Have you ever walked into a classroom and immediately felt happy, excited, and ready to learn? The classrooms that exude positivity, inclusiveness, college readiness, and rigor have positive Class Climates. Class Climate is effected by a wide variety of factors including management structures, relationship building activities, cultural competency, the teacher’s affect, and the artifacts present in the room. Many teachers build a positive class climate by keeping close ties with students’ families, and creating an environment where students are challenged, encouraged and feel safe enough to risk failure. Rooms with positive class climates ultimately encourage students to reach their full potential. Click here to learn more about Class Climate.
Primary
Elementary
Objective: By the end of this video, viewers will have an understanding of specific techniques to develop a positive class climate and foster meaningful relationships with students.
Essential Question: How does a positive class climate lead to student achievement?
Questions to consider as you watch the video:
- How does the teacher foster a positive class climate within the classroom?
- What artifacts in the classroom demonstrate a positive class climate? What does the classroom “say” is important?
- Why do the activities Ms. Artis completes outside the classroom effect the climate within her classroom?
- How does Mr. Kilmer use technology to improve class climate?
- Which of these positive class climate fostering activities could I integrate into my routine?
Tools & Templates used for Class Climate:
- Professional Learning Implementation Tool- Class Climate
- Ms. Artis’s Home Visit Invitation Sheet and Home Visit Confirmation
- Ms. Bhatia’s beginning of the year activities for building collaboration Building Collaboration
Texts on Class Climate:
- Inspiring Active Learning (Harmin & Toth, 2006). Available from the Virtual PL Library
- A Developmental Approach to Educating Young Children (Daniels & Clarkson, 2010). Available from the Virtual PL Library
- Becoming an Emotionally Intelligent Teacher (Powell & Kusuma-Powell, 2010). Available from the Virtual PL Library
- Navigating Cultural Competence in Grades K-5 (Gallavan, 2011). Available from the Virtual PL Library
- Navigating Cultural Competence in Grades 6-12 (Gallavan, 2011). Available from the Virtual PL Library
- Building Positive Relationships (Edutopia, 2012). Blog Post
Related Videos:
Have an idea or routine in your classroom for building class climate you believe other teachers would benefit from learning about or seeing? Email PL, write “Class Climate” in the subject line.
Tools & Templates used in the Lessons:
Mr. Kilmer’s Lesson Plan: Fractions Grade 1
Templates & SmartSlides:
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- Independent Activity (You Do Alone)
- SmartSlides (Available from SmartExchange)
Ms. Artis’s Lesson Plan: Lunar Phases
Templates & PowerPoint: