A positive classroom is a nice place to be for the teacher and the students. Everyone feels safe and it is a great place to learn and grow. Here are a few thoughts about how to get there,
Focusing on the positive
This can be a challenging task. Students do things that we find frustrating and annoying. They easily get our attention. Yet as teachers, we would be better off noticing the good things that students do and showing students that this is the way to get our attention. This is where the idea of ‘catching them doing it right’ comes in. Always be on the lookout for students doing the right thing. Write it up on the board when they do.
Providing feedback
Now honesty is required in giving feedback because if we aren’t honest then students will know. We can say their work is good but if we know that it comparably isn’t, then the student will come to distrust us. For this reason, it is a good idea to be specific and find what is good.
I appreciated how you spoke clearly and spent time to ensure each word was pronounced correctly
This student might have read slowly, but we can look for other good things to comment on. Sometimes students rush over what they can’t do to avoid doing the work, but if a student goes slowly to get it right then provide specific praise for that action.
Give students more opportunities to get it right
Rather than saying “That’s wrong”, allow students to get it right. Suggest to them, “Can you think of a different way?”
Avoid telling a student they can’t do something
They are likely to believe you if you say so and they may continue to believe it even into adulthood. If you say, “You are no good at maths”, they will believe it and that is a shame because they likely could have improved with the right opportunities and encouragement.
Never punish for getting things wrong
It has to be okay in the classroom to make a mistake and get things wrong. If it isn’t safe to do so then students will never take any chances. Many negative behaviours come from students avoiding doing work due to fear of making a mistake. We should make mistakes a normal part of life, something to be expected and a valuable way to learn.
Focus on what students have done
Maybe you see a student has done 3 sentences and you think they should have done 10 by now. Praise them for the 3 they have done and then encourage them to continue. Don’t focus on the 7 they haven’t done because that is negative framing.
Helping them to develop a positive self-image
We can support students also by giving them a chance to see what success feels like through scaffolding. We can help them to overcome whatever is blocking them. When students believe they can do something they are willing to try new things a grow further.
Perceptions and labels
Teachers often label students and develop a negative perception of them. We don’t have to like every student but it is our job to manage them and our responsibility.
We can frame behaviours in different ways. A student who finishes their work quickly and messily can come across as being lazy or some other descriptor. On the other hand, maybe they think that finishing work quickly is a high value. The teacher could praise the student for finishing the work fast but talk to them about how they want their grade to reflect their hard work. The teacher could give the student time to consider what to do about it.
Teachers can reframe how we think about students like this as well
- Stubborn or persistent?
- Aggressive or passionate?
- Lazy or calm?
- Fidgety or active?
- Dreamy or creative?
- Weird or unique?
Once you have reframed your thinking, you could act on it. Give students opportunities to use these attributes positively.
Use humour
Humour is a way to make the classroom feel like a positive classroom. Students feel like you are interested in them and care about them if you are willing to take the time to joke with them.
Take students seriously
Students appreciate being taken seriously so we need to listen to them and what they have to say. Their contributions should always be welcomed and what they say should be valued.
Developing trust
We can teach our students how they can trust by trusting them. We need to also present ourselves as being trustworthy. We can do this through the choices we make such as keeping their best interest in mind, being reliable, showing competence (the ability to do what we have said we will), being honest with them and being open and willing to share information with them.
Conclusion
Focus on making your classroom a nice place to be, both you and your students are there all year so it may as well be pleasant. You’ll find many other great outcomes follow a positive classroom.
Many of the ideas here are from Coat of Many Pockets by Jenny Mackay and I highly recommend you check it out if you can get a copy!