At the elementary level, positive classroom culture produces positive learning outcomes for students.

 

As an elementary educator, I am responsible for using this culture to develop both academic and social competencies that lead my students to success. To accomplish this goal, I will cultivate a culture that promotes inclusion and fosters community through creative, collaborative project-based learning and student choice. 

Inclusion is an essential consideration in both the social and academic spheres of the classroom.

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I differentiate each lesson to allow my students to meet the same high standards. My classroom fosters both academic ambition and student self-esteem by setting reachable scaffolded goals based on state standards and doing everything in my power to help students reach those goals. I stock my classroom library with books that represent the diversity of cultures and readers in my classroom and plan my instruction to honor that diversity. Not only is my classroom sensitive to difference, it celebrates it. I keep checks in place for myself, regularly evaluating and reflecting on my own inclusive practices for students with varied abilities and those from diverse cultural backgrounds that are different from my own. This celebration of difference helps to build a strong sense of community within my classroom.

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Genuine relationships play an integral role in my educational practice. I emphasize the importance of connection between me and my students, as well as between the students and their peers.

 

Something as simple as welcoming each student into the class each morning with a smile can make a difference in learning attitudes. I am a teacher, first and foremost, because I care about students. It is important that my students are aware of this. Furthermore, I create a classroom culture that fosters communication and collaboration between students to prepare them for the highly collaborative and connected nature of the professional workforce by establishing structures that teach students to cooperate effectively. 

Creative and project-based learning is another aspect of the classroom which holds great personal significance to me. Students learn best when their whole brains are engaged, they are learning for a purpose, and they are having fun.

 

For example, music integration is one strategy I use to facilitate student creativity and connection to content. Having the students engage in creative, standards-based tasks not only gets them interested in the content, but also allows them to think more deeply about the content in a more holistic way. On a similar note, project-based learning sets students’ minds on a purpose and allows them to dig into material in a more meaningful way. Whenever possible, I extend the opportunity for my students to learn through experience and discover knowledge with minimal intervention. By engaging students in discussion, experimentation, and active discovery, I inspire and connect with them. 

    Choice within structure in my classroom means that I frequently provide students with multiple effective options and allow them to choose how to practice and demonstrate their knowledge.

 

For example, when possible, my students have opportunities to choose their own books from works of authentic literature. They also have the chance to choose from engaging centers, and to give me feedback during morning and closing meeting about the types of activities and academic topics that they enjoy. By giving students the chance to make decisions and voice their opinions, I teach them to be more independent and responsible citizens. 

I dedicate myself to these principles and regularly evaluate my practice based upon them. In turn, they are reflected in my students’ positive learning attitudes and outcomes. 

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