonomy in classroom participation and activities. It is really important to me that students are empowered through their learning and feel supported and significant. I want them to develop a voice and to create an atmosphere where they feel comfortable sharing it.

"Collaborative Classroom Journals"
Encourage sharing ideas and voices in the classroom. Each journal has a specific topic, and every week the journals rotate amongst the students. As the entries begin to compile, students can read each others work and discuss with each other or just consider similarities or differences on their own. Overall, it is good for developing writing skills, encouraging creative thinking, and providing a medium of communication between students.

Journals like the ones mentioned can help create the sense of belonging, and help students reach goals in an organized, yet nonthreatening way. In terms of simple reminders of the significance of the various subjects and why they should matter to students, I think that the use inspirational posters in classrooms is effective. I used to think that most of the ones in my childhood classrooms were "cheesy", but now that I have begun considering which might be appropriate for the classroom I envision having, I am finding posters that I believe will provoke thought and motivation. I also think they will enhance the classroom's senses of  "interconnectedness", curiosity, and open-mindedness; all of which are essential aspects to the atmosphere I want in my room.