Standard 4:
Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments
According to Maslow (1943), humans have physiological needs for safety and belonging. These lower order needs must be met if we are to expect students to attain to higher-order needs. Calm, safe and supportive learning environments are a precondition for cognitive development.
Trust is an integral part of feeling safe. According to Tomlinson (2008), 'Teachers build trust through an accumulation of small, positive exchanges with individual students' (p. 28). Teachers also build trust by managing challenging behaviour and setting tasks at the right level of challenge.
Research indicates a correlation between 'students’ sense of support (e.g. being liked and valued by the teacher) [and] success' (Avenell, 2009, p. 31). I believe students should be able to walk into any classroom every day trusting they will be supported, respected, challenged, and protected.
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Keep scrolling to view evidence of my knowledge and proficiencies in relation to Standard 4.
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Evidence 1: PowerPoint Slides
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Evidence 1: Here are the first several slides of a PowerPoint (focus area: 2.6) I used in my first lesson with a Yr.7 class, showing how I established rapport as well as an informal social contract with the students (Shindler, 2010).
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To learn students' names and more about them, I had students tell me the highlight of their holidays as I did the roll call, after which I introduced myself using a 'virtual shoebox' (in response to a shoebox presentation they had delivered in Term 1), giving students an insight into who I am and therefore laying the foundation for building trusting relationships (Tomlinson, 2008, p. 28). I then had students complete a short SurveyMonkey quiz so I could gather data for their learning profiles (focus area: 5.1).
While students waited for others to finish the quiz, I asked them to contemplate some prompts on the screen about how we could all help create a safe classroom. A brainstorming session ensued (focus areas: 3.3, 3.5 4.1). Among the suggestions students made were: 'raise hands to ask questions', 'listen to each other', 'do what the teacher asks', 'encourage each other', 'don't make fun of each other' and 'be nice'. I recorded these and used them as a basis for my behaviour management with this class, reminding them frequently of the footing on which we'd begun the term (focus area: 4.3, 4.4). My strategy for establishing classroom expectations accords with Schindler (2010), who advocates democratic processes for establishing class rules, framing them positively and keeping the items few (p. 148-9).
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Evidence 2: Mentor Feedback
Evidence 2: My mentor wrote this feedback after a Yr. 9 English double lesson. It demonstrates my ability to engage students in inclusive group discussion and class feedback; structure and sequence a double lesson to create a safe, quiet environment for engagement in learning tasks; as well as implement constructive behaviour management strategies (focus areas: 1.3, 3.4, 3.5 4.1, 4.2, 4.3).
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At the beginning of most of my lessons I would begin with either an essential question for students to consider or a video clip related to the content of the lesson, followed by an outline of the learning goal/s for lesson and unit. Students generally knew what to expect when entering my classes, as there was a routine. When the routine was broken up this was for a particular point or purpose (focus area: 4.2).
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Clear explanations, choice, engaging pedagogy and fair and consistent approaches to behaviour management were key to the success of my Yr. 9 double lessons. Shindler (2010) recommends 'high-participation formats', 'project-based learning' and 'keeping students cognitively engaged and accountable' are important for classroom management. I aim to improve and refine my classroom routines (especially attention-grabbing methods) and ensure my tasks involve high cognitive engagement to minimise disruptive behaviour (focus area: 1.2).
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Evidence 3: Digital Citizen ship Training
Evidence 3: Whenever ICT is used in classroom tasks or projects, teachers should give instruction of and reinforce the principles and practices of digital citizenship to ensure students' online safety, and promote ethical behaviour and wellbeing.
ACARA's ICT Capability Learning Continuum specifies what digital citizenship looks at the various grade levels. Flinders University requires Masters students to take an ICT subject, during which we have deconstructed the language of the Learning Continuum to fully understand its objectives; see below a sub-element of the continuum where progressions have been digitally colour coded:
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Through Flinders I've been equipped with the knowledge and tools to support my students to become responsible digital citizens. Microsoft Office 365 provides free resources, which educators can use and adapt for explicit teaching of digital citizenship. The resources include lessons and quizzes on protecting ourselves, others and our content in the digital space. I intend to draw upon these resources in my future classrooms (focus area: 3.4).
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For artwork and images on this site which are not my own, I have acknowledged Creative Commons sources, demonstrating my understanding and application of ethical use of ICT.
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I have also created a CC licence for the content of this Teaching Portfolio. Click on this symbol (at the bottom of every page) to view the licence terms of my Portfolio:
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Standards Covered:
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1.2 Understand how students learn
Proficient: Structure teaching programs using research and collegial advice about how students learn
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1.3 Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds
Proficient: Design and implement teaching strategies that are responsive to the learning strengths and needs of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds
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2.6 Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
Proficient: Use effective teaching strategies to integrate ICT into learning and teaching programs to make selected content relevant and meaningful.
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3.3 Use teaching strategies
Proficient: Select and use relevant teaching strategies to develop knowledge, skills, problem solving and critical and creative thinking.
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3.4 Select and use resources
Proficient: Select and/or create and use a range of resources, including ICT, to engage students in their learning
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3.5 Use effective classroom communication
Proficient: Use effective verbal and non-verbal communication strategies to support student understanding, participation, engagement and achievement
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4.1 Support student participation
Proficient: Establish and implement inclusive and positive interactions to engage and support all students in classroom activities
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4.2 Manage classroom activities
Proficient: Establish and maintain orderly and workable routines to create an environment where student time is spent on learning tasks
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4.3 Manage challenging behaviour
Proficient: Manage challenging behaviour by establishing and negotiating clear expectations with students and address discipline issues promptly, fairly and respectfully
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4.4 Maintain student safety
Proficient: Ensure students' wellbeing and safety within school by implementing school and/or system, curriculum and legislative requirements
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4.5 Use ICT safely, responsibly and ethically
Graduate: Demonstrate an understanding of the relevant issues and the strategies available to support the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in learning and teaching,
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5.1 Assess student learning
Proficient: Develop, select and use informal and formal diagnostic, formative and summative assessment strategies to assess student learning.
References:
Avenell, Ken. (2009). The importance of relational pedagogy. Australian Educational Leader, 31(2), 31-32.
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Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370-396. Retrieved from:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/h0054346
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Tomlinson, C. A. (2008). The Goals of Differentiation. Educational Leadership, 66(3), 26-30.
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Shindler, J. (2010). Transformative Classroom Management : Positive Strategies to Engage All Students and Promote a Psychology of Success (Vol. 33). Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.
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