When I started out as a teacher, it was a struggle. I was not connecting to the students; most did not care about the course material. This inevitably led to discipline problems. I eventually realized there are innumerable ways of shaping a group of students so that they want to be in your classroom, are interested in learning, are respectful of the teacher, and fellow classmates. In this KBLOG I offer ten fun examples on how to create a top-notch classroom environment where students want to be.<br/><br/><br/> are ten other examples. — K12STEMspace Teaching STEM to Your Children & Students

You can SUBSCRIBE and/or leave a comment at the bottom of this KBLOG

The Challenge:

When I started out as a teacher, it was a struggle. I was not connecting to the students; most did not care about the course material. This inevitably led to discipline problems. I spent hours agonizing over how to “modify” or “correct” student behavior so that the atmosphere in the classroom would be more fun, less contentious, more focused on learning and less stressful for me. I read many books that described methods of classroom management. One thing I discovered was it was my behavior that needed to be corrected first. No book had all the answers, but each book had some suggestions that I began to gather to help me figure out and solve my classroom issues. I realized there are innumerable ways of shaping a group of students so that they want to be in your classroom, are interested in learning and are respectful of the teacher and fellow classmates. A teacher should select, use and modify, when needed, the skills and tools that others have developed (advice from books and other teachers) that fit the teacher’s personality. Developing your own teaching style that creates a great classroom atmosphere takes time and searching. I learned that for me, the key to creating a positive and energetic classroom atmosphere was humor.

A Solution:

In KBLOG 7 and KBLOG 11 I address some ways that I use to make the atmosphere in my classroom top notch. Here are ten other examples.

1. Young Person Pictures – There is nothing that makes a teacher more relatable to students than showing them pictures of yourself at a younger age. My students saw me as a baby, a disco star and serious university student.

2. Quote of the Week – I like to present my students with a quote every week or two to generate discussion about topics we are covering in science class. For example: Biology is the most powerful technology ever created. DNA is software, protein are hardware, cells are factories.

Arvind Gupta

3. Celebrate Birthdays – Find out the birthdates of each of your students, recognize those days and in some way honor the student on their birthday.

4. You are Human too – I am more relatable to my students when I brought up something related to my homelife. For example, talking about my pets or complaining about taking out the garbage.

5. Music Brings Smiles – I love to see the reaction of my students when I play music, especially older music; my specialty is disco and boy bands. I find that playing music as the students enter the classroom really lifts the mood for the lesson at hand. I play corny, off beat, in other words what my students call “lame” music. The lamer the better!

6. Ice Cream Prom – Once each year students come to an after- school ice cream prom in my classroom, they love to dress up, eat ice cream and listen to music. This has become an anticipated tradition.

7. Karaoke Contest – Each year students look forward to an annual Karaoke Contest. Our department chairperson helps to judge; the students really get creative, of course silly prizes are rewarded.

8. Gadget of the Week – I use a few minutes out of one class each week to have a student bring an interesting and cryptic gadget to school; they show the gadget and students have to guess its function.

9. Drawing for a Prize on Friday – I give out carnival tickets to my students all week long, for many reasons, for example when a student answers a question, helps another student, hands in homework when they usually do not, improves on test results, when a student seems down and needs a boost. On Friday I have a drawing and present three prizes. Every student is in the drawing with their accumulated tickets for the week. The prizes are purchased from a dollar store. I make sure the prizes will generate fun. Students love getting action figures, soap bubble kits and plastic jewelry etc.

10. My Special Lab Coat – Each year one student with strong artistic skills draws something on my lab coat. After many years I have a beautiful and interesting lab coat that attracts attention (see below)

Resources:

https://www.k12stemspace.com/k-blog/music-helps-everyone-learn - KBLOG 7 Music

https://www.k12stemspace.com/k-blog/humor-glue-that-holds-lessons-together - KBLOG 11 Humor

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/science - Science Quotes