Our Classroom Environment (Unit 7)

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs suggests that students need sustenance, shelter, safety, security, and friendship as some of the basic needs to allow personal development (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs).  This also applies to their ability to learn and be creative.  As educators our students look to us to create an environment in our classroom (whether it be physical or web-based)  which will allow these needs to be meet.  

Think of a time when you entered an unknown environment, not knowing what to expect. Were you fearful and anxious? Were you excited and eager?  What difference did the person at the door make in those first few moments?  How did you become more relaxed and less anxious? 

I think back to a very negative experience in my education.  I entered grade one late because I had moved from a different province where we didn’t have kindergarten and you had to actually be six years old to start grade one.  The stern principal greeted me and my dad and I was left alone sitting in the grade one class waiting for the teacher.  She was not particularly welcoming, and I’m not sure if I was even expected.  I was terrified.  At recess I was taken under the wing of a very friendly face. I felt accepted and she guided me through intricacies of school. She became a lifelong friend, and is still a great support.  It was a hard but good lesson for me.  I try to be aware of people who are anxious in new situations, and to help them feel comfortable. 

A friendly smile and welcoming demeanor go a long way in putting people at ease.  Some of us come by this very naturally and others have to work a bit harder at it.  Classroom management goes well beyond this, and involves the physical environment of our class, teacher-student interaction and student-student interaction (Brown and Lee 2015). We want to create an environment where every student feels comfortable interacting and learning, where they feel encouraged, accepted, supported and respected. 

It’s also very important to understand who each of are students are.  What is their background? Are they a refugee and have they or their family suffered any trauma?  Who makes up their family? Are they living in poverty? Do they need extra social support?  Why are they missing or late for classes? Could they feel marginalized? They are all real people with real problems, and often have a much greater difficulty in solving their problems because of language barriers.  Many language programs employ or have access to help with social services, but as a teacher we are often the first observer of those problems. Some of the things we might notice are quite varied.  Are they falling asleep during class?  Are they having difficulty paying attention and are very distracted? Do they look unhappy most of the time? Are they having difficulty seeing the board? All of these things and many more may warrant us to gently ask questions in a private meeting, or to refer the student to some professional who may help them.  We must recognize that we cannot solve all their problems.  Our primary role is to teach. But we can be vigilant to ensure that if we can help to create an easier life for them outside the classroom, they will be better learners inside the classroom. 

Reference: 

Brown, D. & Lee, H. (2015). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language
        pedagogy(4th ed. revised). Chapters 13 and 14 Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education.