Unit 2 - Norms and Routines

What is one important way that the idea of a learning environment differs from the idea of a traditional classroom?

A learning environment is any setting in which students learn, whether inside, outside, or virtual, while a classroom is inside a school.

Kamal is a first-year teacher planning out his classroom routines, organization, and arrangement. He also thinks carefully about his planned style of teaching. He organizes the desks so that he can easily move between them during group work, because he plans to incorporate a substantial amount of collaborative learning into his class. Which element of the learning environment is Kamal taking into account in this scenario?

Activities

Norms

Agreements about behavior that help a group of people function well together

Neither Norm Nor Routine

All students should study for tests at home.

Classroom Environment

Also classroom ecology; the general and overall climate and atmosphere of a classroom including the environmental/ecological contextual factors, variables, influences and constraints affecting teaching and learning.

Contextual Domains

Also contextual dimensions; the hierarchical groups or categories of attributes, contextual factors or variables, generally classified under physical, material, personal/interpersonal, school/institutional and social/psychosocial.

Academic rigor

An environment that is intellectually challenging and demanding.

Cathectic learning climate

An environment that stimulates students to be active participants.

A teacher wants to set up her classroom learning environment to encourage student learning. In her class, students will do both independent work and intensive partner work on projects. Students will also be expected to participate in group work on occasion. What would be an effective way for the teacher to organize classroom space to help students feel welcomed and to facilitate these activities?

Arranging desks in groups of four, with space around each desk and students sitting across from each other

What is one strategy for ensuring students feel ownership of the learning environment?

Ask students to generate a list of classroom norms and decide as a group on which are most important.

Mr. Martin is making plans for the first day of school, when he will meet his new students and introduce the topics they will cover during the year. What is an effective, engaging way for Mr. Martin to introduce students to his class?

Ask students to reflect on their own goals for the year, then create class norms together.

Ms. Miller is a classroom teacher seeking to establish a collaborative learning environment in which students participate in group discussions. She wants to guide students in establishing class norms that promote inclusive discussion behaviors and practices. Which class norm is most relevant to participating in class discussions?

Be respectful of yourself and others.

Why is the term learning environment preferable to the term classroom?

Because learning occurs in a range of settings beyond the walls of traditional classrooms

If you need to use the restroom, raise your hand to ask permission.

Both Elementary & Middle or High School routine/procedure

Task orientation

Class activities are clear and well organized.

Necessary to Include in a classroom management plan

Classroom layout, Rules for behavior, Procedures, Positive reinforcement

What is an important element to include in a general education, high school learning environment, based on students' developmental growth and needs?

Clear procedures for turning in homework

Mr. Sousa posts a schedule each day so that his fourth-grade students, who often have questions about what activity will come next, know what to expect.

Cognitive

Mr. Patel often has his high school students independently complete a project, then give each other peer feedback. He wants to encourage students to challenge themselves but also ensure students have positive interactions. What is the best procedure to establish for peer feedback?

Conference with your partner and share two compliments and a question about your partner's work.

Which statement about children's development is accurate?

Different areas of development can interact and influence one another.

Unnecessary to Include in a classroom management plan

Differentiated instructional approaches, Assessment strategies, Importance of group work

Ms. Miller is spending a class period during the first week of school establishing class norms. How should Ms. Miller proceed after initially establishing class norms?

Do a follow-up activity in which she reviews norms and has students role-play a situation in which they follow norms, then move on to content.

At the beginning of the day, place your bag in the right cubby, put your name in the appropriate lunch bucket, and take your seat.

Elementary routine/procedure

Which behavior is a classroom routine?

Exiting the classroom

Ms. Williams has established classroom norms and routines at the beginning of the school year. She now has a new student who joins the class two months into the school year. How should Ms. Williams familiarize this student with classroom norms and routines?

Explain important norms and routines immediately, and introduce new procedures for events as they come up.

Instructional Variables

Factors and aspects of the classroom environment that directly influence and relate to specific conditions, situations and circumstances of teaching and learning.

Student Contextual Variables

Factors and aspects of the classroom learning environment related to students' attitudes, affects, moods, interests and needs.

Teachers' Contextual Variables

Factors and aspects of the classroom teaching and learning environment that are determined and affected by, related to and embodied in teachers' attitudes.

Ms. Wolf, a new teacher, is setting up her learning environment at the beginning of the school year. She is teaching sixth grade and plans to facilitate a variety of teaching and learning activities. She wants her students to feel like they are part of a respectful and welcoming learning community. True or False Since Ms. Wolf is a new teacher, she should copy a classroom management plan from her more experienced mentor, a first-grade teacher.

False

True or False A classroom management plan should include processes to provide one positive or encouraging comment for every negative comment or correction.

False

True or False A teacher creates a positive classroom culture using rules for student conduct.

False

True or False A well-organized learning environment helps students to feel valued and welcome but does not have an impact on student achievement.

False

True or False As long as the teacher maintains classroom safety, students should be able to learn successfully.

False

True or False Desks should be arranged for group work in a student-centered learning environment.

False

True or False Norms and routines are essentially interchangeable.

False

True or False Routines involving positive support (such as high fives, compliments, and praises) are only appropriate for younger students.

False

True or False Teachers should be careful about giving students too much encouragement, because if they are too positive toward students, motivation will suffer.

False

True or False Teachers should state expectations and commands verbally rather than using nonverbal signals or cues.

False

Mr. Kalani, a new teacher, is setting up his learning environment at the beginning of the school year. He is teaching fifth grade and wants students to feel valued and welcomed. What is one way Mr. Kalani can build positive relationships with each student from the first day of class?

Greet each student at the door by name with a smile and say, "I'm glad you're here."

Which action is most likely to create rapport, build respect, and promote caring in the learning environment?

High-five, fist-bump, or praise students each time they meet a class or individual goal and encourage them to set additional goals.

What is one way that teachers can establish a culture of learning in their classroom community?

Incorporate students' life experiences into instruction and talk about the importance of learning.

Climate Variables

Intangible factors or elements of the classroom environment that dictate the general and overall atmosphere of teaching and learning.

A teacher has several students who are close friends. He is concerned that these students will talk to each other at inappropriate moments, disrupting the learning environment. Currently, the classroom has small groups of seating so that students can work together. What is one appropriate way to organize the environment so that learning is not disrupted?

Keep classroom space as it is, but create a break space where students can sit apart from the group if they are disrupting learning but still see and hear instruction.

Ms. Shafer addresses her students as "scholars" and constantly reminds them of the day's learning objectives. She makes additional enrichment activities available and wastes very little class time, telling students they have a lot of learning to do.

Knowledge-centered

Ms. Yoshida has students from many different language groups in her class. She posts vocabulary words in different languages around the classroom so that students feel welcomed.

Linguistic

What is an appropriate behavioral norm for a middle school classroom?

Maintain a respectful voice and appropriate choice of words.

If you are leaving school to attend a job-site placement, sign out in the front office and collect any missing homework from your teachers.

Middle or High School routine/procedure

At the beginning of the school year, Mr. Thomas is trying to decide how to discuss classroom norms and expectations with his students. Which approach is most likely to secure student engagement, buy-in, and adherence to norms?

Mr. Thomas should share his expectations about safety and learning goals with the entire class, then let students propose class norms.

To be safe inside the school and on the playground, students should always follow adult directions.

Norm

How are norms different from rules in the classroom?

Norms are created collaboratively with students, but rules are imposed on students by an authority, such as the teacher.

A seventh-grade teacher wants to tailor her learning environment to the developmental stages and needs of her students. Which three choices are considerations that might address her students' developmental needs as middle school students?

Offering choice so that students can select options appropriate to their own strengths Using group work because middle school students enjoy socializing Using humor and enthusiasm because middle school students often respond well to these approaches

Routines

Organized and scheduled tasks and events that students can follow to accomplish learning tasks while remaining safe, respectful, and responsible

Seven internally consistent dimensions of the higher education classroom climate

Personalization, Involvement, Student cohesiveness, Satisfaction, Task orientation, Innovation, Individualization.

Ms. Johnson is working with a group of first-grade students. She plans several trips outside for recess or games so that students can take a break, exercise, and remain focused.

Physical

Ms. Shafer is encouraging and kind to all students. She finds something to compliment in each student's effort. When a student makes a significant improvement, Ms. Shafer calls or texts the student's family to let them know.

Positive

Mr. Wright is setting up his learning environment at the beginning of the school year. He is teaching tenth grade, and he wants to establish and maintain positive relationships with his students from the very first day. What is an area Mr. Wright should include as a separate section in his classroom management plan?

Procedures for teacher-student interactions

Learning Incentives

Recognition, praise, rewards or awards provided to students by a teacher to reinforce academic achievement, class and individual successes and behavioral growth.

Which practice is recommended for establishing and maintaining norms and routines?

Reflect and adjust throughout the year as needed.

Ms. Phan conducted an activity in her middle-school class in which students were to solve problems in groups, then present a poster summarizing their work. Instead, her class became chaotic. Students stopped working if they became confused, argued with group members, and got out of their seats without permission. What is one way Ms. Phan could ensure that students meet the learning target when she sees students the following day?

Remind students of norms and procedures, repeat the activity while circulating to answer questions, and impose consequences for not following procedures.

The first week of school, Mr. Kwan, a third-grade teacher, notices that students have not taken care of their classroom library. Books have been returned inconsistently and replaced upside down, with covers missing. How can Mr. Kwan most effectively address this situation to maintain a respectful and productive learning environment?

Review norms and procedures about taking care of classroom property.

When moving to small reading groups, students should wait for their table to be called, then carry their materials to their new location.

Routine or Procedure

Procedures

Rules that may address discrete situations such as turning in work, completing partner activities to help students understand how to accomplish learning tasks while remaining safe, respectful, and responsible

Which factor is important in creating a positive learning environment?

Safety

Mr. Garcia knows that his students do not yet know each other well, so he arranges desks in small clusters so that students can easily form relationships.

Social

A new teacher notices that two of his students do not seem to get along, and their interactions seem to make it difficult for them to focus and accomplish their goals during lessons. Which aspect of learning environment theory is most relevant to this situation?

Social and cognitive interaction

Which three of the following choices are broad areas addressed by learning environment theory? (Choose all that apply.) Social and cognitive interaction Cognitive processes Formative assessment Designing effective instructional experience

Social and cognitive interaction Cognitive processes Designing effective instructional experience

Why should routines and procedures be included in classroom management plans?

Specifying routines and procedures helps teachers to maintain an organized and consistent classroom so that students can focus on learning.

Individualization

Students are permitted to make decisions and treated differentially based upon ability and interests.

Satisfaction

Students enjoy class.

Student cohesiveness

Students know one another, help one another, and are friendly toward one another.

Professorial concern

Students perceive the instructor as personally concerned about them as individuals

Which characteristic is consistent with a student-centered learning environment?

Students provide input into norms, rules and procedures, and learning activities.

Structure

Students see evaluation criteria and course content clearly articulated.

Norm

Students should be responsible for themselves, their materials, and their learning.

Inimical ambiance

Students view the environment as hostile, competitive, and rigid.

Classroom Ecology

Synonymous with classroom environment; the general and overall climate and atmosphere of a classroom including all the environmental contextual factors, variables, influences and constraints affecting teaching and learning.

Which procedure is appropriate for upper elementary school students to follow when getting ready to go home and awaiting dismissal?

Take out your planner, have your teacher initial it, pack your homework folder in your backpack, and sit quietly at your desk.

What is the most effective way for a teacher to increase the sense of connectedness among the students in her class?

Teach socio-emotional skills and send related materials home for parent awareness.

Which definition of learning environment is accurate?

The atmosphere and conditions present in a classroom or school, including social, physical, cognitive, and cultural aspects

Which aspect of a learning environment is most likely to help students focus on assigned tasks?

The environment is organized and uncluttered, with no distractions.

Affiliation

The environment promotes informal interaction that is highly supportive, friendly, and student-centered.

Classroom Climate

The general and overall atmosphere of a classroom including a variety of elements that may be physical conditions, situations or circumstances (e.g., classroom order, structure or management) or psychological/mental affects.

Involvement

The instructor encourages active student participation in class.

Personalization

The instructor provides opportunities for student-to-teacher interaction and expresses concern for students' welfare.

Innovation

The instructor utilizes unique teaching methods, activities, or assignments.

Community-centered

The learning environment involves connections to families, local agencies, and individuals outside the school so that students can have meaningful interactions beyond the classroom.

Assessment-centered

The learning environment involves various types of activities and tests that tell the teacher how well students are meeting goals.

Student-centered

The learning environment is built around students' needs and involves students actively.

Knowledge-centered

The learning environment presents students with dynamic and substantive information and rigorous learning experiences.

Both Elementary & Middle or High School routine/procedure

To turn in papers, place them in the teacher's homework bin as you enter the classroom.

True or False Norms, routines, and expected behaviors may vary based on time of day, students, and activities.

True

True or False Teachers should follow the same steps to establish routines related to learning activities, such as peer review or group discussion, and routines related to logistical matters, such as entering or exiting the classroom.

True

Ms. Shafer has norms and routines posted. Materials are easy to find and clearly labeled. She returns papers promptly and always knows where everything is.

Well-organized

Middle or High School routine/procedure

When switching classes, gather up your materials, exit the class when the bell rings, and walk promptly to your next class.

Routine or Procedure

When they arrive for the day, students should unpack their backpacks and move to their desks with pencils in hand.

6 common learning theories

behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism, experiential, humanistic and social-situational.

The seating arrangement in a classroom can send a message to students about __________________ .

teacher-student relationships

Confirming behaviors

teachers communicate to students that they are endorsed, recognized, and acknowledged as valuable, significant individuals