CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT PLAN

Classroom Environment Plan Andrew Holly Grand Valley State University

CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT PLAN

As we have seen throughout the semester, there are many potentially effective classroom management programs to choose from when designing ones classroom (or school) environment. Some of these are clearly outmoded, vestiges of a past disciplinary paradigm that has since fallen out of favorthe Canters approach, for example. Many of the others have a great deal in common: There are marked similarities between the approaches advocated by William Glasser, Barbara Coloroso, and Curwin and Mendler. Given the array of theories presently circulating in the academic world, how is one to know which to choose? Rather than subscribing wholesale to any one of these theories, my classroom environment plan is culled from a select few of the programs we have surveyed in this course. I have learned throughout the semester that every disciplinary theory has its advantages and disadvantages, so by selectively implementing some parts of the programs, but not others, I can piece together what is (in my mind) a highly effective and human approach to discipline in the classroom. My classroom environment plan is designed as a sort of tiered program, in which the first days and weeks of the school year serve as the foundation for the rest of the year. Once this foundation is laid down during a rather intensive period, the behavioral expectations should be clear, and disciplinary action can be meted out justly and appropriately according to the rules. The rules will take the form of a social contract, reached through a process of deliberation and dialogue between the students and the teacher (Smith). In contradistinction to traditional classroom rules, social contracts ensure that students are given a voice in articulating both the behavioral expectations and consequences in a fluid, open document (Curwin & Mendler, 1988). Social contracts are perhaps most effective because there is a reasonable, transparent relationship between a behavior and its associated consequences. Consequences should not be illogical or unreasonable, because these sorts of punishments do not reinforce good behavior: Writing I

CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT PLAN will not throw paper 100 times only makes the student's hand sore, makes him or her hate

writing, is an illogical consequence, and teaches nothing (Smith, p. 2). The social contract helps the teacher intervene immediately and appropriately when misbehavior occurs in the classroom. During my time at Thornapple Kellogg, I have seen social contracts successfully implemented in handful of classrooms that were struggling with misbehavior. The students were regularly unruly and disrespectful, and the teachers firm reminders of classroom decorum proved to be impotent. After some deliberation, the teacher decided to write up a social contract by which the class would abide. The advantages of this approach were twofold: First, she spelled out the behavioral expectations and consequences on a real, physical document. Because the contract was written on a sheet of poster paper and posted on the wall, I think the social contract became more effective and powerful. Second, the students were involved in deciding which behaviors needed to be addressed and what the attendant consequences would be. By engaging the students in a dialogue about classroom behavior, the teacher effectively shifted the burden of discipline from her shoulders to those of the entire class, thus making the students stewards of their own actions. I saw firsthand how once the contract was in place, the class misbehavior quickly subsided. The ultimate goal of disciplinary action should be instruction, teaching a student how they should behave under given circumstancesa goal which is clearly met by implementing a social contract in the classroom. Although my classroom environment plan is founded upon a clearly articulated set of rules and consequences, I think a central component in any learning environment is a sense of humanity and community. All too often, teachers assume a role of distant authority, predicated on the erroneous notion that engaging in authentic, appropriate relationships with students detracts from their legitimacy as teachers. On the contrary, I think that meaningful relationships

CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT PLAN are a prerequisite for both genuine learning and effective management. This task requires a

certain amount of balance: On the one hand, the teacher must be perceived as the authority figure in the classroom; on the other, students should feel welcome and engaged, and a part of the classroom community. Students should feel like they matter and that their opinions are valued. Finding the middle ground between authority and interpersonality is not an easy task, and one that will depend on the school environment and that makeup of each individual class. However, creating a safe environment by way of a social contract is an important first step for constructing an authentic community of learners. I will some of the other steps in greater detail below. Up to this point, I have discussed extensively some of the more abstract facets of my classroom environment plan. In practice, though, the physical environment is just as important for effectively managing a class and promoting the students success. Certain features of my classroom will be fairly standard: those ubiquitous inspirational posters; informational charts; important announcements, dates, etc. These features will reflect what we are learning in class and, in the case of the informational charts (e.g., grammar posters), can serve as a learning aid for the students (Anderson, 2005). However, I also think it is important to celebrate student work in the classroom by decorating the walls with different assignments: Students share the imitations and stories that came out of them, sparked by a model. Its a time to laugh, to listen, to clap, to praise. Some will keep writing long after you ask them to stop, which is good as well. As students share, I ask them to write their imitations on sentence strips or half sheets of construction paper. Anything. Their creations just have to go up on the walls or in a class notebook. This real audience, this real celebration, gets kids writing and experimentingKids will do what we celebrate (Anderson, 2007 p. 32). This particular quote illustrates a type of celebration specific to the English classroom, but the idea is important in any classroom: By celebrating our students work, we (as teachers) show that

CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT PLAN

we are genuinely excited about their work, which in turn helps instill a sense of excitement about what we are teaching. In my English 9 classes at Thornapple Kellogg, we used a grammar lesson on serial commas as a way to put the students work on display. Taking a mentor sentence as an example, the students wrote their own sentences describing how a place of their choice smelled, using at least three nouns in the description. After each class, we posted these sentences on the wall as a celebration of their work, but also as a visual aid to help reinforce the lesson. By displaying different assignments around the room, I think the teacher can foster a sense of pride and ownership in the students, thus bringing them in to the community of learners. Finally, relating back to the idea of instilling a sense of humanity in the classroom, I think it can be very beneficial to display select personal artifacts around the room that give the students a glimpse of who their teacher is outside of the classroom. These may be pictures of family, hobbies, trips, or whatever the teacher can muster in order to give the students a more complete picture of the teachers personality. One final feature of my classroom environment plan is the online grading and communication offered by websites like Moodle, PowerSchool, and CourseSites. By allowing students (and parents) to access grades, comments, and any discipline problems at will, these online tools greatly increase the transparency of the educational system. Students are able to check their grades regularly and know when to seek help. Parents know how their kids are doing and are given access to grades beyond the traditional midterm and final report cards. Moreover, teachers are kept accountable. By making grades and comments more transparent, it increases everyones accountability throughout the school year.

CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT PLAN At Thornapple Kellogg, the teachers use the PowerSchool application, which allows parents and students to view grades, instructor comments, and any disciplinary actions taken

against a student. In my experience, this has been an effective way for parents and kids to stay up to date on their progress in school. Although not every (or even most) student or parent takes advantages of the online interface, it is nonetheless a valuable step towards increasing the frequency and quality of communication between the schools and people they serve. I recognize that not every district currently utilizes an online program such as PowerSchool. In such a case, I would utilize free services like CourseSites to provide the same features (and then some) to my students. In any environment, there are options available for utilizing these online tools. As this summary demonstrated, my approach to classroom management is multifaceted. The social contract, with its consensus-driven emphasis on behavioral expectations and consequences, acts as the basis for my environment plan. Students know what is expected of them, they believe these expectations are fair, and they are aware of the consequences of their violating the contract. But the success of a classroom environment hinges on more than just rules and consequences: an effective plan must also focus on the community of the classroom, the arrangement of the physical space, and the transparency of grading practices. I addressed each of these in turn, with a special emphasis on the importance of community and humanity in the classroom. Although I have distinguished each of these categories, the distinction is somewhat artificial: the contract, the community, the physical space, and the transparency are all mutually reinforcing aspects of a unified system of classroom management. I do not contend that this management plan is comprehensive, but I think that the ideas discussed in this paper provide an extensive, theoretically- and practically-validated approach to establishing an effective classroom environment.

CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT PLAN References Anderson, J. (2005). Mechanically Inclined. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers. Anderson, J. (2007). Everyday Editing. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.

Curwin, R.L., & Mendler, A.N. (1988). Discipline with dignity. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum. Smith, K. Social Contracts. Minneapolis, MN: The Institute on Community Integration, 1-3.