School & Classroom Culture

School & Classroom Culture

1. Classroom

   • Physical Arrangements
     • Student desks
       • arranged in single rows - work independently without talking, traditional lecture situation In clusters - implicit message that students can and should work together - may suggest social interaction is acceptable U-Shape - suggests discourse will take place between all students and the teacher - students must engage actively in classroom discussion
     • Teacher's desk
       • In front - teacher in charge, likely that flow of info is from teacher to student In back or to side - suggests less of a hierarchy - info flow is also student to student Multiple stations - even though teacher is still clearly directing learning activities there is an attempt  to de-emphasize the hierarchical character of the relationship
   • Rules & Policies
     • Need to be clear - any lack of clarity can lead to unexpected and undesirable behavior Some decisions may be made for you by school and even those you decide should be in line with school culture
     • Who?
       • Who makes the rules?  Teacher imposed or formulated and agreed on by class? If students take part they may need to be guided so that rules are acceptable to community as a whole but the sense of 'ownership' may increase compliancy Could have teacher form core of rules and students add some additional
     • How many?
       • Many veteran teachers insist - Keep it simple - fewer rules, easier to remember More important than number is clarity Rules must be explicit and clear and consequences must be reasonable, understandable and consistently enforced
     • How
       • Make rules whose purpose and necessity are easy to explain - ask yourself "why do we need this rule in the classroom?" Establish clear consequences that are reasonable and capable of being implemented Decide on consequences before rule is broken - avoid overreaction
       • Phrase positively
         • tell students what they should or must do rather than shouldn't or mustn't
       • Post clearly
         • can be seen as a reminder of expectations (may need posted in another language for ELLs)
     • What?
       • Responding to & asking Qs
         • Hand-raising - imposes certain order, everyone can hear Builds social skills of being respectful and controlling impulses Can ensure fairness and equitable participation. teacher can also keep better tabs on who has been called upon
         • Drawbacks to hand-raising  Reduces spontaneity of thoughts Some students may be less inclined to participate if they feel they never get called on Some cultural backgrounds may not encourage for fear of being seen as too assertive Social skills - not natural to raise hands, some think that not raising hands is more effective at teaching turn-taking
       • Student Movement
         • Always requires permission - how will they request permission? silent hand signals different to having Q Only allowed at specific times - e.g. bathroom and drink breaks Free movement - may set limit on how many out of classroom at once Different procedures for in and out of c.room - may allow free in c.room but permission to leave
       • Work Flow
         • Strict policy - e.g. half a grade for each day late - reinforces accountability and discipline One potential danger - when will you allow for exceptions? How will you ensure it's fair? How much evidence will you need? More lenience may suggest quality work is more important than timeliness
     • Organizational tasks
       • Some teachers take them on themselves  Others may split between students to keep for a semester or year or rotate regularly Send different messages to students
   • Maintaining
     • Motivation
       • Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
         • PHYSIOLOGICAL (food, water, oxygen) SAFETY (money, nurturance) BELONGINGNESS & LOVE ESTEEM (e.g. respect) SELF-ACTUALIZATION (maximizing potential)
         • students need to have basic needs met before they can learn - teachers can't always do much about all of them but must do all we can - make students feel safe and accepted Students in different cultures may
       • Teacher qualities
         • Three attitudes or qualities that teachers should possess to help students learn REALNESS - teachers who are real allow students to see them as actual people who make mistakes ACCEPTANCE - accept students feelings, opinions and persons and does not demand they change for approval Empathy - ability to understand without judging e.g. "you must be feeling frustrated"
         • Should also show students that you... Notice, Respect and Appreciate them as individuals
         • Notice - ask specific Qs Respect - is usually mutual - treat students how you want to be treated Appreciate - but don't have to become their equal
     • Focus
       • Students have v. short attention span - some think as short as 8 minutes
       • Move around
         • If students can't move - you should - breaks up monotony
       • Eye contact
         • helps engage students and tells them you see them as 'individuals'
       • Use signals
         • cue students to appropriate behaviors
       • Wait
         • wait 10-30 seconds before calling on students  some need to think about Q also stops only asking students quick to raise hand
     • Keeping Control
       • Manipulate your voice
         • Tone, speed, volume, intonation
       • Use physical proximity
         • Keep distance during class discussions to incorporate everyone and encourage volume Close proximity can keep behavior in check
       • Plan seating
         • Plan considering students' attentional needs Can be helpful to change regularly to prevent distracting relationships
       • Appropriate & Specific verbal feedback

2. Behavior

   • Punishments & Rewards
     • Operant Conditioning
       • Use a punishment/reward system such as gaining and using points to reinforce and discourage certain behaviors
     • Classical Conditioning
       • Can create signals for students that can become automatic, e.g. to be quiet when you raise your hand or use signal words "1, 2, 3, eyes on me"
     • Social Learning Theory
   • Preventing Misbehavior
     • Model Desirable Behavior
       • Follow the rules you set Don't have to be a robot - can show -ve emotions but show +ve ways of dealing Criticize -ve situations not individuals involved "The level of noise in this classroom right now is unacceptable"
     • Be Consistent
       • Treat all students the same - why its important to carefully develop rules If rules are implemented inconsistently the message is that students are not all equal
     • Be Proactive
       • Withitness - be aware of everything in the classroom - respond to behavior immediately - not doing so says beh is acceptable or at least not something you are bothered about
   • Dealing with Misbehavior
     • Correcting Occasional
       • Be clear
       • Be clear, firm and calm
         • positive 'ripple effect' when misbehavior is dealt with effectively Don't say 'stop that' Say 'in this classroom we don't use this kind of language'
       • Focus on behavior
         • Focus on the behavior rather than the individual - don't attack character instead of "stop being mean" "Stop hitting Carlos and open your book"
       • Repeat and Clarify rules
         • Can't assume all students remember all rules - may take time and clarification When a student violates a rule remind or explain why the behavior violates the rule Some may have forgotten or some may be testing you
     • The 'tough ones'
       • Think like your opponent, anticipate their next move and respond
       • Identify cause
         • Identify potential stimuli that provoke a students undesirable behavior might mean isolating student in class or allowing to get up for a few minutes and leave when frustrated
       • Determine motivation
         • What is the student trying to achieve through his/her behavior 4 'mistaken goals' attention, power, revenge and helplessness/inadequacy Adult reactions - annoyance, threat, despair Teachers should recognize both and respond quickly before beh becomes more difficult to rectify e.g. rather than punish acting out for attention, commend desirable behavior
       • Look for "carrots & sticks"
         • Try carrots first - what would incentivize student, extra responsibility, computer time etc Students can be involved in deciding on their incentives  Plan ahead and communicate

3. School

   • Unique Behaviors
     • Some beh are unique to schools - lining up, moving en masse, asking permission to talk or go to the bathroom. these behaviors are grounded in a belief and value system commonly found in schools
   • Values
     • Compliance
       • Students taught that their own personal wants are subordinate to instructions of teachers and other adults  this value is expected to be fully internalized by middle elementary years and rewards and punishments are in place
     • Competitiveness
       • May be less noticeable in elementary grades but generally has a strong presence in middle and high school Students learn to compete for teacher's attention, for places in honor courses, for grades and in sports Although students are often told 'work together' the stronger value communicated to them is often competition
     • Order
       • Average ratio in schools is 21:1 so the potential for chaos is significant - order is highly valued
   • Reading a School's Culture
     • Important to effectiveness as a teacher to be able to read the culture of a school and interpret the message it sends 
     • Appearance
       • overall appearance can give an idea of how much the community values education - e.g well kept even if old/limited resources
     • Student expectations
       • are students expected to keep their classroom and other areas neat and clean or only responsible for academic tasks This tells you what the priorities are
     • School policies
       • e.g. suburban open campus vs. closed campus in urban area reflects potential dangers of surrounding areas and how much trust is placed on students
     • Classrooms
       • Desks in rows or together? Free movement between classrooms?
   • Schools 'educate'
     • What is learned and the way it is learned however can differ from school to school It is important to decipher a school culture so you can work in a school where your values match theirs Talk with teacher's and the principal at prospective schools