1. Chapter 11 Creating Productive Learning Environments

2. Characteristics of Productive Learning Environments
A focus on learning
A focus on learners
Classrooms as learning communities
Emphasis on personal and social development
A positive classroom climate

3. Classroom as Learning Communities
Inclusiveness: all students participate and believe they can succeed.
Respect for others: students respect the teacher and other students.
Safety and security: students feel safe and protected.
Trust and connectedness: students count on each other for help and assistance.

4. Elements of Personal Development
Self-discipline and motivation to learn
Organizational skills and goal setting
Personal and moral responsibility
Control of personal impulses
Self-awareness in terms of personal strengths, needs, and values

5. Social Development
Students’ ability to interact with and get along with others
Perspective taking: the ability to understand the thoughts and feelings of others
Social problem solving: the ability to resolve conflicts in ways that are beneficial to all involved

6. Social Skills That Develop in Productive Learning Environments
Perspective taking
Social problem solving
Respect for others
Working cooperatively with classmates
Empathy and compassion
Appreciation of diversity

7. Essential Human Elements of Productive Learning Environments
Caring
Personal teaching efficacy
Positive expectations
Modeling and enthusiasm

8. Communicating Caring
Learning students’ names quickly and calling on students by their first name
Greeting students daily and getting to know them as individuals
Using effective nonverbal communication such as making eye contact and smiling
Using “we” and “our” in reference to class activities and assignments
Spending time with students
Demonstrating respect for students as individuals

9. Positive Teacher Expectations
Teachers’ beliefs in students’ capabilities to learn
Ways that teachers communicate positive expectations
Emotional support
Teacher effort and demands
Interactive questioning
Feedback and evaluation

10. Classroom Management Goals
Developing learner responsibility
Creating a positive classroom climate
Maximizing opportunities for learning

11. Dimensions of Classroom Time
Allocated time: amount designated for a particular topic or subject
Instructional time: amount left for teaching after routine management and administrative tasks are completed
Engaged time: time students actually spend actively involved in learning activities
Academic learning time: amount of time students are both engaged and successful

12. Elements of Successful Management
Preventing problems through planning
Rules
Procedures
Intervening effectively
Handling serious management problems

13. Common Classroom Activities Requiring Procedures
Entering and leaving the classroom
Handing in and returning papers
Accessing materials such as scissors and paper
Sharpening pencils
Making trips to the bathroom
Making up work after an absence

14. Guidelines for Effective Rules
State rules positively.
Emphasize rationales for rules.
Minimize the number of rules.
Monitor rules throughout the school year.

15. Guidelines for Effective Interventions
Intervene immediately.
Direct the intervention at the correct student(s).
Use the least intrusive intervention.

16. Serious Management Problems: Violence and Aggression
Most management problems are minor and involve day-to-day logistical and cooperation issues.
Steps to follow when serious problems arise
Stop the incident
Protect the victim
Get help
Teachers are legally required to intervene when problems occur.
Seek the advice of administrators and veteran teachers.

17. Assertive Discipline
A comprehensive approach to classroom management that clearly specifies both teachers’ and students’ rights and responsibilities
Successful but controversial
Advocates claim it
Works
Clearly specifies both teacher and student actions
Is fairly easy to learn and apply

18. Assertive Discipline (continued)
Critics claim it
Emphasizes control and obedience at the expense of personal development
Focuses on behaviors instead of the reasons for rules
Treats symptoms (e.g., talking) versus possible causes (e.g., boring or ineffective instruction)

19. Effective Classroom Management in Urban Schools
More challenging because of student diversity and large class sizes
Essential components for effective management:
Caring and supportive teachers
Clear standards for acceptable behavior
Structure
Effective instruction

20. Benefits of Involving Parents
Greater willingness to do homework
Higher long-term achievement
More positive attitudes and behaviors
Better attendance and graduation rates
Greater enrollment in postsecondary education

21. Strategies for Involving Parents
Start at the beginning of the school year with a letter.
Maintain communication by sending home frequent and periodic packets of work, descriptions of new units of study, and other information about the class.
Use s, newsletters, and individual notes to emphasize positive student accomplishments.

22. Communicating with Parents from Diverse Backgrounds
Cultural diversity, SES, and caregivers for whom English is not the first language all pose communication challenges.
Effective teachers make a special effort to reach out to these parents.
Sending home homework guidelines and suggestions are effective in involving parents in their children’s education.