The Classroom Environment: 2a Creating an Environment of Respect and Rapport
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Students spend more than 1,000 hours with their teacher in a typical school year. That's a lot of time to build a relationship that could inspire a student's lifetime love of learning.
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My first job as a teacher is to make sure that I learn about my students, that I connect with them on a personal level. I show respect for their culture and affirm their worthiness to receive the best education possible.
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It is important to set classroom norms that create feelings of trust and safety for students. Once this classroom environment and foundation has been created, I can promote students' deeper thinking and engagement.
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​One way that I create a positive classroom environment and continue growing student relationships is through reading. On a typical day during reading, I will meet with a guided reading group to improve skills. Once a week, I set aside 1 reading period to simply sit down with my students and read one-on-one with them. I listen to them read and ask questions along the way. This small, uninterrupted moment helps me to learn something new about my students each time, all while checking on their reading progress.