Latest Tip of the Week

The Classroom We Build

Last week, we talked about beginning the year by getting clear about what we believe and value about teaching and learning.

I've continued thinking about that idea, especially this question:

How do I want it to feel to learn in my classroom?

That, too, reflects what we believe and value.

If we value relationships, students need opportunities to know us and one another. If we value independence, students need time to make decisions and take ownership of their learning. If we value curiosity, there needs to be room to wonder, explore, and follow an idea. And if we value joy, our classrooms need room for laughter and playfulness.

I recently read about a longitudinal study of more than 22,000 adolescents that examined school experiences associated with flourishing. The finding that caught my attention was that laughing with other students was associated with the largest increase in flourishing scores. A sense of playfulness and experiences that strengthened social relationships were also among the practices associated with greater flourishing over time.

That research made me think about the classrooms we are building right now.

During these first weeks, we establish routines, teach expectations, build independence, set a purpose for learning, and begin the important work of learning together.

At the same time, we are establishing something students will experience every single day:

How it feels to be here.

A classroom can feel purposeful and playful. Focused and joyful. Calm and connected.

We build that culture through the choices we make each day.

Build What You Value

If you want your classroom to feel connected, create opportunities for students to talk, work, and learn together.

If you want it to feel joyful, choose the read-aloud that makes everyone laugh. Bring your own sense of humor into the room. Enjoy your students.

If you want it to feel safe, respond to mistakes with curiosity and use them as opportunities for learning.

If you want it to feel empowering, explicitly teach students how to work independently and give them opportunities to experience that independence.

If you want it to feel purposeful, help students understand what they are learning, why they are learning it, and what they can do with it.

Our beliefs and values become visible in the experiences we create.

So, as you begin this school year, choose one word that describes how you want learning to feel in your classroom: joyful, connected, calm, curious, purposeful, playful, safe, empowering.

Then make one decision this week that helps students experience it.

Because the classroom we value is the classroom we build.

Gail

Source: Student Flourishing in Australian Christian Schools, a longitudinal study of 22,092 adolescents across 57 Australian Christian schools conducted by Christian Schools Australia and Research Schools International in collaboration with Harvard University's Human Flourishing Program.

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