The learning environment in the classroom is an important aspect of education. Classrooms should be engaging, fun, welcoming, and well organized. The purpose of the learning environment is to promote active and sustained learning. The primary goal of the learning environment is to provide students with a welcoming and comfortable space that promotes engaged learning. The central objective in any learning environment is to actively seek out new and improved practices that promote a positive and engaged environment that best compliments classrooms and students.
The students pictured are playing Multiplication War, where the student with the highest possible answer wins the cards in the center.
Procedures
In order to promote and sustain active and engaging learning environments, procedures must be put in action. Teachers can enforce these procedures by enacting thorough class rules and behavior expectations early in the school year. I have implemented Class Rules in my student teaching classroom and these are the rule that I plan on using in my own classroom in the future. Disruptions should be kept to a minimum, and I have covered many possible interruptions in my classroom management plan that can be found under the “Classroom Management” link in the left-side menu.
Classroom Layout
Organized classrooms and student friendly seating charts provide students with everything they might need and a positive learning environment. When students have an organized classroom they know where to look for the items they need, which leads to less classroom disruptions. Seating charts or assigned seating allows students to converse with their peers in a controlled setting. Teachers learn who can sit with whom and who cannot sit with whom by way of seating charts. In my classroom at Bonsack Elementary School, my students, pictured below, are arranged in a way that allows ease of access for both the teachers and instructional aides to help students as needed.
Diversity and Differentiation
Diversity and differentiation in the classroom are important factors in a classroom’s learning environment. Incorporating diversity in the classroom means welcoming any and all students by making them feel comfortable and accepted for who they are. When differentiation is incorporated into the learning environment all students’ needs are met. When planning lessons for my students I accommodate and differentiate my instruction, an example of my accommodations and differentiation can be found here.
The learning environment provides students with a home-away-from-home and a safe space for them to be themselves and engage in learning. It is through classroom management, classroom layout, and an inclusion of diversity and differentiation that an effective learning environment is created.