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Hello, I am a student who will be student teaching in the fall. I am also a preschool teacher. I believe I have seen many different ways to create a welcoming and comfortable classroom environment that is conductive to learning. When I student teach, I will be getting the students at the beginning of the year. I am hoping I can receive some feedback on how to make my students feel comfortable and welcomed from the very first day of the school year. I believe that good classroom environment helps with behavior management, so I would love some tips on creating a good classroom environment. Thank you!

Hey Melissa! From experience, I've noticed that if you have students introduce each other or bring in some items from home that are about them or their family, the students feel more comfortable being in the classroom. I'm not sure which grade you are student teaching in, so that would ultimately depend on whether they make presentations or bring items in, but it's a great way to get your students to now one another!

I am currently earning my credential and I think this is a great topic to discuss. Building a classroom that fosters a positive environment is so important for students. Students need to feel safe, and comfortable in the classroom at all times. I think students really appreciate when they can come into a classroom and have it feel like their second home, or home away from home. I think ways to make a classroom environment positive, is to have warm colors in the classroom and positive posters hanging up. I think students love to see their work put up on the walls and love any chance to feel proud of their work and have others recognize it. You could maybe create a board in the classroom that you let the students create or decorate; I think they would love the opportunity to make the class feel even more like their own, which in turn would make the classroom environment very positive.

I believe that the classroom climate is not just about motivation and student well being, it is a major ingredient of the context for successful learning. Real learning cannot take place in a negative classroom climate, in the same way that plants will not grow if the soil is not right. I think it important to be approachable and let students see that the teacher sees them as people and values them as individuals. You can also ask students to identify the ways they like to be treated and make a classroom chart together.

I have seen how powerful a smile can be. Simply greeting the students as they enter the classroom and asking them how they are can really start the day off great! You must also remember you must stay assertive though, but kind at the same time!

Hello, I began student teaching this spring, and I too have been thinking a lot about how to create a positive classroom environment. I was placed with a teacher that was pregnant first, and I decided that I would try to be a friend to the students to earn their trust. I did become a friend to them, but they got too comfortable around me, and it was hard for me to instruct. After my original teacher left on maternity leave, I was placed in a new classroom. I made sure too continue to be friendly, but this time I also made sure to present myself as a figure of authority as well. I know this does not directly answer the original question, but I hope it helps!

I believe that a great classroom environment can be developed through positive reinforcement of students actions, even if they aren't the correct actions. For example, praising one group for being organized or following directions versus calling out another group that may be off task. Or, thanking students for sharing their answer to a problem even if they aren't correct and gently leading them to find the correct answer. In my current classroom my teacher has student find their mistakes and share them with the class because it is ok to mess up, and students need to know that. The important thing is to recognize the mistake, fix it, and move forward.

I am finishing my credential program in May and I have been thinking a great deal about how I will create a classroom environment that will benefit all students. I believe it is so important to create a classroom culture that allows all students to feel safe and comfortable. This has to do a lot with classroom management. When things run smoothly and expectations are set, students feel safe and the classroom functions properly. Additionally, I believe that seating arrangements play a large role in facilitating a welcoming and collaborative classroom. Students should feel like they are a part of something important, and by arranging desks in a strategic fashion, students will succeed and feel important!