Many teachers are respected for delivering their skills in learning as well as for the way they make the students feel in the classroom. There is a direct relationship between the kind of environment created by the teacher in the classroom and student achievement. Creating a supportive environment in the classroom, where students are encouraged, listened to, and feel valued, is one of the most meaningful ways that you can contribute to your student’s academic success. You need to provide students with a safe and supportive classroom environment so that the students engage more and participate actively in the class. Evidence-based research shows that it enhances teachers’ and students’ relationships and supports positive reactions in your classroom by following some of the teaching methods. Let’s have a look at how you can implement these teaching methods in your classroom:
- Know your student:
The best thing you can do is to get to know your students. The more you know about your students’ cultures, interests, personalities, families, goals, and mindsets, the better you can reach and teach them. Try to find out their likes and dislikes. By this, it will be a lot easier for you to keep them engaged and interested in your classroom if topics of their interests are included in your lessons. Moreover, the students’ families play a very big role in the academic success of the student, so try to include their families in the learning process. Get to know about what your student needs a cause; like adults, they not only have physical needs but psychological needs too for security and order, love and belonging, freedom, and fun. When you address these needs in your classroom, students will be happier to be there, which will help increase the learning process.
- Student-centered practices
Students are not always in control of their learning though they are the soul of the classroom. So, student-centered learning should be incorporated into the classroom by following this practice, and they can co-create education and decide what, how, and when to learn. Regardless of their age, these practices will make your students curious, creative, and self-directed. You can start this by organizing group discussions and other group activities. You need to stimulate their brains by including creative activities which have a fun element in them along with learning, such as drawing or writing a short story.
- Greet your students at the door every day
To create a friendly environment, you can greet each student at the door as they enter the classroom. Make eye contact with the students and greet them verbally, or depending on the age of the student, you can give a high five, a fist bump, or even a handshake would work. In this way, the student will feel they have entered a safe and supportive space. At least once a day, positive human contact is very necessary. It shows the students that you care about them.
- Be available outside of the classroom.
Many students don’t feel comfortable sharing their emotions in front of everyone in the classroom. For this, you need to find a solution to interact with them outside of the classroom or during school hours. For instance, you can designate a room where you can meet and chat with your students personally. You can also organize small gatherings or engage in some volunteer work to strengthen your bond. You can let your students know that they can message if they need something. Once you develop a relationship with your students, it will be much easier for you to interact with and understand what they are going through.
- Avoid judging
A student should never feel that they are being judged, as this can create a sense of distrust for the person judging them. We know it is very hard not to judge a student who is just sitting in the classroom and doing no school work even after you’ve done so much to motivate him/her. It’s very easy to label such a student as lazy or a student as a bully who is threatening and provoking his/her peers. But the problem will not be solved by just labeling or judging them. Instead of judging them, be curious about why they are doing so. Once you get to know the reason for the behavior, the issue can be dealt with by giving consequences to students.
Creating a supportive classroom environment for the student will also help you support positive interactions, which in turn will lead to positive behavior management. It’s all about building a strong and friendly relationship with your students to make your student feel comfortable while learning. Make sure that you are available for them whenever they need you personally and be supportive to them with effective communication. If you are still troubling with the work, join Classplus and get your customized app and manage your classroom.
