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Setting The Tone For A Positive Learning Environment
Every teacher has a responsibility to provide a healthy learning environment for his or her students. Over the years, volumes of research have been conducted to help teachers determine what works best for the students. There is a wealth of methods and techniques that, through research, have been proven to improve the quality of the learning environment. Many different aspects of the learning environment should be considered.
A positive learning environment is one in which school staff, students, and parents build safe and peaceful environments where people feel accepted and respected and where learning is the main focus (Stratman, n.d.). Therefore, a positive school climate exists when all students feel comfortable, wanted, valued, accepted, and secure in an environment where they can interact with caring people they trust. A positive school climate affects everyone associated with the school, being the students, staff, parents, and the community. It is the belief system or culture that underlies the day-to-day operation of a school. “Improved school climate is a goal to pursue. Educators need to constantly work toward improving their school climate, culture, and conditions so that student learning is improved” (Noonan, 2004 p.64). How Teachers Can Set the Tone for a Positive Learning Environment
There are many things a teacher can do to make his or her classroom a safe and positive place for students to learn. First and foremost, a teacher needs to be enthusiastic about her or himself. They must come in with an energetic attitude. They must be positive because it radiates. How the teacher feels and appears it will affect the classroom. The teacher is the facilitator, the teacher sets an example, and the teacher is the role model. Attitude goes a long way.
Future Trends for Education in America
Some of the futurists are predicting that our youth will be unprepared in science and math to compete successfully in the global economy by 2010 unless we make some drastic changes to education now.
This is just one of the reasons why today’s schools are implementing instructional coaches in the classroom, one of the fastest growing trends in education. The reason is because schools are faced with greater accountability than ever before and many school districts are seeking new methods of supporting professional development among teachers to strengthen teaching practice and improve student learning.
Districts are using coaches to help implement reform and focusing on particular critical areas such as math, science and reading. These new methods are intended to support broad implementation of best practices in classrooms.
A Definition of Leadership for College Bound Students
Parents can really stress over the topic of leadership in their child’s profile. Some put too much emphasis on it. Others try to ignore it. Most don’t know exactly what it means.
It is true that top colleges are looking for leaders who can take full advantage of the opportunities a good college will give them. In fact, some of the more technical schools place a premium on recruiting leaders since most of their students tend to be science types with little interest in traditional leadership. However, schools don’t fill their whole class with leaders (they are also looking for humanitarians, go-getters, entrepreneurs, all-star athletes, etc.). So relax. Your child doesn’t need to be student body president to have a shot at a great college. Interestingly enough though, students in these other categories often have leadership qualities such as: drive, desire to fix problems, motivation, the ability to think outside the box, and the gift of understanding and managing people.
Today I’d like to simply define the term “leadership.” After 30 years as a Leadership Coach and a lifetime of functioning in leadership capacities, I am often tickled by what people call leadership. Let’s set the record straight:
