EDUC 5240: Creating Positive Classroom Environment PA 8

Reflect upon the topics we have covered throughout this course. In 1-1.5 pages, respond to the following:

Analyze the topic and/or reading that affected you most during this course. Explain why and how it affected your thoughts oneducation and teaching? How will it impact your teaching in the future?

For assistance in reflective writing view:

Writing reflectively- Reflective writing at university.

(n.d.). The University ofMelbourne.

https://services.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/675776/Writing_Reflectively_051112.pdf

Creating a positive environment in the classroom is a time-consuming and multifaceted process that requires teacher self-discipline and special skills. (Edutopia,2019) My Achilles' heel has turned out to be dealing with student misbehaviour. I always feel completely helpless when I am faced with such situations, then I pull myself together and brainstorm for a solution. However, in this course, in Unit 5, I was lucky enough to find the basics I needed to work on preventing misbehaviour and I now feel more confident.

My instructor's advice on creating a plan to prevent student misbehaviour helped me a lot. As I myself still need the guidance of a more experienced tutor, I was helped to identify the points of the plan by Michael Linsin's article How To Set Up A Simple, Effective Classroom Management Plan. I want to quote him in full here. (Michael Linsin)

Four rules

Listen and follow instructions.

Raise your hand before you speak or leave your seat.

Keep your hands and feet to yourself.

Respect your classmates and your teacher.

However, in case these rules do not work for some reason and more guidance is needed, I turn my attention to an excerpt from Thomas Gordon's TEACHER EFFECTIVENESS TRAINING. He gives very vivid examples of how a teacher can, through his messages, create in his pupil a particular mood and desire to behave in a particular way. This means that not only do certain rules play a role in shaping the general behaviour of the class, but also every remark the teacher makes, the tone of his or her voice, the behaviour patterns and reactions to the students' actions. According to Thomas Gordon, to properly establish a productive contact with a troublemaker, you must first acknowledge the underlying cause of the misconduct than choose a way to promptly intervene in the situation accordingly to stop the deception. And finally it is necessary to create a behavioural approach to gradually minimize similar misconduct by the pupil in the future.

As a criterion of competence in pedagogical communication, Thomas Gordon called maintaining the inner freedom of the communicating partner. What does it mean? When a teacher interacts with a pupil or speaks to him or simply reacts to him in some way he can insist, demand, plead and make excuses, please, justify himself, he can speak quietly or loudly, calmly or agitatedly. This is not what determines the quality of communication.

Communication is considered correct if the pupil and the teacher do not lose inner freedom. A free person is a responsible person. As much responsibility as there is in a person, so much freedom. Some ways of communicating simply destroy the child's "freedom of responsibility". (Tomas Gordon,2003 )

In conclusion, I want to mention the most important thought for me which has not left me since I read Jane Eyre and marvelled at the treatment of Miss and Mister in the dialogues between the characters. Every student is entitled to respect and the words Miss or Mister in front of their surname as in British English or Madam and Sir as in American English. It may be strange to say these words out loud but the attitude should be emphasised politely, then the very atmosphere of respect and dignity will permeate every minute of the lesson. This will be the necessary background against which pupils will strive to follow the rules.

References

Edutopia January 14, 2019 Creating a Positive Learning Environment https://www.edutopia.org/video/creating-positive-learning-environment

Gordon, T (2003) Teacher effectiveness training. First Revised Edition. New York: Three Rivers Press http://www.edgd801.csc4learning.com/801images/TEACHER%20EFFECTIVENESS%20T RAINING.pdf

Michael Linsin How To Set Up A Simple, Effective Classroom Management Plan https://smartclassroommanagement.com/2011/08/06/effective-classroom-management-pl an/