Positive Classroom Environment

    My service learning has taught me quite a bit about what it is to have a positive classroom environment. In the second grade, I have really learned a lot form the teacher. He helps each child feel special and celebrates their accomplishments. One of the ways that he has helped recognize a child's skills is to spotlight their achievements at the end of each week. Students who turn in homework, listened or participated well in class, were a good friend, or finished their levels on their Lexia accounts are all given special achievement awards. He makes sure that each student has had a chance to be spotlighted over the month, and sends out fun pictures to all the parents of the students holding their awards. As a parent, I know my child absolutely loves this, and he can't wait to show me his award and how hard he has been working. I have also noticed what a great job the teacher has done at getting to know each individual student. He knows what interests them and how best to help them learn. He gives them high fives and often praises their good behavior, or points out others who are modeling the behavior he wants in the class.
    Another really great thing I noticed in my other service learning classroom, is the way the teacher has set up routines and a productive environment by giving the students great communication tools! He has taught his students different hand signals, so that he can know what each student needs by the raise of a hand. If during a lesson, a student doesn't understand, they can raise a hand and he can know that they have a specific question and don't just need to use the restroom. I think this is fantastic. He is able to give instruction and answer questions, and then help the students who need a pencil sharpened or allow students to use the restroom after giving the class instructions on a lesson. I also really admire how he is handling the tough situation of having students continue to talk during instruction time. He had to have a sub for a week, and now that he is back, students have been having a hard time being respectful and listening to instructions. Instead of continually calling after the students to be quite, he is talking to them about good classroom habits. Instructing them on why its important to listen to directions, what that looks like, and reminding them that they need to break the bad habits in order to learn the good ones. He is also focusing on the class as a whole, so that all the students are involved in the process and can help their peers at their tables stay on task as well, rather then continually calling out to students with poor behavior.