There should be adequate space for the children to find alone and quiet time when needed. Above all, the classroom space and environment should be a clean and well organized one, in which children are able to easily find and use any materials they desire or need during the day. .
I believe that the classroom culture is defined and designed at the beginning of the year by both the teacher and the students. I feel it lays the groundwork for the upcoming year together. In my classroom, this culture represents a combination of ideas; the respect my students and I have for one another, the daily interactions we share, the amount of responsibility and independence I give my students, as well as the atmosphere I create and the approach I take to learning. My ultimate goal is to provide a comfortable, welcoming and respectful classroom in which students, their families and I share a passionate love of learning together and from one another. .
I think of the classroom as a mini community where everyone has different jobs all working together. Students should be encouraged to take an active role in the classroom so that they are engaging in learning at all of these levels, gaining the expertise on topics to discuss with others to maximize retention and understanding. The students then essentially learn to be independent learners and gain the knowledge, eventually becoming community contributors while learning their independence. The role of a student evolves as he/she grows from a dependent learner to a self-determined independent learner. Families can be the best support systems and resources for teacher and I feel that families must be an integral part of a classroom environment in order to make it effective for all students. In working with families and bringing them into your classroom it is important to consider a variety of issues; including race, culture, sexual orientation, and religious beliefs etc.
