Classroom Environment Philosophy Shelby Lewis

Introduction

My classroom will be a place of acceptance and respect for others. All students will have an
understanding that once they enter my classroom, all negativity will be left outside. I want my
students to feel open and have a place where they can share and feel like apart of a something.
No one likes to feel alone and my plan is, in my classroom no one will feel alone. There will be
creative projects with open guidelines so that everyone can show creativity and self-expression.
All levels of students will have no problem with the creative projects. My hope is that giving
them a space to be creative will also give them some inspiration to learn and put their best foot
forward. I don’t believe in calling out students in front of everyone and embarrassing them. I will
say something to them alone and ask them if something is wrong and if they need to talk about
anything. I want to build a trusting classroom and I hope to achieve that by being open and
honest with my students and in return they will be open and trusting with me and their
classmates.

1) I believe all students have the right to get high quality education.
I will teach each student fairly and help all as much as possible. In my classroom there will be
opportunities for tutoring and after school help. All students will be aware of this and it will be
open to anyone who would like to exercise the activity. I will also implement the rule that no
question is a dumb question. All students are to be respectful of others and understand that all
students know as much as them. I will not discriminate based on race, sex, income, etc. Every
student will have equal opportunity in my classroom.

2) I believe in a respectful environment.

All students that enter the classroom will be expected to treat others with respect. Students will
be taught how to have respectful conversations with others rather than arguments. Students will
also be aware that it is an open classroom and diversity is welcome. I would want someone to
talk to if I was back in a classroom and felt like the world was against me, so I want to create that
environment for my students. I want them to feel like they have someone to talk to.

3) I believe in having an accepting classroom.

I will announce that the classroom is an open space and all are welcome. It is important to have
everyone understand that we’re all here to learn and to receive an education and if we can help
one another, the better off it will be. The classroom will be a place of accepted diversity and all
students will feel welcome and included. Representation is very important and I hope to include
activities that show all forms of diversity.

4) I believe in self expression in the classroom.

Classroom Environment Philosophy Shelby Lewis

The students will have several opportunities to express themselves with several creative
educational projects. With their permission I will display them throughout the classroom to
remind them all of self expression. Creativity is a major part of learning and I want the students
to feel like they can be creative in my classroom.

5) I believe in honesty and integrity.

My classroom will be based around honesty and integrity. I will expect all of my students to have
a code of ethics and not cheat or lie while in the classroom and hopefully the rest of the world.
Children will be aware of what of being honest means and they will sign an honor pledge with
assignments.

Parent/Guardian Letter
Welcome to Eighth Grade
Classroom Environment Philosophy Shelby Lewis

Dear parents and guardians,

Welcome to a new school year and 8th grade Social Studies! I am very excited to get to work with your
students in their last year of middle school. I am positive this year will be filled with opportunities for
creativity, learning and most importantly, fun!

Expectations
I expect all students to come to class prepared. Whether that means they come to class with completed
homework/assignments or with a positive attitude and ready to learn. Social Studies is all about the past,
however, we will discuss current events in my classroom. I think it is important for students to keep
updated with what is happening in the world around them. I want to have an open and positive classroom
learning environment so that students can openly express their opinions about the surrounding world. In
order for everyone to feel heard and understood I will implement classroom rules that your students will
be made aware of.

Classroom Guidelines
● Respect all opinions (even if they are not the same as your own)
● Be prepared (come with a positive attitude and/or completed homework)
● Turn in assignments on time (I will implement a late policy, 10 points deducted each day it is
late)
● Help each other (This is a classroom full of support, please do not hesitate to help your peers)
● PARTICIPATE (This is my most important rule! This classroom is fueled by brilliant young
minds and I want to hear what you have to say)
Help At Home
I need your help, parents and guardians, to continue students’ learning at home. Please check in on your
students and have a quick conversation about what they learned today. I will send home weekly progress
reports and I ask that you sign them and have your students return them back to me. This way I know that
you have an understanding of how your student is doing in class and where we can go from there.

I need your support to get buy in from your brilliant students. Together, we can create an amazing school
year for your young minds. Please do not hesitate to contact me for any reason, no question is too small! I
look forward to shaping the minds of your wonderful students!

Sincerely,
Ms. Shelby Lewis

Creekside Middle School Classroom Phone Email

(901) XXX-XXXX (901) XXX-XXXX sjlewis4@gmail.com

Conclusion
Classroom Environment Philosophy Shelby Lewis

My classroom environment will be accepting and open. I believe that everyone who
walks into my classroom will feel supported and safe. My goal is to build a trusting classroom,
so that later in the year, we can have discussions, debates and go further with material. Every
child deserves an education and in my classroom that will remain true. This CEP connects to the
North Carolina Standard Course of Study because in order for students to learn the required
material, they first need to feel safe and accepted in a classroom. If a student feels uncomfortable
or just uninterested, they are not going to understand the content being taught.
This Classroom Environment Philosophy will benefit me as an emerging professional
because it maps out my plan for my future classroom. I can look back on this philosophy as a
first year teacher and remind myself of my beliefs. I could also use my philosophy to reflect on
my classroom and my teaching.
My first draft of my Classroom Environment Philosophy is not that much different than
the one I have produced now. I added a parent letter and realized just how important parent
involvement is, within a classroom. I had to create the letter based around parents. I had to
understand that I needed to keep it short because most parents work and are stressed for time. I
had to relay my plan for the class because parents want to know what their child will be
participating in. I have realized that there is a relationship between parents and teachers and
overall their end goal is to improve their student’s education.