Learning and Teaching Environment

Introduction:

Teaching and learning that involves exploration of the socio-ecological perspective and involvement in health promotion activities requires a safe, supportive environment. Sensitive and challenging issues may emerge, and students will need to know that they can trust their fellow students and their teachers to support them if they are to engage fully in these learning experiences. Teachers need to be aware of, and to value, the significant role that they can play in their students' learning.

Learning environment

It refers to the diverse physical locations, contexts, and cultures in which students learn. The instructional environment is the setting for all teaching. She plans her instruction to make sure her students are able to comprehend by using different teaching practices, such as lecture, hands-on activities, cooperative learning groups and plenty of small group and individual practice.

The Learning and Teaching Environment is an Advanced Learning Environment refers to a category of educational software in which the learner is `put' into a problem solving situation.

Learning Environment.

I believe the most important aspect in a safe and positive learning environment is the rapport between a teacher and his or her students. When the students understand that their teacher cares about them and wants them to do well, students feel comfortable asking questions and making mistakes.

10 Characteristics Of A Highly Effective Learning Environment

1. The students ask the questions—good questions

2. Questions are valued over answers

3. Ideas come from a divergent sources

4. A variety of learning models are used

5. Classroom learning “empties” into a connected community

6. Learning is personalized by a variety of criteria

7. Assessment is persistent, authentic, transparent, and never punitive

8. Criteria for success is balanced and transparent.

9. Learning habits are constantly modeled

10. There are constant opportunities for practice.

In describing how to be a "turnaround teacher" or mentor, there are three crucial protective factors that teachers provide:

1. They are a point of connection for the young person.
2. They build competence in young people.
3. They encourage young people to contribute.

The features present in the classroom of a "turnaround" teacher:

Asking questions that encourage self-reflection, critical thinking, and dialogue (especially around salient social and personal issues); making learning more experimental ... ; helping others through community service, peer helping, and cooperative learning; involving students in curriculum planning and giving them choices in their learning experiences; using participatory evaluation strategies; and involving students in creating the governing rules of the classroom.

Components of an effective learning environment

Developing a total learning environment for students in a particular course or program is probably the most creative part of teaching. While there is a tendency to focus on either physical institutional learning environments (such as classrooms, lecture theatres and labs), or on the technologies used to to create online personal learning environments (PLEs), learning environments are broader than just these physical components. They will also include:

• the characteristics of the learners;
• the goals for teaching and learning;
• the activities that will best support learning;
• the assessment strategies that will best measure and drive learning
• the culture that infuses the learning environment.

The benefits of a positive classroom environment

Creating a positive learning environment in your classroom will allow your students to feel comfortable, safe and engaged – something that all students deserve. In a classroom where values and roles remain constant and focus is placed on the positive aspects of learning, students will be more open to actively participating in class.

If they are given the opportunity to become responsible for their own learning, students will be more likely to benefit from the lesson, and thus more likely to be self-motivated. This should be a primary goal for all teachers, since lack of motivation is often the root of disciplinary issues.

• an ideal school environment tires to be nimble and adjust as the needs of students shift.
• an ideal school environment works hard to make the curriculum relevant to the lives of students
• an ideal school environment works hard to develop authentic measures for assessing student learning.
• an ideal school environment recognizes that student success is a complex idea and measuring it must be accomplished with many tools.
• an ideal school environment is led by people who value others, their voice and need for choice.

What is a positive classroom environment?

A number of factors contribute to a positive learning environment for your students. Three of the most important ones are:

Core Ideals

Each teacher will have different standards and values in the classroom, but the only universally important element is that these remain consistent so that students know what to expect and what is expected of them.

It is important that your students know that theirs is an inclusive, respectful, community-oriented environment. To build community and an inclusive atmosphere in the classroom, one idea is to involve students in taking attendance, using photos of each student as a supplement to the boring old ‘HERE’ style of attendance-taking

It is also important to remember that, more than anything else, students will emulate your actions in the classroom. Therefore, it is very important to work well within your community – with your partner teachers as well as other members of the staff.

Ambience

This is an extremely important – and fun – part of creating a positive learning environment. Your classroom should be a dynamic and engaging place to be for your students. What would you think if you walked into an elementary classroom with nothing on the walls? Weird….

So have fun, but keep your décor related to both your particular students and to the topic being taught. In an ESL classroom, keeping it related to the subject matter is pretty easy, since almost anything in English counts, but keeping it related to your students requires that you know a bit about them.

If you are afforded your own classroom, this is much easier than if you have to go from class to class – although it’s still possible. In your own classroom, reserve a portion of the wall for each class that you teach. This allows them to feel that they belong in the classroom. You can also use the walls to re-enforce your core ideals, such as community, by posting photos of students, group photos and student work.

If you have to move from room to room, have a portable poster for each group you teach, and this will establish a similar sense of belonging. Keep their past projects so that they know that their work is valued.

Another aspect of ambience in the classroom is how it is physically set up. Again, this should reflect your core ideals. Desks arranged in rows does not allow for a very communal atmosphere, so you may want to come in just before your class and rearrange the desks in a circle, groups or pairs. Don’t forget to move them back when you’re finished in the room!

Expectations

If you establish your expectations for student behaviour early and keep them consistent, you may be able to avoid many classroom management issues.

Laying down the ground rules early in your relationship with a class is quintessential to your success as a teacher. Involve your students in this to be sure that they are aware of the rules and the consequences. This is another great way to add to the ambience of your classroom – post the ground rules and always lean towards positive, rather than negative, re-enforcement of them. Posting something on the wall when a student doesn’t follow the rules will likely affect the entire class in a negative way, but posting something for each student that did adhere to the rules will do the opposite.

Relativity

The role of the teacher goes both ways – you are responsible for imparting knowledge to your students, but you will be a more successful teacher if you also allow yourself to learn from them as well. This is particularly true when you are teaching ESL in a foreign country. Your students can teach you multitudes about their culture.

Learning about your students will allow you to keep the material and classroom activities relative to their interests. I taught in South Korea during the World Cup, so an easy – and usually accurate – default for me was soccer. Teaching a difficult concept with a topic that your students are interested in will result in a higher rate of retention.

The Wrap Up

Putting together a classroom with the above ideas in mind will create an environment where your students will thrive. They will feel involved and responsible for their own learning as well as being comfortable enough to actively participate in individual and group activities. Your positive re-enforcement will allow them to build self-esteem and be more successful students, which of course, makes you a successful teacher!

Time to use these skills:

Now that you know about how to create a positive learning environment, why don't you go out an explore the teaching jobs that we have?  You could put these skills to use in a classroom in the country of your dreams.

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