Culture is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities and habits of the individuals in these groups. Does this not sound like a classroom society, an educational atmosphere?
Classroom culture involves creating an environment where students feel safe and free to be involved. It's a space where everyone should feel accepted and included in everything. Students should be comfortable with sharing how they feel, and teachers should be willing to take in every ounce of feedback, in order to, help improve learning. Educators need to be more listeners than speakers.
Here are a few ways I make sure my classroom community is student-led:
Set rules together – We have designed a positive, mindful classroom where students are free to be themselves, this does not mean there aren’t any ground rules and routines. Students should feel safe and respected, and a framework around that helps them do so. Mindful, positive speak is our norm. I encourage them to think for themselves, and I ask them what kind of rules there should be. These rules are based around our mindfulness strategies.
Transform problems into teachable moments – Too many times we see problems as a setback of some sort. Instead, we need to see them as teachable moments. As something to build upon. I take a positive spin and get students interested in taking the steps to solve it. We work as a class to talk things through, so we can make sure the classroom is a safe place for everyone. This not only strengthens problem-solving skills, but also communicative and collaborative skills that are so vital in the classroom.
Change the setup – The way the classroom is arranged will have a massive impact on the way students work. The more individual spaces the better. In my room that means standing desks. We also have lots of tables where students can get into groups. Flexible seating is just half the set up. I provide space for students to add their work to the wall and help decorate accordingly. I have a graffiti wall (chalk board) where students draw comics, add mindfulness quotes and have a space to express themselves.
Chat with each student individually – Find the time to have a casual chat with your students individually to see how they’re doing. I have 1- minute check-ins every week with every student. More if they are struggling with something in particular. I also use 1- minute check-ins as an opportunity to get some feedback from students about lessons and the classroom culture.
Give out “jobs” – Giving students responsibilities in the classroom not only makes them part of the day-to-day running of the classroom, but it generally helps boost self-esteem knowing they have been trusted with a specific task. This can be handing out papers, being the greeter at the door, or makerspace organizer. My students volunteer for these tasks, partly due to the candy after a few weeks, but I think it makes them feel good to have the responsibility for helping our classroom run smoothly.
Create a Clear Communication Line with Parents -A classroom culture can’t sustain itself without the involvement of parents. They should be included as much as possible via phone calls, emails, positive post cards and invitations to participate in field trips and family nights. Parents are true allies- but it is a relationship like any other and needs to be cultivated, nurtured and strengthened by communication and respect.
Integrate Social and Emotional Learning Programs- Mindfulness is my classroom SEL strategy. We have lessons every week, warm-ups and tickets-out-the-door daily. Students write on our positivity wall among many other things to keep our classroom positive, optimistic and happy. (see this post for more information Practical Rebellion: https://practicalrebellion.blogspot.com/2020/02/ten-easy-ways-to-create-mindful.html?spref=tw )
Ask different questions- It is interesting when we pause, respond not react and listen intently, the questions we can ask, get more meaningful and purposeful. When we are present and focused, we can see problem-areas and address them quickly. When we listen with purpose, we see things we might otherwise miss. Then we can ask the right questions to solve them. For instance:
- How can I help?
- What do you need from me?
- Is there a different sentence we could use to express our self?
- What exactly made you feel the way you do now? Can I make a difference for you in how you handle it?
If we ask them how we can help rather than how they feel, it puts them at ease and this in turn creates a community, of listeners and action takers. A classroom culture, like that of a society level culture is diverse, multi-cultural, and a vast community -with personalities and needs and opinions. It is fluid and expansive and it needs attention and the trust of its inhabitants to make it work.
A culture is only as strong as its citizens. Our classroom citizens have everything to do with the culture. We can’t make them be anything that they are not. We can only create a space where they can be themselves. We are just the cultivator- they are the energy that keeps it sustainable.
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