Ali Boyd

TEGR 530
12/7/14
Classroom Culture
Vision Statement:
My vision as an educator is to combat ignorance and foster an
environment that encourages student empathy and empowerment. I
want to encourage my class to explore new ideas and practice higher
order thinking because learning these skills will have a profound
impact on their ability to become a successful problem solvers. In
attempting to reach those goals in an English class, if I can help my
students develop an appreciation for literature as humanitys voice
through the ages, all the better.
Plan:
With high school students, one of the best ways to promote a
productive classroom environment is to ensure that the students buy
into the classroom rules. I propose to do this by allowing students to
have a hand in verbalizing classroom expectations. This could be done
with a survey at the beginning of the year and a group discussion. I
would have the students push their desks aside and sit in a circle on
the floor to create a less formal atmosphere. I would have them go
around the circle and mention one thing they liked in previous English
classes and one thing they disliked. I would note the ideas that seemed
to be reoccurring and after each member of the class had spoken I
would go over points that seemed to be important. Discussion would
be based around ways students can demonstrate respect for each
other, both in class and online, and what they believe their
responsibilities should be as learners. In return, I will lay out a few rules
about what they can expect from their instructor. After the discussion, I
would draw up a contract and have students sign it. I would either
post it in the classroom and on the class website. For this example, I
have created a Prezi, which could be reached via the url below from
the class webpage. The Prezi is designed to look like a social media
page because this would be familiar to students and because it implies
another type of community that these classroom rules would extend
to. By signing the contract, students agree to follow the rules outlined,
including submitting to discipline. I hope that students develop a
stronger sense of self-efficacy by submitting to classroom rules that
they agreed on through guided discussion.

Rules and Procedures:

Classroom Contract
*Since this plan puts the onus on students to come up with a set of
classroom rules, the following are ideas I hope they would generate
under each of the major topics of discussion.
Ways to

demonstrate that we respect each other:

Focus on positive interactions, even during disagreements
Attentive body language in class
Academic disagreements are expected, but make sure to
consider the other persons point of view, either online or in
person
Dont interrupt (you dont have to raise your hand but do have
to wait your turn)
Keep and open mind since you never know where someone
else is coming from
Ask questions
Treat classmates and teacher like you would like them to treat
you
If you like someone elses idea, let them know, either online or
in person

Responsibilities as Learners:
Listen when someone else is speaking and consider what they
say
Stay on task/on topic, focus on all the outside of class worries
after class
Help each other build understanding
Keep an open mind (so important it ought to be said twice)
Make an effort, even if you dont feel your best
Be okay with wrong answers
Push yourself
Responsibilities of the Teacher:
*This portion I would draw up myself based on the content of student
discussion
Check for understanding
Be flexible if students need to spend more time on a topic

Listen to student concerns

Keep an open mind (of course)
Clearly communicate expectations of students
Where possible, allow students choices for assessment
Acknowledge student suggestions of new ways to show their
learning

Visual aid
http://prezi.com/pkwth3s8uxmm/present/?
auth_key=pbwbkmn&follow=yuimilc7anea&kw=presentpkwth3s8uxmm&rc=ref-113664634
Rationale and Reflection on Discipline
According to my management strategy, it would be the students
who verbalize the procedures they believe create a productive
environment. This strategy encourages some creativity, which would
allow each class to develop a unique personality. The first two
categories in the list above are the types of procedures that I would
hope an engaged and motivated class would identify. There are many
different ways to learn, but not much variation on what makes up a
respectful environment and I hope the classroom contracts I develop
would include the same major themes. I would try to guide the class to
examine specific ideas that would improve their learning. However, I
would have to retain the right to veto suggestions that would obviously
hinder learning (we should be allowed to wear headphones all
period).
When presenting students with the challenge of defining their
own rules and expectations, I am certainly taking a risk. Students
might refuse to participate in the exercise or they might not seriously
consider what is necessary for them to learn best. If this happened, I
would have to come up with a set of rules on my own, which students
would be less engaged in and therefore less willing to follow. An
alternate challenge lies in the positive focus of the rules. They suggest
what students should be doing, but do not set boundaries such as
cannnot chew gum in class or dont get up and do pirouettes during
the lesson. I like the idea of coming at discipline from a positive,
collaborative place but recognize that I will probably need to spend
time outlining specific expectations. By the second half of their term in
high school I expect that students understand what is appropriate
classroom behavior. However, I am sure there are times when I will
need define for students that staying on task means using their work
time appropriately or that positive body language is not considered

sleeping while sitting up straight. I would also have to follow through

on discipline, when it is necessary, so students do not mistake a
cooperative environment for one where they are not held to the same
standards as classes with a more rigid set of rules.
Some elements of classroom culture certainly must be
determined by the instructor, specifically how to deal with students
who are disrupting the learning community. I would determine
discipline on a case by case basis but try to use the rules the class
developed to inform my reactions. If I judged a student was being
minorly disruptive, I would use planned ignoring or a nonverbal signal
to cue the cessation of a behavior. If this did not work, I would address
it with the student directly. I would try to do so in the most
authoritarian way possible, reminding them of the classroom contract
and why it is necessary for them to pay closer attention. If this is not
successful I might remove the student from the class, but only as a last
resort. If an entire class is being disruptive, I would use a different
strategy, first call for silence, so they understood my expectations and
then wait them out. Time that was lost would be taken out of
independent or group work time.
Influencing Ideas
Encouraging students to have a hand in developing classroom
expectations assumes that the class is engaged, motivated and fairly
mature, but given those factors, it seems like a very worthwhile
exercise. It allows students to reflect on the ways they learn and is
highly authoritarian. Since the expectations are formulated as a group,
students would certainly understand the rational behind each
objective. My aim with this exercise would be to create a sense of
community, because I believe that the best learning occurs when one
feels comfortable with their classmates and instructor. Outlining a
shared list of expectations would help the students to feel like a unit. I
hope this would provide students with a stronger sense of self-efficacy
because they helped create the conditions of their learning.
Christensen talks about the impressive progress that can be made
when learners relate to their material and to each other. I loved the
way she encouraged students to connect literature to their lives and
use it as a platform for deeper thinking. I aim to promote an
environment of connecting and sharing, where students are
comfortable with taking intellectual chances and motivated enough to
challenge themselves.