Create a caring classroom

1. (By Jane Bluestein) Part а

Following checklist can help you determine the degree to which your classroom (or school) practices the kinds of beliefs and behavior that contribute to an emotionally safe community. Increase the level of agreement with any item and you are likely to see improvements in achievement, learning, on-task behavior, commitment, cooperation, and student responsibility.

The Need for Success

Every child has the right to experience success in school. And yet, given the range of abilities, intelligences, and learning preferences we encounter with any group of children, this goal can become quite a challenge. The “success” dimension of safety means that we assess the students that come to us and reach out to them, wherever they ere, instructionally. We set the bar at just the right height to challenge each student at a level at which success is, indeed, a possibility.

Use the following scale to rate each item:

1 – Always Do

2 – Sometimes Do

3 – Rarely Do

4 – Never Do

• I provide opportunities for success to each child in the classroom, encouraging growth from wherever they start.

• I assess student ability and adjust instruction to maintain an appropriate level of challenge for each.

• I offer students a variety of ways to demonstrate their knowledge, intelligence, and mastery.

• I attempt to build interpersonal skills, positive social behaviors, character skills, and resistance of failure.

• I attempt to accommodate a variety of interests, motivators, modality strengths, and learning preferences in my directions, instructions, and assignments.

• I attempt to accommodate tactile, kinesthetic, visual, verbal, and auditory learners.

• I make sure kids have ample opportunities to move around and help them learn to maintain an appropriate level of alertness without disturbing others.

The Need for Belonging, Dignity, and Respect

How many conflicts and outbursts that we see in school are the result of our students’ inability to meet their needs for identity, belonging, respect, or dignity in healthy ways? This component means eliminating double standards, being conscious of how our students are treated, and holding kids accountable for their behavior without violating their dignity or sense of self-worth.

• I avoid using humiliation, sarcasm, ridicule, anger, impatience, or manifestations of disappointment in dealing with students.

• I honor students’ needs for respect, dignity, purpose, success, acceptance, attention, and motivation.

• I model standards of behavior, language, and tone of voice that I expect from my students.

• I work to eliminate prejudice toward students based on racial or cultural background; physical appearance; academic, artistic, or athletic competence.

• I strive to stay aware of put-downs or slurs expressed by students or staff, responding immediately.

(from Scholastic Instructor, September, 2002, p. 36)

1. Every child has to feel success at school.

2. Teachers have to encourage students.

3. We can rate the success of the classroom using this test.

4. If students want to feel success they shouldn’t demonstrate their knowledge, intelligence, and mastery.

5. If the teacher wants to create a caring classroom he/she has to know how to approach to tactile, kinesthetic, visual, verbal, and auditory learners.

6. Students don’t have to interact with each other.

7. Students are usually unable to meet other students needs.

8. Teachers can’t be angry and impatient.