Domain 2 is all about classroom environment.
2a Cultivating Respectful and Affirming Environments
It is very important for an educator to know how to create an environment that encourages and supports students. This helps them not only succeed in academics, but also their social skills. The elements of this component are positive relationships, sense of belonging, cultural responsiveness, and positive conflict resolution.
When students have a good relationship with their teacher and classrooms, they feel at ease and valued. Teachers can carefully decide how it is best to interact with and instruct their class to show how much they care about each student individually. Educators should strive to have a unique environment for each classroom as a whole, while still supporting individual students. A teacher should also know how to handle cultural differences in a classroom and be able to celebrate them. Problems are bound to come up, but if the students are shown by their teacher how to act and solve the problems appropriately, it can make a big difference. If all of these things are done right, the classroom will be a great learning and social environments for students.
When students have a good relationship with their teacher and classrooms, they feel at ease and valued. Teachers can carefully decide how it is best to interact with and instruct their class to show how much they care about each student individually. Educators should strive to have a unique environment for each classroom as a whole, while still supporting individual students. A teacher should also know how to handle cultural differences in a classroom and be able to celebrate them. Problems are bound to come up, but if the students are shown by their teacher how to act and solve the problems appropriately, it can make a big difference. If all of these things are done right, the classroom will be a great learning and social environments for students.
2b Fostering a Culture for Learning
A culture for learning refers to environment of a classroom in how well it supports students academically. A classroom that excels in this would look like students and teachers valuing hard work, students feeling free to ask questions, challenging curriculum, etc. Elements for this component are purpose and motivation, dispositions for learning, student agency and pride in work, and support and perseverance.
Students and teachers both should be dedicated to content mastery. Teachers should be a good model for hard work skills such as reasoning and reflection. It may be easier to get students to care about their work when they have choices. Giving them options makes them feel more in control, which makes them more motivated to work hard. Everyone in the classroom should be encouraging and supportive when a student gets stuck. All of these things create a culture of learning that is beneficial to students.
Students and teachers both should be dedicated to content mastery. Teachers should be a good model for hard work skills such as reasoning and reflection. It may be easier to get students to care about their work when they have choices. Giving them options makes them feel more in control, which makes them more motivated to work hard. Everyone in the classroom should be encouraging and supportive when a student gets stuck. All of these things create a culture of learning that is beneficial to students.
2c Maintaining Purposeful Environments
Component 2c emphasizes the importance of procedures and routines in classroom. Without them, it can become very hard for a teacher to properly manage a classroom. All students should be aware of the routine/procedure so they can stay on task and know the purpose. Educators should be able to decide what the best routines and procedures are for their specific students and their needs. Not only is this to keep order and control in the classroom, but it can also support students in their growth in important skills. Elements for this component include productive collaboration, student autonomy and responsibility, and non-instructional tasks.
Having the routines helps students to be able to have more successful collaboration with their classmates, since they understand the common goal much better. Being able to collaborate with others is a great skill for students to develop and it will help them in the rest of their academics and their future careers. Routines and procedures also give students the structure and tools to be able to become more independent, which helps them become more responsible.
Having the routines helps students to be able to have more successful collaboration with their classmates, since they understand the common goal much better. Being able to collaborate with others is a great skill for students to develop and it will help them in the rest of their academics and their future careers. Routines and procedures also give students the structure and tools to be able to become more independent, which helps them become more responsible.
2d Supporting Positive Student Behavior
Teachers have an important job to make students feel comfortable and welcome in the classroom, which is what component 2d is about. The best learning environment is one where students feel supported and encouraged, so bullying and other forms of misbehavior should not be tolerated. It is best for a teacher to support and reinforce positive information rather than just punish bad behavior. Elements of 2d are expectations for the learning environment, modeling a teaching habits of character, and self-monitoring and collective responsibility.
A good teacher should have clear expectation for their students so that they understand how they should and should not act in the classroom. These expectations should reflect the common interest of the class. Educators should be good models for how to behave. Teachers often play a large role in the morals of students, so it is important for them to be aware that how they act will affect their class. Students should consistently be reminded that having a good community will make the class more enjoyable for everyone. If all of this is done right, it should help manage the classroom, as well as teach the children how to interact with peers in a way that supports them and creates community.
A good teacher should have clear expectation for their students so that they understand how they should and should not act in the classroom. These expectations should reflect the common interest of the class. Educators should be good models for how to behave. Teachers often play a large role in the morals of students, so it is important for them to be aware that how they act will affect their class. Students should consistently be reminded that having a good community will make the class more enjoyable for everyone. If all of this is done right, it should help manage the classroom, as well as teach the children how to interact with peers in a way that supports them and creates community.
2e Organizing Spaces for Learning
Classroom spaces have greatly changed over the years and look different for many people. Component 2d refers to how important it is for an educator to adapt to changes and find out the best way to structure their classroom in their situation. Elements of 2d are safety and accessibility, design for learning and development, and co-creation and shared ownership.
No matter how the classroom is designed, it should be made easily accessible for all students. The structure of the course should be made in consideration to students' needs and supports learning. Students should feel like they have some control over how things are set up and should be allowed to make changed to better the classroom community. A classroom is a shared space and educators should make sure students feel comfortable participating.
No matter how the classroom is designed, it should be made easily accessible for all students. The structure of the course should be made in consideration to students' needs and supports learning. Students should feel like they have some control over how things are set up and should be allowed to make changed to better the classroom community. A classroom is a shared space and educators should make sure students feel comfortable participating.