The most important aspect of an effective classroom climate is the communication amongst students and parents. Here is how I would ensure there was effective communication inside and outside of the classroom.
Teacher-Parent Communication
Weekly communication with parents about what skills and content the students will be focusing on will enhance parent involvement in their child's learning. In my student teaching classroom my mentor and I communicated to our students' families primarily by using Seesaw, an online communication platform, and in person during dismissal.
On Seesaw we would share a Classroom News including important dates that parents should keep in mind.
Teacher-Student Communication
Daily communication with students about content and skills they are learning is effective because they are receiving in- time feedback to improve their work. Teacher-Student Communication in our classroom is done verbally and silently. A way we check for understanding is by asking the students to show us one of these four symbols to give us in-time feedback to help guide and improve instruction. The symbols below allowed the teacher to see if the students were able to follow along with the lesson. The students who were able to understand the skill or agreed with what we were trying to teach them put two thumbs up and shook them. The students who did not quite understand the skill or disagreed with a certain topic shook their hands palm and fingers out. If the students had something to add onto a topic we are discussing they were to show us their hands in fists one on top of the other. Lastly, if the students needed clarity on a topic or specific skill they were to show us two fingers crossed and either my mentor teacher or myself worked with that student.
Teacher-Parent Communication
Weekly communication with parents about what skills and content the students will be focusing on will enhance parent involvement in their child's learning. In my student teaching classroom my mentor and I communicated to our students' families primarily by using Seesaw, an online communication platform, and in person during dismissal.
On Seesaw we would share a Classroom News including important dates that parents should keep in mind.
Teacher-Student Communication
Daily communication with students about content and skills they are learning is effective because they are receiving in- time feedback to improve their work. Teacher-Student Communication in our classroom is done verbally and silently. A way we check for understanding is by asking the students to show us one of these four symbols to give us in-time feedback to help guide and improve instruction. The symbols below allowed the teacher to see if the students were able to follow along with the lesson. The students who were able to understand the skill or agreed with what we were trying to teach them put two thumbs up and shook them. The students who did not quite understand the skill or disagreed with a certain topic shook their hands palm and fingers out. If the students had something to add onto a topic we are discussing they were to show us their hands in fists one on top of the other. Lastly, if the students needed clarity on a topic or specific skill they were to show us two fingers crossed and either my mentor teacher or myself worked with that student.
Classroom Community
As a teacher it is my job to build a positive classroom community where all my students feel safe and valued. In order to build a safe and positive classroom environment the rules must be clear and modeled for all students.Relationship building is extremely important to focus on when creating a positive classroom environment. As a teacher it is my job to get to know my students and for my students to get to know me as well. I want my students to see me as someone they can trust and feel comfortable around as they spend most of their day in school. As a teacher it is my job to be there for my students and look out for their best interest when planning lessons.
Transformations
Along with creating a positive classroom community teaching meaningful lessons that engage students is the main role of a teacher. Creating a classroom where students are excited to come to everyday is my main goal. One way I have fulfilled this goal is through classroom transformations. Classroom transformations are decorating the classroom to fit a specific theme to drive a lesson. For example, my mentor and I recently had a classroom transformation Harry Potter themed to engage my students in the skill of describing the main character(s) internal and external traits which aligns with the Language Arts TEK 2.8.B.
Classroom transformations are beneficial because they can be utilized in more that one subject area. For example, my mentor and I use the Harry Potter transformation in ELAR and Math. For math we had to the students solve mathematical problems for the TEK 2.4.C. The students put their magical wizard powers to the test to solve one-step and multistep word problems using addition and subtraction within 1,000.
As a teacher it is my job to build a positive classroom community where all my students feel safe and valued. In order to build a safe and positive classroom environment the rules must be clear and modeled for all students.Relationship building is extremely important to focus on when creating a positive classroom environment. As a teacher it is my job to get to know my students and for my students to get to know me as well. I want my students to see me as someone they can trust and feel comfortable around as they spend most of their day in school. As a teacher it is my job to be there for my students and look out for their best interest when planning lessons.
Transformations
Along with creating a positive classroom community teaching meaningful lessons that engage students is the main role of a teacher. Creating a classroom where students are excited to come to everyday is my main goal. One way I have fulfilled this goal is through classroom transformations. Classroom transformations are decorating the classroom to fit a specific theme to drive a lesson. For example, my mentor and I recently had a classroom transformation Harry Potter themed to engage my students in the skill of describing the main character(s) internal and external traits which aligns with the Language Arts TEK 2.8.B.
Classroom transformations are beneficial because they can be utilized in more that one subject area. For example, my mentor and I use the Harry Potter transformation in ELAR and Math. For math we had to the students solve mathematical problems for the TEK 2.4.C. The students put their magical wizard powers to the test to solve one-step and multistep word problems using addition and subtraction within 1,000.