Teacher Learning Community

Spring 2018 TLC: Students as Partners in Creating a Positive Classroom Environment - Activity 3 Resources

Course leader:
SEED Team

Teacher Quality Standards

  • QS II: Teachers establish a safe, inclusive and respectful learning environment for a diverse population of students.
    • Element A: Teachers foster a predictable learning environment characterized by acceptable student behavior and efficient use of time in which each student has a positive, nurturing relationship with caring adults and peers.

Discipline

Your approach to discipline can help to define the climate of your classroom. As you complete this activity, consider that, while we often think about discipline only as our responses to misbehavior in the classroom, the word actually comes from a Latin root which means “instruction.” If we think about discipline as the ways in which we “instruct” our students about appropriate behavior in a school setting, then we can consider 3 key parts of discipline: 1) Prevention (what happens to prevent misbehavior), 2) Action (what happens when misbehavior occurs), and 3) Resolution (ensuring that misbehavior does not interrupt the teaching-learning process for students). Throughout this activity, consider how students might be partners throughout this process and how discipline might look if it is used for teaching.

Resources

Teaching Tolerance: Reframing Classroom Management

In this toolkit, Teaching Tolerance shares their model of classroom management to help educators focus on student development instead of punishment.

 

Revisiting Classroom Rules

This short article is about revisiting classroom rules throughout the year and is accompanied by two videos.  

Restorative Practices: Fostering Healthy Relationships & Promoting Positive Discipline in Schools

This article digs deep into the idea of restorative practices.

 

Restorative Practices

This short article gives a description of restorative practice, reasons for using restorative practice, and some strategies to implement.  

Reinforcing, Reminding, and Redirecting

This article touches on the "3 Rs" language approach from Responsive Classrooms.  Specific examples of how to change language and practice the 3 Rs are included.  

Clear Expectations and Important Work Empower Students to Work Independently

This video showcases how clear expectations, structure, and a sense of community fosters independent work and a productive classroom.  

A Leader They Can Trust

This video provides some perspectives on what it takes to be the leader in a classroom.

 

Why Discipline Should Be Aligned With A School's Learning Philosophy

This article shares an example of a school that is engaged in the work of “deeper learning” and outlines the ways in which a school’s discipline system can mirror its educational philosophy.

 

How Student-Centered is Your Classroom?

This blog post provides reflective questions to help educators assess their own classrooms in an attempt to answer the title question.