Briefing on Setting the Right Classroom Environment!

As teachers prepare to return to the classrooms, students will return with the memories of Christmas immediate past! The reality of school is closing in like a runaway train and sometimes for some students, this elevates their stress levels.  Others are dying to return to get back to reality and that is earning good grades to further get closer to the personal academic goals they have made for themselves.

Teachers should try their best to ensure that the environment of learning must be good, conducive, accommodating and most of all stimulating.  The students would like to feel a sense of purpose in their classrooms, therefore, our teachers should already made changes to give the students the feeling of belonging amongst their peers.  Below I have a list of suggestions that came through peer conversations of teachers who experience after Christmas Blues of their learners:

     1. change or improve the decor of the classroom (painting, curtains, false windows if there are  
          none).
     2. upgrade, change or buy new visual aids in the classroom.
     3. change the classroom seating bi-monthly creating an element of surprise.
     4. include new structures, strategies and techniques in teaching styles to facilitate more student
         participation during classes.
     5.  improve on assessment to make it more student friendly without dropping standards.
     6. play musical interludes (electronic device) of a classical nature at certain times of the day (after
         lunch or PE class).
     7.  bring in a resource persons on certain subject matter to help generate continued interest in a
          subject or content within a subject.
     8.  DRESS NICELY TO HOLD THE STUDENTS ATTENTION!  Students really do love when
          their teachers look nice!
     9. finally, at the end of a term give them an "apprentice" style activity that will always leave a
         mark on their minds and having them actually missing school when they are on holidays.


For more on this or clarification, please contact me on lysdave@yahoo.com or lysruds@gmail.com.  I will be more than happy to share my perspective on the matter.