Running Head: CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT PLAN

Classroom Environment Plan

Sarah M. Orleskie

Grand Valley State University

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The classroom is the environment in which a student is taught and

learns. Classrooms come in a variety of sizes and styles, but their purpose is

the same. The classroom is vital for student learning and this is based upon

the environment of the classroom. In a 50 year study it was determined that

there are 28 factors that influence student learning. The 28 factors on that

list are ranked in order from the most important factor to the least. The

research in that study showed that out of all of the factors the most

important factor for governing student learning is classroom management

(Wong & Wong, 2009). This information demonstrates the importance of a

positive classroom environment based on its influence in student learning

which is why it is imperative that all teachers implement an environment

plan that supports this.

One of the first steps in creating a positive learning environment is to

create respect and rapport in the classroom. This should be among all

students as well as the teacher and student relationship. In my content area

of physical education, it is especially important to develop this area because

physical activity and sport can be a trigger for low self-esteem and lack of

self-confidence for students among their peers. One of the ways I would like

to develop this respect and rapport in my classroom on the student to

student level is by encouraging students to provide their peers with positive

feedback and reinforcement throughout the class. For team sports this

means encouraging fellow students with verbal feedback or nonverbal

feedback. Part of being a physical education teacher means teaching in three

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domains, one of which is affective. I will use the affective domain as a way to

monitor student interactions and help foster positive relationships among

students through both verbal and nonverbal positive feedback, teamwork,

sportsmanship, and attitude. To develop the respect and rapport between

myself and my students I will make sure to give fair, consistence, specific,

and positive feedback to students. Building relationships with students is

very important to me and I find that it helps to develop that level of respect

and rapport with students. Having students in the beginning of the semester

fill out an About Me sheet is a quick way to gather information from

students. This information can be used to create conversation between me

and the student and begin to develop a positive relationship. Students

should be made aware of respect and rapport being the number one

classroom goal and task. Students who cannot behave in these guidelines

must be addressed one on one.

Establishing a culture of learning means implementing purpose and

value of the content being taught. This can be done by relating the content

to the students and how it effects their lives. In physical education I find that

it is very easy to stress the importance and value of physical activity but it is

often more difficult to get the students to relate to their lives in these ways.

One of the things I aim to do in my future classroom is focus more on how

physical activity is important but relate it to students and explain the content

using a variety of methods such as video and research articles. My passion

for exercise science, physical education, and health will be shared with my
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students through videos, books, articles, journals, and activities as it relates

to physical education. Showing students your passion can also ignite it within

themselves and help facilitate their understanding of the content and value it

(Danielson, 2011).

Managing classroom procedures is important to maintain control of a

classroom while providing consistency and routine for students in a positive

environment. For my physical education class, I will have all students meet in

the gym after getting dressed for class. They will get 5 minutes to dress

before meeting in the gym. Students will be assigned a locker in the locker

room and given the option to get a lock for the locker. Any student that is

not in the gym after this time is considered tardy. Students will be assigned

alphabetically to a number on the line. Students must be on their number

when attendance is being taken. I will be waiting for students in the gym to

make sure they are on time and ready to go and also greet them. Equipment

will be set up ahead of time and students will be instructed to not touch the

equipment until told to do so.

Students behavior will be managed through verbal feedback and

proximity. Students who are not following directions will be paid close

attention to. A student will be warned 3 times for misbehavior such as

kicking a volleyball or dunking the basketball. Any behavior that is harmful to

another student will not be given any warnings. These classroom guidelines

will be discussed on the first day and posted in the locker room and
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gymnasium all year. Students who do not participate will be talked to and will

lose points for the day.

The gymnasium will be organized differently depending on what unit

we are in. Sometimes the unit we will be doing will be outdoors and the

gymnasium will not need to be set up. For units that will be in the

gymnasium equipment will be set up in places for students to pick them up

when instructed but out of the way so they will not be distracted during

instruction. Equipment such as soccer balls, volleyballs, and tennis balls will

be kept in the equipment closet to make sure they are not used before

instruction to prevent loss of equipment.

Physical Education has taken a step forward in recent years with the

use of technology in the classroom. There is myriad of research that shows a

positive correlation between the amount of physical activity a student gets

and academic achievement. The use of technology such as a heart rate

monitor in class is a great way to measure the intensity of the exercise that

students are getting to contribute to the amount of physical activity needed

for improvement in academics and prevention of obesity. According to the

CDC, students need at least 60 minutes of moderate to intense physical

activity for the necessary health benefits and physiological adaptations

(CDC,2010). In addition to heart rate monitors being used as a way to

measure participation, audio equipment is motivating for fitness units and a

projector or television is a great way to play sports videos and game play as

well as other instructional videos.

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I believe that facilitating classrooms and effective teaching is similar to

the ideas discussed in Wong & Wong. Effective teaching requires many parts

and includes proper planning. Without having a plan for teaching there is

chaos and teaching can no longer be effective. Effective teaching means also

having positive relationships with students and colleagues as well as

management plans and classroom procedures. Effective teachers are

constantly trying to learn more, collaborate, and ignite passion in their

students. Behavior management for effective teaching in my opinion should

reflect the individual and not just the issue. This is referred to as Tough as

Necessary rather than zero tolerance. This type of management can also be

seen in the Love and Logic model which I also feel supports my philosophy

on classroom management and environment.

There are a few management models that I identify with and support.

Two which were named above, the Tough as Necessary approach which

approaches discipline based on the student and the situation rather than a

one size meets all behavior management. The Love and Logic model shares

some of those ideas as well. The approach with Love and Logic is to always

consider the student and their feelings and to also let the student like they

have some control of their situation. This helps to provide students with their

purpose and value as students in the classroom. Students need to feel

valued and like they contribute in order to be successful in the classroom.

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Resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The association between school
based physical activity, including physical education, and academic
performance. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services; 2010.
How Physical Activity Affects Academic Performance. (2012, April 19).
Retrieved November 3, 2016, from http://www.sparkpe.org/blog/how-
physical-activity-affects-academic-performance/
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Danie, Charlotte. "Danielson Group The Framework." Danielson Group The

Framework Comments. The Danielson Group, 2011. Web. 03 Nov. 201

Wong, H. K., & Wong, R. T. (1998). The First Days of School: How to Be an
Effective Teacher. Mountainview, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications.