Promoting a Positive Learning Environment

Student Teacher Interaction EDUC 6202

Grace Gowers(a1663082)

Introduction

The promotion of a positive learning environment begins with the teacher. It is the job of the teacher to provide an environment that is most accommodating for the occurrence of quality learning for all students. It is important to maximize learning opportunities for students (Cowley, 2006), and to achieve this, teachers must aim to provide;

A safe and comfortable setting in which to teach and learn A trusting relationship with students An impression of a healthy role modelHowever willing and able a teacher may be, a teacher can only hope

to influence students’ behaviour, and cannot control any behaviour except that of their own (Levin & Nolan, 2004). Therefore strategies to prevent and deal with negative behaviour in the classroom need to be identified, implemented and maintained in order to promote and preserve a positive learning environment.Charles (2002) puts forward three groups of intervention in discipline within the classroom – interventions which prevent misbehaviour; support students who are wavering; and correct and redirect misbehaviour into positive behaviour. These three groups form the structure of this handbook.

Preventative Strategies

According to Charles (2002), most misbehaviour can be prevented if students are treated with sensitivity, and they are provided with an interesting curriculum and a helpful teaching style. “Relationship with one’s pupils is essential” (Matthews, 2009, p.103), and teachers can build rapport with their students by;

Treating them as individuals Using humour (Del Guercio, 2010)

Get to know their backgrounds and interests (as did Amy in clip “Praise and Preparation” where she gets students to fill out a sheet at the start of the year)

Be an active listener

Levin and Nolan (2004) assert that the development of a positive relationship between the teacher and the student is one of the most effect strategies for helping students who may be misbehaving. Brady and Scully (2005) believe student interest in learning is intimately linked with student need, with student perceptions of the likely consequences of their efforts in learning activities, and with the appropriateness and diversity of teacher strategies in actively engaging students in such activity.

The teacher can implement the following preventative strategies to promote a positive learning environment.

Establish class rules – this process can include the students, allowing them to take part in deciding appropriate and inappropriate behaviours and their consequences

Thorough lesson planning This includes Knowing your students, their ages and contexts, and plan

accordingly. Remember the stressful physical, emotional and social changes adolescents are experiencing (Little, 2003) and that “no single teaching strategy is effective all the time for all learners” (Killen, 2006). A classroom comprises a range of diverse students – consider different types of learners such as described by Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences in Figure 1 below.

Figure 1. Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Teachers should refer to this when planning their lessons – ensuring

all students’ intelligences and learning styles are included.

Setting realistically achievable goals and tasks for students of all abilities.

High level of organization – pre-prepared all materials including extension activities

Be enthusiastic – can be embedded into teaching. “Teachers are known to motivate students’ interest in the subject matter by communicating their own enthusiasm for the content” (Matthews, 2009, p. 107). Brady and Scully (2005) also contend that if the teacher is enthusiastic, students become enthusiastic. This can be seen in the clip “Love ‘Em or Loathe ‘Em” when Paul Elliot says earnestly to his class “I can’t wait to see what you’ve come up with”.

Start well – engage and focus student attention. John Bayley outlines a good example of how important engaging students at the commencement of a lesson in “The Need for Structure” clip, Michelle’s lesson structure too vague.

A clear lesson structure and clear instructions will allow students to understand what is required of them, and learning targets (or objectives) can also help students feel a sense of achievement (Cowley, 2006). Geography teacher John Fuentes shows the importance of clear instruction for activity in the clip “Too Much Talk”.

Plan transitions and pacing (Levin & Nolan, 2005) Make lessons relevant to students – students need to be able to

see that the things they are learning are relevant to them and significant to their understanding of the world. If it is relevant, students are much more likely to be interested. John Bayley points this out to Michelle Rock in the video clip ”The Need for Structure”, suggesting she make a starter to her lesson about football to engage the normally off-task boys from the back row. Brady and Scully (2005) highlight intrinsic value and the relevance of both content and method of delivery. Connections must be made explicit – students need to see that learning is goal-oriented and purposeful.

Engage and maintain student interest – use words such as competition or challenge will encourage active student participation. This can be seen in the video clip “A Lesson From the Best” with Phil Beadle getting his class involved in Argument Tennis.

Provide a variety of learning experiences that accommodate the interests and attention spans of all students (Levin & Nolan, 2003) – this can be done effectively using Bloom’s taxonomy, in Figure 2 below.

Figure 2. Updated version of Bloom’s Taxonomy.Teachers should take into account the diverse types of learners they have within their class, and design a range of learning activities

accordingly.

Provide feedback. Teachers have a significant role in fostering student motivation for achievement through the cues and feedback provided before, during and after learning tasks. Teachers should have the ability to convey expectations of student success and the need for effort in striving for success to help foster a sense of self-efficacy. Not only in order to sustain interest, but also for motivational implications. Thus, it appears a cycle between motivation, interest and student confidence about learning develops as pictured in Figure 3 below.

Figure 3. Cycle of Interest, Motivation and Student ConfidenceHook & Vass (2000) insist, “the more specific the feedback, the more motivating it is likely to be” (p. 74)

Increase student motivation – this can be done by implementing many of the preventative techniques already mentioned such as capturing student interest, highlighting relevance, actively involving students and praising their positive behaviour and efforts. Although so crucial, this element quite often builds with the success of other strategies.

In order for students to experience a positive learning environment, their basic needs must be met. Maslow’s Hierachy of Needs (Figure 4 below) theory states that basic needs must be met in order for a person to be concerned with higher order needs. Teachers should be aware of and aim to assist students in meeting their needs. Students’ need for belonging, for example, can be promoted by cooperative learning strategies and group work (Levin & Nolan, 2004).

Figure 4. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Sufficient grounding and the successful implementation of preventative strategies will minimize the necessity and subsequent use of further behavioural management techniques. If teachers aim to keep students involved and on-task, to monitor the class, give clear oral and visual instructions, and ensure students understand what is required of them, a positive learning environment will ensue. If teachers can sustain students’ interest, motivation and attention they are taking a big step in the right direction. However, despite best efforts students

will at times become restive, particularly at certain times such as during late afternoon classes on a Friday. According to Levin and Nolan (2004) an overwhelming majority of discipline problems can be either prevented or redirected to more positive behaviour, so if minor misbehaviours occur there are strategies to enlist to deal with these promptly and generally with success.

Supportive Strategies

Supportive strategies are implemented in response to everyday disruptions such as when students become restive or deviate from the tasks. The advantages of these strategies are – low confrontation, does not or only briefly interrupts flow and/or other students, and provides the opportunity for students to control his or her own behaviour (Levin & Nolan, 2005), as well as leaving a number of further interventions available for use if required.

Outlined below are some supportive strategies used to steer students back to a positive learning environment:

With-it-ness (Kounin). With-it-ness is having awareness of what is happening in the classroom at all times. A teacher possessing with-it-ness demonstrates this awareness to students, can deal with more than one issue at a time, correct misbehaviour before it escalates, ensure smooth activity transition, and maintain class focus.

Changing pace of classroom activities – be flexible and prepared to restructure lessons in order to engage students in activities involving active participation and refocus their interest. (Levin & Nolan, 2005)

Change the Zone of Proximal Development (Vygotsky). Defined as the distance between what children can do by themselves and what they can do with others (Krause, Bochner & Duchesne, 2003). Ideally, learning tasks should be pitched at a level that provides students with sufficient challenge (Brady & Scully, 2005).

Too challenging and students will become frustrated, but too easy a challenge will result in student satiation.

Scaffolding – provide sufficient support to students to enable a difficult task to be done successfully and independently by offering structured facilitating instructions or guidance.

Providing cues for expected behaviour. E.g. closing the door or clapping hands to signal time to settle and begin lesson.

Find something you like about every student, and show them you like them and you want to be there. Teachers who look for and are able to find some positive qualities in misbehaving students are more successful in helping those students make their behaviour positive (Levin & Nolan, 2005). Paul Elliot exercises this in the video clip “Love ‘Em or Loathe ‘Em” very

successfully. And his students like him in return.

Wait-time. A must in every classroom. Teacher must not address students until they are completely silent and giving their full

attention (Cowley, 2006). Jenny utilizes wait time in the clip “Manage that Class”, and also moves away from the teaching position until students are silent and ready to listen.

Removing seductive objects – Collect the object that is competing with the teacher, and inform student it will be returned after the lesson.

Non-punitive time out – Teacher quietly asks student if he/she would like to get a drink, or run errand such as delivering something to the office.

Interest Boosting – Teacher shows interest in students’ work, checking on their progress or understanding, to bring student back on task (Levin & Nolan, 2005).

Distraction or Diversion - Teacher notices a student behaving inappropriately and diverts student by asking a question or requesting them to undertake task e.g. distribute handouts or answer a question. Teacher should act as though the student was paying attention (Levin & Nolan, 2005), and if the student cannot answer, he/she is to call on a classmate to assist.

Self-regulating, inviting student to become more mature, recognizing their behaviour, its’ effect on others and its’ consequences.

Provide challenge to refocus Praise positive behaviour – a powerful encouraging tool & a core

teaching skill. The effectiveness of this supportive strategy in evident in the video clip “Praise & Preparation” with Amy from Queensland using praise both collectively and individually with her class. Praise routines and structure, they are good at and enjoy doing those.

Positive reinforcement is a way for teachers to recognise and strengthen positive behaviour in a number of forms – social, activity, token & tangible reinforcement (DECS, 1996), (See Appendix 1). The probability of behaviour reoccurring in increased when the consequences of behaviour reward (reinforce) the student.

Bandura Social Learning – An observer of another students’ rewarding experience derives a sense of reward for him/herself. This can be observed in Jane’s part time French class in the clip “Attention Seekers” where chatty girls start to use completing tasks to receive teacher attention. This is also evident in “Girl Talk” with Nicola Lamb rewarding girls in her class with attention when they’re on-task.

Ripple Effect – (Kounin). The Ripple Effect is similar to the above strategy. When the teacher provides a positive incentive or reinforcement to on-task students such as praise or even teacher attention, then on-task behaviour should ripple out, with other students modeling behaviour in order to seek positive outcome. In “Attention Seekers”, initially the Ripple Effect was working against Jane as she was reinforcing off-task behaviour by giving attention to off-task ‘attention-seekers’. The Ripple Effect is used to prevent contagion of undesired behaviour or used to promote the contagion of desired (on-task) behaviour.

Non-verbal interventions (Levin & Nolan, 2005).o Planned Ignoring – teacher purposefully ignores an

inappropriate behaviour (where appropriate) with the premise that if ignored, the behaviour will decrease and eventually disappear. It is best used best used to manage behaviours such as students calling out, and allows teacher and on-task students to stay on track.

o Signal interference – any type of non-verbal behaviour that communicates to student that their behaviour is inappropriate without distraction other students, and is best used to stop a certain behaviour before it occurs E.g. teacher holds hand up to stop student calling out.

o Proximity interference – teacher moves toward, or stands by, student if they are whispering to another student, for example, and may be enough to deter them from continuing inappropriate behaviour. Amy uses whisper Technique in the “Praise and Preparation” clip to encourage and also to ask a student to move to her correct seat.

The benefit of these non-verbal strategies is the less noise added to the classroom (Cowley, 2006).

Name Dropping. Using student names demonstrates the teacher is aware who is off-task, brings student to attention, and if used during instruction with a pause is effective in getting student back on-task.

Students’ need to learn to control their own behaviour, therefore initial behavioural interventions are more student centered – subtle, non-confrontational, private, giving the student opportunity to correct their own behaviour and learn self-regulation through this process. If misbehaviour is reoccurring, persistent, or supportive strategies have not been effective, more teacher-centered, corrective strategies may need to be utilised. It must be accepted that at times students will misbehave, and break the rules, however the most important element is responding to this negative behaviour in a way that not only changes the behaviour but also gets students’ back on task.

Corrective Strategies

The corrective strategies outlined below are implemented when there is a substantial disruption or violation of rules.

ABC model – Antecedents Behaviour Consequence. ABC model is a cognitive-behavioural approach where a student is warned of a consequence should a particular behaviour continue, with the intention of offering a choice for the student (Matthews, 2009), as their behaviour is contextual and assumed to be in response to their surroundings (DECS, 1996).

Move students’ seating arrangements to create a different group set up within the classroom to disengage some off-task behaviour. Alternatively, implementing either a set seating plan, or rotating seating plan so habitual misbehaviour may not occur.

Below are outlined a number of more teacher-centered interventions from the Hierachy of Management Strategies (Levin & Nolan, 2005) as seen in Figure 5 below.

Figure 5. Hierachy of Management Strategies

Questioning of Awareness of Effect – teacher will ask student, sometimes rhetorically, if they are aware of the effect of their behaviour on other people. E.g. “Sally, do you realise when you’re talking I cannot hear your classmates questions?”

Gordon’s “I messages” – comprises three parts which attempt to show a student their behaviour is having a negative effect on the teacher, and requests them to reflect on their behaviour.

1) A simple description of the disruptive 2) A description of its tangible effect on the teacher and/or other

students3) A description of the teacher’s feelings about the effects of the

misbehaviour Direct Appeal – teacher requests student to discontinue

inappropriate behaviour, firmly but politely. Positive Phrasing – teacher uses directive of “As soon as you do X

(appropriate behaviour), we can do Y (positive outcome), as opposed to stop doing the negative behaviour or it will result in a negative consequence.

Reminder of the rules – referring to set of well-established and consistent class rules.

Glasser’s Triplets – the use of three questions to direct student to appropriate behaviour. Requires established classroom rules, and effectiveness may depend on student response.

1) What are you doing?2) Is it against the rules?3) What should you be doing?

Canter’s Broken Record (Lee Canter, 1992, as cited in Levin & Nolan, 2005). – Teacher initially gives student redirection statement, if the student doesn’t respond or comply, the teacher repeats this statement and will not engage in verbal battle with student.

Following this, the application of logical consequences. According to DECS (1999) effective consequences are; logical, relate to the behaviour demonstrated and are appropriate to the level of irresponsible behaviour. Consequences should be as directly related to misbehaviour or offence as possible. For example, if a student litters in the classroom, they may be asked to pick up litter in the yard at recess as a consequence.Similarly Cowley (2006) suggests giving students ‘the choice’ – either complying with the teacher or accepting the consequences of refusing to do so. The strategy behind this is;

1. State the behaviour you require

2. Clarify positive outcomes of complying with this behaviour3. Clarify the negative outcomes (consequences) of not complying

with this behaviour4. Allow student time to consider his/her decision5. If student decides not to comply, apply advised consequencesThis ability to intervene will help teachers’ produce positive

classroom with minimal misbehaviour, where the teacher is open to teach and the students’ have maximum opportunities to learn. It is too early to tell if Cowley’s (2006) assertion that the more strategies teachers have at their disposal, the more confident they will feel, let’s hope she is right.

Conclusion

In a classroom setting, it is context and situational dependent which strategy is required and which is utilised – although prevention is better than cure (McInerney & McInerney, 2002). The process of deciding on behavioural management strategies in order to maintain a harmonious and positive learning environment encourages teachers to reflect on their own practices, past and future (Edwards, 2000), of healthy importance.

“We cannot actually force children to behave – we can only make it seem like the best of all possible options. Ideally we want our students to take responsibility for their own actions and for the consequences of

those actions. This is important in creating a positive and effective environment for learning”.

– Cowley (2006, p. 41)

Teachers are guides and can only do what they think is right and best for themselves and their students. Teachers play role in assisting children to learn to assume greater responsibility for themselves and to gain more control over their behaviour (Glasser, cited in Edwards, 2000). This is a success in itself, as another role of a teacher is to

prepare them for life after school, and help guide them in becoming fully participating citizens of society. The perpetual goal is to establish and preserve a positive learning environment which is conducive to learning and successfully guide students through the learning process, and this handbook provides a place to begin on the pursuit for positive learning environments for teacher and student alike.

References

Brady, L. & Scully, A. (2005). Engagement: Inclusive Classroom Management. Pearson Education Australia, French’s Forest, NSW.

Charles, C.M. (2002). Building Classroom Discipline (7th ed.). Pearson Publishing Inc., New Jersey.

Cowley, S. (2006). Getting the Buggers to Behave. Continuum International Publishing, London.

Del Guercio, R. (2010). http://www.njea.org/news-and-publications/njea-review/october-2010/classroom-management.

DECS School Discipline, Policy Implementation Kit (1996)Edwards, C. H. (2000). Classroom Discipline and Management. Chapter

2 Making decisions about disciplineHook, P. & Vass, A. (2000). Creating winning classrooms. London:

David Fulton Publishers.Google Images. Various sources.Killen, R. (2006). Effective Teaching Strategies: Lessons from research

and practice. Krause, K., Bochner, S. & Duchesne, S. (2003). Educational Psychology

for learning and teaching.Levin, J & Nolan, J. F. (2005). What every teacher should know about

classroom management. Pearson Education Inc.

Levin, J & Nolan, J.F. (2004). Principles of classroom management. A professional decision-making model. Chapter 9. Pearson.

Little, E. (2003). Kids behaving badly. Teacher strategies for Classroom Behaviour Problems. Chapter 9 – targeting specific groups. Pearson.

Matthews, Robert. (2009). The feeling function and educationMcInerney, D.M & McInerney, V. (2002). Educational Psychology:

constructing learning.& Various video clips accessed via http://www.schoolsworld.tv/node/

Appendices

Appendix 1. Table of Reinforcement Types

Social Reinforcem

ent

These are reinforcements which are socially mediated by teachers, parents, other adults, and peers which express approval and praise for appropriate behavior. Comments ("Good job," "I can tell you are working really hard," "You're nice"), written approval ("Super"), and expressions of approval (nodding your head, smiling, clapping, a pat on the back) are all very effective reinforcements.

Activity Reinforcem

ent

Activity reinforcements are very effective and positive for students. Allowing students to participate in preferred activities (such as games, computer time, etc.) is very powerful, especially if part of the reinforcement is being allowed to choose a classmate with whom to participate in the activity. This also provides social reinforcement from the partner.

Token Reinforcem

ent

Token reinforcement involves awarding points or tokens for appropriate behavior. These rewards have little value in themselves but can be exchanged for something of value.

Tangible Reinforcem

ent

This category includes edibles, toys, balloons, stickers, and awards. Edibles and toys should be used with caution. Parents may have reason to object to edibles as reinforcement (for example, if a student has a weight problem) and toys can make other students envious. Awards can be in the form of certificates, displaying work, and letters home to parents commending the students’ progress. These are powerfully motivating reinforcements.

Source: http://www.cehd.umn.edu/ceed/publications/tipsheets/preschoolbehavior/

posrein.pdf