CEC Artifact 2.1
Learning Environments
Much of the environment of a classroom stems from its design. By using decorations, color theory, and positive attributes that connect to meaningful learning, a teacher can create a safe, inclusive, and responsive environment where students thrive. The environment in which most of our exceptional students learn must be engaging, positive, and bring meaning to instruction and their surroundings.
During the course of my student teaching, one of the activities I believe benefited my students the most was seasonal art projects (hearts on valentines day, shamrocks on St. Patricks Day, etc..). While most of the activities were centered around time of year and working fine motor skills such as cutting, pasting, and coloring, much of what I hoped to do was decorate the classroom with the students work. This giving them a sense of ownership in how their class looks and pride in the work they do everyday.
Color theory also plays a role in the way your classroom environment feels. As an educator, I prefer to decorate with greens and yellows. Green, because it is recurring in nature and symbolizes growth, and yellow, because it exemplifies happiness, confidence, and contentment.
Lastly, I would like to add how important positive words, both verbal and written, play into the success of the students and educator. Having positive words models how to treat one another, how we speak to our students directly reflects with how they see us as their teachers and how they feel about themselves. Using and promoting positive words in a classroom means that your student have the ability to model great positive behavior to themselves and others, a foundational skill in their success in life.
During the course of my student teaching, one of the activities I believe benefited my students the most was seasonal art projects (hearts on valentines day, shamrocks on St. Patricks Day, etc..). While most of the activities were centered around time of year and working fine motor skills such as cutting, pasting, and coloring, much of what I hoped to do was decorate the classroom with the students work. This giving them a sense of ownership in how their class looks and pride in the work they do everyday.
Color theory also plays a role in the way your classroom environment feels. As an educator, I prefer to decorate with greens and yellows. Green, because it is recurring in nature and symbolizes growth, and yellow, because it exemplifies happiness, confidence, and contentment.
Lastly, I would like to add how important positive words, both verbal and written, play into the success of the students and educator. Having positive words models how to treat one another, how we speak to our students directly reflects with how they see us as their teachers and how they feel about themselves. Using and promoting positive words in a classroom means that your student have the ability to model great positive behavior to themselves and others, a foundational skill in their success in life.