I have recently taken up a teaching position in a top international school in south Asia. An IB world school. The first impression you get is that in a healthy school environment, everything else is secondary to well-being and happy relationships. Here, it is abundantly clear that learning goes beyond academics. That both a happy teacher, and a happy student, achieve the core mandate of teaching and learning.
Whereas back home we seem to be obsessed with syllabus coverage and assessments, here it's about establishing connections, fostering relationships and creating positive learning environments first before anything else. And it's amazing what this approach can achieve in terms of the overall atmosphere in the school and the environment in the classroom. The kind of psyche you see in students in terms of their dispositions and attitude.
Lofty as this may sound, it is not rocket science. Simple practices, simple shift policy positions and worldviews can make a world of difference in our schools. While administrators, teachers, and even students worry about how to respond to book challenges and critical race theory allegations, the main concern of school administration and faculty is the students.
Concern about student academic progress, student social and emotional maturation, and school atmosphere remain the priority. A strong school community that is able to meet its students' needs has an easier time dealing with curricular changes. Students' sense of belonging and school atmosphere are a huge concern when it comes to striving for students' academic achievement and general well-being.
Bronfenbrenner's theory of ecological systems supports the prioritisation of the classroom environment. The theory suggests that a child's best opportunity at academic success is an environment that respects, supports, and celebrates their identity. Alignment between a child's home environment, social environment, and school environment creates a sense of safety, belonging, and familiarity which, in turn, allows the student to better contextualise curriculum and prepare to learn.
The classroom environment is an integral part of the learning process. A respectful classroom environment is a space where all students feel safe, comfortable, and valued physically, academically and emotionally. There are many parts to fostering a respectful environment: student-teacher relationships, peer status, and classroom management among others.
Positive learning environment
Positive, productive learning environments are key to students' academic, emotional and social success in school. Unfortunately, positive learning environments don't just happen on their own-they must be created. There are many components that go into making a positive learning environment for students.
For starters, positive learning environments should offer a climate of safety, where risk-taking is encouraged, there is open authentic conversation, trust and respect are fostered, and positive interaction is the norm. The best time to start developing a positive learning environment in any classroom is during the first days, weeks, and months of the school year, while the learners' minds are still fresh. There are various positive action strategies, and several simple tips, that teachers, educators, and even parents, can use for creating a positive, productive learning environment for students.
These strategies are able to combine the need for positive learning environments that foster improved academic performance, with the ability to promote students' social and emotional well-being and progress inside and outside the classroom.
Sense of community
Very many studies have shown connections between these strong relationships and a sense of belonging in the classroom. A 2019 research study done by Cecilia Cheung, an Associate Professor of Psychology at the UCR Graduate School of Education, aimed to shed light on teacher-student relationships. The study hypothesised that a positive student-teacher relationship was crucial for smooth school adjustment. The study surveyed over 300 students in different schools, three times over the course of 18 months. The students answered questions about their parents' involvement in their education, the quality of their relationships to their teachers, and how they felt they were adjusting to school (focusing on themes of school belonging, engagement, and perception of competence).
Positive relationships between teachers and students were associated with school adjustment as demonstrated through school engagement, valuing of education, and student perceptions of their own competence in the classroom. These studies demonstrate and summarise the common finding that students with positive relationships with their teachers are more likely to engage in school and, as a result, have a better chance at academic success. The study pointed to the benefits of strong, meaningful teacher-student relationships and the positive correlation those benefits have with a sense of community and belonging within the classroom.
Peer Relationships
Another important relationship dynamic within the classroom is peer relationships- relationships and dynamics amongst students and their peers. The dominant group, or the group that sets the norm for behaviour, is often referred to as the peer group. Multiple studies have been conducted in order to explore these relationships and their effects on different students.
One such mixed method study by scholars: Kiefer, Alleyn, and Ellerbrock in 2015, looked to explore peer relationships as they related to student motivation, classroom engagement, and school belonging. The study's participants were all teachers and students from the same urban middle school in the US; participants were observed and surveyed. One major finding was that all participating educators and a majority of students perceived peer academic support and emotional support as central to supporting student needs for relatedness and promoting classroom engagement and school belonging
. Students are often concerned with how they are perceived by peers because it is their peers who decide what students are popular; this concern can affect their relationship with their teacher and their peers as students act out to seem cool or try to remain invisible to the peer group. It is hard for students to navigate these relationships in ways that are genuine and meaningful to them.
How to foster community
Another factor to explore when it comes to a respectful classroom environment is a teacher's classroom management. Classroom management involves a teacher's policies, procedures, and guidelines for learning and behaviour within the classroom. Scholars Talia Sandwick, Josephine Wonsun, and Hassoun Ayyub conducted a research study in 2019 on Lessons for building restorative justice school cultures. They focused on five New York City schools and their specific classroom and school-wide community-centred practices. These schools used strategies in line with restorative justice practices in order to respond to student needs. Such practices included 'one-on-one student check-ins or restorative conversations; mediation; mentoring; varied community-building strategies; multiple forms of talking circles (e.g., community building, harm, support, re-entry, etc.); and ongoing counselling. Though schools emphasised different practices, all practices contributed to a more harmonious school and classroom atmosphere. Teachers had the opportunity to structure restorative justice practices into their daily routine and use these practices as needed. In focusing on the individual students, teachers are able to better understand and accommodate students as well as show that the individuals are valued. When students are and feel valued, fostering a respectful classroom environment becomes natural.
Reinforcing positive behaviours
Other proven positive action strategies include: making learning relevant by adjusting teaching methods and strategies to meet the needs of students on an individual basis, developing a code of conduct (setting the stage for appropriate classroom behaviours), Intrinsic motivation (Feeling good about themselves is an intrinsic motivator to students-especially elementary age students-and positive actions help children feel good about themselves), reinforcing positive behaviours (Certificates, stickers, toy prizes, tickets, tokens and other reward systems are great ways to recognise students and reinforce positive behaviour and achievement in the classroom), responding with positivity (Interacting with students in a positive manner, exhibiting positive behaviours, and maintaining a positive attitude) and employing a positive actions curriculum (positive actions lead to a good feeling and positive self-image. Positive actions such as nutrition, property exercise, and sleep which lead to a healthy body. Positive actions such as problem-solving, decision-making and thinking skills develop the brain and make us smarter. Positive actions such as kindness and being respectful allow us get along with others. Actions such as time management and managing our emotions help us better manage our own affairs. Positive actions such as admitting mistakes and taking responsibility for our actions allow us to be honest with others and ourselves. Goal setting lead to personal growth and improvement).
Multiple research findings prove that fostering relationships and creating positive learning environment is key in effective teaching and learning. It greatly contributes to a feeling of belonging in the classroom, which is a large part of fostering a respectful environment. In addition, inclusive and student-centred classroom management styles create and encourage a respectful learning environment as well. Finally, fostering an environment where all students and educators feel valued leads to higher academic achievement and sense of belonging. It is now up to educators to take up the task and ensure a positive learning environment in our schools.
