Learning Environment / Classroom Culture Plan

Vision
In my ideal classroom environment and culture, I would like it to be a place where
students feel accepted and that their opinions are valued. I want it to be a place where students
feel that it is ok to try even if that involves making mistakes. It is a place where students are
encouraged to do their best and work hard. I want my students to understand that I believe that
they can succeed. I want them to know that they can do hard things. Even though I might give
them challenging tasks, I want them to know that I believe in their abilities. I do not want a
classroom full of children who want to quit when assignments seem difficult but instead who put
forth their best effort always.
In regards to the idea of creating an environment of respect and rapport, my ideal
classroom would be one where teachers and students have an open relationship of trust.
However, it is one where students see their teacher not as a friend but as a mentor and leader. It
is one where my students feel comfortable coming to me when they have problems. I want my
students to know that I care about them and their needs. However, I will also be a warm
demander in my classroom. Meaning that my students will understand that I will be firm with
consequences. They will know that I expect a lot from them and when they don’t follow through
with classroom expectations, there will be fair consequences. I would like it to be a classroom
where students are held to high expectations and expected to work hard to meet those
expectations.
Additionally, I see my ideal classroom as one where students know and trust each other.
The students will not tease or pick on each other. They will instead encourage each other to
succeed. When students make mistakes, they won’t laugh but will support other students in their
attempts to succeed.
In regards to the culture for learning aspect, my ideal classroom environment would be
one where students frequently collaborate with each other. It would be a classroom where
students are frequently asked to work together on assignments and listen to the opinions of
others. It would be a fairly relaxed environment where children do not feel bound by numerous
rules, but understand that there are consequences for demonstrating a lack of respect for those in
the classroom or not completing their assignments. In my ideal classroom, students will be
motivated by a desire to learn.
Game Plan
One way I can achieve this vision in my future classroom is to acknowledge when I make
mistakes and remind my students that it is okay to make mistakes. Recently in the kindergarten
classroom I am in, the teacher made a mistake when showing the students a math problem on the
board. She told the students that it is okay to make mistakes and told them that mistakes make us
smarter. It is so important to teach students, starting at a young age, that mistakes are part of the
learning process.
Another way I can achieve my classroom vision is through creating an open environment
for my students. A couple of years ago my mom sent me a New York Times article about a
teacher who had her students answer the prompt: “I wish my teacher knew.” The article shared
answers that the students gave that provided great insight into the students’ lives and interests.
One answer mentioned that the student and his family lived in a shelter. Another student
answered that he wanted to learn more about history. I love the idea of creating an open
environment where students feel that they are valued and that I want to know about their lives so
I can figure out how best to help them.
 In my ideal learning environment, I want to provide many opportunities for collaboration
between students. Recently in my kindergarten classroom, the teacher had the students talk in
small groups about an assigned topic. She reminded them beforehand how to be good listeners
in conversations and how to interact in small groups. I want to implement this into my future
classroom and allow my students to work together to solve problems.
Additionally, in my future classroom, I want to make sure that there are clear behavioral
expectations. I have noticed that setting expectations is something that I have not necessarily
been great at in the past but I have seen the importance of making sure students know what is
expected of them.
Another idea I want to implement into my classroom is to allow for many opportunities
for students to get to know each other. I have noticed that in the kindergarten class I am
currently in, many of the students hardly know each other’s names. In order to create an
environment of respect and trust, it is incredibly important that the students know each other.
This will foster respect and understanding and help them become better citizens.
Another idea I want to incorporate into my classroom is have a classroom mantra that the
students recite together every day. In my kindergarten classroom, each morning everyone
repeats the following mantra as a class: “I am an incredible kindergartner! And I must choose
every day to be incredible! I choose to be kind! I choose to be smart! My choices are
important!” Throughout the day, the teacher reminds students of this if they are not doing their
work or misbehaving and will say something like, “Show me that you’re an incredible
kindergartner.”
I want to always be honest with students. I have a hard time with confrontation but I
need to make sure that I am honest with my students. When I am honest with them, my
expectation can fairly be that they should correspondingly be honest with me.
Lastly, I want my students to understand that they should learn for the sake of learning
and enjoy learning. I will help them understand this by not saying things like, “I need you to be
quiet” or, “I need you to complete your worksheet,” but instead focus on the value of their
learning for their own benefit and their needful participation in the process.