Environment

Stop for a moment and think of your environment....

What is it? Your environment is all that surrounds you at the moment: the sights - the sounds - the smells - the feelings - the temperature - everything!

As a teacher, you want to create the environment in your classroom that is most conducive to maximizing learning.

What are the things you can control? You have a degree of control over sights, sounds, temperature, and feelings. Feelings? Yes, feelings. I will explain that a bit further on in this section.

The Sights

I suggest that you would want to create a visual environment that:

1. Is Attractive
2. Is Functional
3. Is Stimulating
4. Is Motivational
5. Creates pride and self esteem

Attractive materials are neat, colorful, and pleasing to the eye. These materials may be self-made, purchased, or textbook resource materials.

Functional materials, in addition to being attractive, teach or reenforce a concept or skill. Calendars and current event notices are functional materials.

Stimulating materials would be thought-provoking and questioning in nature.

Motivational materials are often in the area of morals and values, with the goal of raising viewers' awareness and offering hope and encouragement.

Materials which create pride and boost self esteem may be student work or posters celebrating students' accomplishments or birthdays.

The Sounds

There is a substantial amount of research in support of relaxation being an important ingredient in improving and/or accelerating learning. Such research further supports the idea that instrumental music by such composers as Mozart and Bach are calming and actually help to raise student test scores.

Soft music can be played as students enter class, during the introductory activity while roll is being taken, during class work times, as well as during testing, to help set a calm, relaxed pace and tone for the class.

The Temperature

Temperature is another important element in the environment. If you are in a classroom without air conditioning it is important that you do all you can, especially in warm weather, to get the best air flow to help keep students comfortable and alert.

Research suggests that we are most alert in rooms that are on the cool side - in the low 70s. A well ventilated room is better than a close, stuffy one. Try to open as many windows and doors as necessary to create a good cross-ventilation. The use of a fan may help create a comforting air movement on warmer days.

Feelings

Creating an environment conducive to concentration, study, and learning is more than having attractive, stimulating sights, relaxing sounds, and good ventilation. It is creating a place where all feel comfortable and at ease, a place where the surroundings are neat and orderly. It is a place where there is mutual respect in a friendly, non-threatening atmosphere, a place where everyone can bloom and do their best.

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