1. Tips for Building a Positive Environment

2. The Effects of Our Interactions
Positive
Corrective
Students feel disengaged
Students feel unsuccessful
Decreases the future likelihood that students will want to engage with you
Students feel supported
Students feel successful
Increases the future likelihood that students will want to engage with you
Even saying corrective statements, for example “sit down” or “let’s try that again” can have these impacts.
Even positively stated corrections have the same impact, especially when shared in front of a crowd
This does not mean we do not give corrective statements, just that we must be aware of their impact on our relationship with students and how they percieve the environment as being positive or not positive

3. What we want to see: 5 to 1 Ratio
Negative and corrective interactions carry a lot of weight for students who have not traditionally been successful academically
Acknowledging small things students do makes corrective feedback the exception and not the norm
Making small positive impacts helps to cover up the effects of our negative or corrective interactions
we want to overall effect of our words to be positive
Research studies have shown that this ratio is the tipping point for students to report that they feel like their classroom environoment is positive and that their teachers like them.
Example: Teacher who switched from moving color cards when students were engaged in inappropriate behavior vs. recognizing appropriate behavior. The students reported immediately following class that they were confused about why their teacher was being so nice today. When asked what she did that was so nice, the students could not recall specifically, but the effect of those interactions left an impact. Additionally, in a classroom where typically 2 to 3 students were sent out per period with referrals (middle schoolers), no students were sent to the office that day.
Refer to 5 to 1 quick guide:
you do not need to give 5 positive comments to individual students. comments made to the class count for everyone!

4. Positive Greetings at the Door
Students feel welcome
Students feel acknowledged
Provides data for teachers on which students may need extra support
Opportunity for pre- correction
Helps to mitigate target behaviors in the hallway
We want students to know they are welcome here and here for them
There are many students who come to school and do what they are supposed to do each day and are never recognized for it
This is also a tool to support students who repeatedly engage in behavior of concern
First you can recognize days when they may need extra support or a check-in and also an opprtunity to give a reminder about issues that may come up or that happened the previous day
Lastly, standing by the door provides additional hallway supervision which can limit other behavior that could bring issues into after school before students even officially arrive.

5. Steps to Greeting at the Door
Provide pre-corrective statements to individual student or entire class
Remind students to look at the schedule or to use the previously practiced entry routine
Stand at or around the door
Positively interact with students as they come into the room
Explain steps
Give a reminder that standing sideways by the door is helpful so that supervision can be maintain inside the program as well.

6. Insert Greeting at the Door Video
What did he do well?
What can he improve on?
This is an example of how this can work with all ages and you can see some of the extra attention he gives to students who may always be late or absent for his class to welcome them.

7. Let a SMILE be your ambassador!
Effects of Smiling
Smiling actually affects your mood and outlook even if the smile is forced.
The mirroring effect causes others around you to smile, including staff and students.
Students who may not have a history of positive relationships with adults know you are approaching with positive intent.
I’m a nice guy!
This can be a tricky strategy as not everyone is a smiley person, but there are ways to use what you have to still show that positivity or simply just fake it until you make it. Even if you never make it, just keep faking, because it has such amazing effects for yourself and students.