ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT OF LEARNER – CENTERED
CLASSROOMS
The classroom is a vehicle forgetting students from where they are
when they enter the schoolhouse door to where they need to be an
academic year later. Ideally, we all would like to see at least one
year of progress for one year of seat time. In talking about
classroom management and student achievement, it may help to
think of the teacher as the driver of the car who needs to respond to
the passengers' needs in order to ensure that they reach their
destination. In driver education there is a substantial focus on the
mechanics of driving and the rules of the road, but not very much
attention is given to keeping the automobile functioning. People
learn about preventive maintenance as a secondary set of skills
through guidance, observation, reading, and trial and error.
DEVELOPING A LEARNER CENTERED CLASSROOM
In the more traditional "teacher-centered learning"
environment, the teacher is center of the learning experience
and takes the "active" role of teaching, while the students
assume a more "passive" or receptive role. In contrast, in the
student-centered learning environment, the interests of the
students' take center stage and the teacher gives students choice
and voice, finding ways to provide learning experiences that
focus on what students’ value. In the student- centered
classroom, students take a more "active" role in the education
experience.
Turn your classroom into a community
In a traditional classroom, the teacher speaks, the students
listen. In a student-centered classroom, the students speak, the
teacher listens, interjects and facilitates conversation when
needed, and then thanks the students for their participation. By
involving students directly in the education process, and by
enabling them to interact with one another, students begin to
feel a sense of community. More importantly they are shown
that what they feel, what they value, and what they think are
what matter most. In the student-centered classroom, the
teacher acts not only as educator, but as both facilitator and
activator.
Develop trust and communication
A student-centered classroom or learning environment cannot
exist without trust and open communication. Trust and open
communication are achieved by always being fair with students,
listening to them, and allowing them speak. However, it's much
easier to develop a student-centered classroom if you get started
right away at the beginning of the year. Getting started at the
beginning of the year sets the tone and allows students know
what's expected of them the rest of the year.
Find ways to integrate technology
Developing a student-centered classroom is all about
engagement. The better you're able to engage students in any
activity or project the more involved they'll become in the
learning process. In today's world, technology is one of the most
effective tools for engaging students. Technology is not the
future, it's the present. Everything kids do these days revolves
around technology–specifically mobile technology. When
students are given the opportunity to integrate exciting web
tools and technology into the learning process, they become
eager, anxious participant in just about any learning activity
Create an environment where mutual respect and a quest for
knowledge guide behavior–not rules
A classroom without rules seems a little farfetched. Well, it
maybe if you plan on having a teacher-centered classroom
where students spend half their time learning, and the other half
trying to keep from being bored out of their skulls. So, what's
the key to the "no rules" approach? Engagement! If you keep
activities engaging, behavior will rarely be an issue. Having an
engaging classroom environment, with engaging projects,
engaging activities and engaging discussions will foster mutual
respect and encourages a pursuit of learning that leaves little
time for disruption.
Replace homework with engaging project-based learning
activities
Some studies indicate there is a positive correlation between
homework and improved grades and test scores, while other
studies suggest little correlation. However, the entire premise
for these studies assumes that grades and test scores are an
accurate barometer for academic achievement and learning. In
the teacher-centered classroom, in class learning and student
productivity is lower, making homework more necessary and
regular testing essential for measuring learning and
performance. In the student-centered classroom, where
activities and projects are engaging, students become much
more eager to learn, and in class productivity s much higher.
Where student’s complete schoolwork outside of the classroom
in a student- centered learning environment, it's typically
because they want to complete projects they're working on
inside the classroom.
Develop ongoing projects
One of the keys to developing a student-centered classroom and
learning environment is to create ongoing projects for students.
Ongoing projects promotes mastery of subject matter being
taught and learned. Learning objectives and standards, for just
about any subject matter, can be met through well-designed
projects and activities. And providing students with various
project choices allows them to demonstrate what they're
learning.
Allow students to share in decision making
Creating a student-centered classroom requires collaboration. It
requires placing students at the center of their own learning
environment by allowing them to be involved in deciding why,
what, and how their learning experience will take shape.
CLASSROOM ORGANIZATION: ROOM STRUCTURING
The physical layout reflects your teaching style. If you want
students to collaborate in small groups, for example, organize
them around tables or clusters of desks. For frequent whole-
group discussions, try a circle or U-shaped desk configuration.
If you plan on an individualized, self-paced curriculum, you
might set up learning stations. The physical layout should also
reflect you. Don't hesitate to give the room your personal touch
with plants, art, rugs, posters, and maybe some cozy pillows for
the reading corner.
Creating a caring, child-centered environment takes lots of
thought and planning.
Author and educator Mike Hopkins point out that personal
teaching style and specific educational needs should largely
determine how you design your classroom space. Hopkins
urges teachers to forget about the way things have always been
done and to visit museums, libraries, other schools, and
colleagues' classrooms to identify different ways of organizing
learning space.
Flexible Room Arrangements
In learning-centered classrooms, teachers no longer determine
physical arrangements primarily to provide personally assigned
individual space. Rather, the spatial environment is designed to
facilitate collaboration. Some teachers in learning-centered
classrooms arrange their rooms in advance; others set up the
room arrangement after negotiations with their students. In
reviewing research on seating arrangements, Lambert (1995)
concluded that seating flexibility as opposed to a perpetually
fixed seating arrangement is a necessary prerequisite for an
interactive classroom.
Varied Social Forum
Another important aspect of the environment is providing
flexible and diverse forum for students to gain information and
share expertise. In some classrooms, teachers design small
group inquiry centers through which students rotate on a weekly
basis. In others, students are members of different groups
created for different purposes. To provide multiple forum and
flexible grouping arrangements in your classroom, you may
change seating patterns from unit to unit and from activity to
activity.
Collaborative Classroom
Effective communication and collaboration are essential to
becoming a successful learner. It is primarily through dialogue
and examining different perspectives that students become
knowledgeable, strategic, self-determined, and empathetic.
Moreover, involving students in real-world tasks and linking
new information to prior knowledge requires effective
communication and collaboration among teachers, students,
and others. Indeed, it is through dialogue and interaction that
curriculum objectives come alive. Collaborative learning
affords students enormous advantages not available from more
traditional instruction because a group--whether it be the whole
class or a learning group within the class—can accomplish
meaningful learning and solve problems better.
Characteristics of a Collaborative Classroom
Collaborative classrooms seem to have four general
characteristics. The first two capture changing relationships
between teachers and students. The third characterizes teachers'
new approaches to instruction. The fourth addresses the
composition of a collaborative classroom.
1. Shared knowledge among teachers and students
In traditional classrooms, the dominant metaphor for teaching
is the teacher as information giver; knowledge flows only one
way from teacher to student. In contrast, the metaphor for
collaborative classrooms is shared knowledge. The teacher has
vital knowledge about content, skills, and instruction, and still
provides that information to students. However, collaborative
teachers also value and build upon the knowledge, personal
experiences, language, strategies, and culture that students
bring to the learning situation.
2. Shared authority among teachers and students
In collaborative classrooms, teachers share authority with
students in very specific ways. In most traditional classrooms,
the teacher is largely, if not exclusively, responsible for setting
goals, designing learning tasks, and assessing what is learned.
Collaborative teachers differ in that they invite students to set
specific goals within the framework of what is being taught,
provide options for activities and assignments that capture
different student interests and goals, and encourage students to
assess what they learn. Collaborative teachers encourage
students' use of their own knowledge, ensure that students share
their knowledge and their learning strategies, treat each other
respectfully, and focus on high levels of understanding. They
help students listen to diverse opinions, support knowledge
claims with evidence, engage in critical and creative thinking,
and participate in open and meaningful dialogue.
3. Teachers as mediators
As knowledge and authority are shared among teachers and
students, the role of the teacher increasingly emphasizes
mediated learning. Successful mediation helps students connect
new information to their experiences and to learning in other
areas, helps students figure out what to do when they are
stumped, and helps them learn how to learn. Above all, the
teacher as media to adjusts the level of information and support
so as to maximize the ability to take responsibility for learning.
4. Heterogeneous groupings of students
The perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds of all students
are important for enriching learning in the classroom. As
learning beyond the classroom increasingly requires
understanding diverse perspectives, it is essential to provide
students opportunities to do this in multiple contexts in schools.
In collaborative classrooms where students are engaged in a
thinking curriculum, everyone learns from everyone else, and
no student is deprived of this opportunity for making
contributions and appreciating the contributions of others.
Thus, a critical characteristic of collaborative classrooms is that
students are not segregated according to supposed ability,
achievement, interests, or any other characteristic. Segregation
seriously weakens collaboration and impoverishes the
classroom by depriving all students of opportunities to learn
from and with each other. Teachers beginning to teach
collaboratively often express delight when they observe the
insights revealed by their supposedly weaker students.
Activity Based Learning
Understanding activity-based learning is significant for creating
the appropriate social environment; however, in conjunction
with this knowledge, the physical environment must be well-
thought-out to support the transactions that are intended to take
place. The concepts that validate situated learning theory must
be extended to the design profession; for, situated learning
theory provides the foundations for creating activity-based
learning environments. The reason for this is that it emphasizes
the significance of authentic learning experiences and
acknowledges that these experiences occur at specific times
within a specific place.
CLASSROOM ROUTINES AND PROCEDURES • Being a classroom helper; learning a classroom job
Establishing effective classroom routines early in the school • Getting into workgroups
year helps keep your classroom running smoothly and ensures • Using the classroom library
that no time is wasted while students wonder what they should • Handling seatwork pages
be doing during times of transition. Classroom routines can be • Preparing for lunch
established for many activities, including entering the • Getting a tissue
classroom in the morning, transitioning between activities and
• Lunch count/attendance
preparing to leave the classroom. The basic procedures for
• Throwing away trash
establishing solid routines remains the same regardless of the
• Turning in lost items
routine procedure that you are teaching your students.
• Locating lost items
Explain the routine to your class. Tell your students why the • Pledge
routine is important and what you expect them to do as part of • Visitors in the classroom
the routine. If you want your students to enter the classroom • Fire drill
quietly in the morning and select a book to read, explain how • Signals for attention
entering the room this way helps get the day started quickly; • Helping other students
define what quietly means, because without clarification, some • Organizing desk
students may consider quietly to mean a whisper voice while • What to do during free time
others will take it to mean no talking. Allow students to ask
questions about the routine and your expectations. SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT
From the point of man's birth, (s)he is welcomed into a social
Model your expectations. Act out, in detail, what you expect environment, firstly the family. The family is therefore the basic
from students when completing a routine. Break the routine social group whose influence on the child at the earliest stage
down and narrate what you are doing. Show each step of the of development cannot be compared to any other group as
routine and how it should be properly completed. manifest in the child's helplessness in the formative years.
Furthermore, it is clear that the family is the sole medium by
Have students practice the routine. Select one or two well- which all initial emotional and physical needs of the child are
behaved students to demonstrate the routine first, allowing the met. Infancy and early childhood are periods of opportunity for
class to see how the routine should be completed by a student. growth as well as vulnerability to harm.
Once students all understand what is expected, have the whole
class practice the routine. Younger students may benefit from Fairness
completing the routine one step at a time before practicing the Promoting fairness in the classroom not only gives the teacher
whole routine at once. Have students practice the routine until respect but also gives the students a sense of safeness and trust
the class feels comfortable completing the routine without within the classroom. Creating an environment that revolves
teacher assistance. around fairness, trust and respect will be beneficial to all of the
children in the class.
Implement the routine in your day. Once students understand
the routine, have them complete it during the day. As you Respect
implement the routine, remind students of the proper procedure Students particularly children and teenagers often learn to
and your expectations, making your reminders less detailed reciprocate respect, empathy, and other positive attributes by
until they are able to complete the task completely on their own. way of a strong example.
• Listen to student concerns and make it known that they
Review your routine as necessary. If the class struggles to are being heard.
remember the routine or has trouble completing the routine after • Practice integrity so that it “infuses into classroom
a break from school, review your expectations and have culture”.
students practice the proper way to complete the routine again. • Speak to students with encouraging language to build
growth mindsets.
Here is a list of general routines and procedures; • Treat all students fairly, especially when it comes to
• Entering the room delivering fair consequence.
• Lining up
• Leaving the room Care
• Beginning the day Creating a caring classroom starts on the very first day of
• Ending the day school. One of the most important steps a teacher can take that
• Taking out/putting away/caring for supplies first week is to establish a warm and caring atmosphere in his
• Participating in group lessons or her classroom.
• Obtaining help with assignments
• Handing in finished work/homework Encouraging learning
• What to do with unfinished work Every teacher has a dream of encouraging lifelong learning in
• When and how to use the school restroom all their learners. They will not rest until their students shine.
The ultimate trick to teaching lifelong learning effectively is to
• When and how to use the drinking fountain or sink
become a lifelong learner yourself.
• When and how to use the pencil sharpener
There are 4 pillars to lifelong learning:
• Learning to know
• Learning to do
• Learning to live together and with others
• Learning to be
We can keep encouraging lifelong learning habits in our
classrooms by taking these pathways as both teachers and
parents.
1. Be a Model of Inspiration
2. Speak the Language Often
3. Rethink the Definition of Failure
4. Assume That Everyone Learns by Doing
5. Teach Positive Self Talk
6. Remember Learning Doesn’t Stop After School
CREATING A MOTIVATING LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT
Positive educational environments are necessary to facilitate
optimally adaptive student outcomes, including learning,
motivation, school adjustment, and have been noting for some
while that school success does not only involve academics
schools and classrooms are inherently social places, and
students go about their work in the presence of many peers. To
understand students’ success at school, therefore, we must
attend to their relationships with others at school and ways that
the environment promotes different types of social interactions
and relationships The emphasis on the importance of the
classroom social environment, including support, mutual
respect, task-related interaction among students, and a lesser
focus on competition among students, is apparent. The most
basic way to begin is for the teacher to take the four
motivational conditions from the framework and to transpose
them into questions to use as guidelines for selecting
motivational strategies and related learning activities to include
in the design of the instructional plan:
1. Establishing inclusion
2. Developing attitude
3. Enhancing meaning
4. Engendering competence
STUDENT CENTERED DISCIPLINE PROMOTES
SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING
Discipline is a key component to effective classroom
management. Classroom discipline refers to the strategies a
teacher uses to manage student behaviors and attitudes during
instructional time. A teacher who uses consistent discipline
strategies exhibits more effective classroom management than
an inconsistent teacher. Student-centered discipline is the
classroom management strategy that a teacher uses that is
developmentally appropriate for their students and motivate
their students they have in the classroom.
Classroom Norms
Class norms are the behavioral expectations or rules of the class.
Class norms inform us how we are expected to behave towards
each other and towards the materials we use in school. Students
who are partners in composing class norms are more likely to
experience a level of ownership, participate in instruction, and
engage in mutually respectful and cooperative relationships.
Logical Consequence
Logical consequences are different from natural consequences
in that they require the intervention of an adult—or other
children in a family meeting or a class meeting. It is important
to decide what kind of consequence would create a helpful
learning experience that might encourage children to choose
responsible cooperation.
Consistent Application
A classroom without consistent practices can often be chaotic.
But creating an environment that welcomes uniform responses
to behavior choices will support each student’s understanding
of expectations. Unchanging rules and regulations ensure that
students and families understand classroom norms and know
what to expect when those norms are not met. Consistency is
critical to creating space for effective learning environments.
The Role of Discipline in Learner-Centered Classrooms
Teacher - Centered
• Teacher is the sole leader
• Management is a form of oversight
• Teacher takes responsibility for all the paperwork and
organization
• Discipline comes from the teacher
• A few students are the teacher’s helper
• Teacher makes the rules and posts them for all students
• Consequences are fixed for all students
• Rewards are mostly extrinsic
• Students are allowed limited responsibilities
• Few members of the community enter the classroom
Learner - Centered
• Leadership is shared
• Management is a form of guidance
• Students are the facilitators for the operations of the
classroom
• Discipline comes from the self
• All students have the opportunity to become an integral
part of the management of the classroom
• Rules are developed by the teacher and Students in the
form of a consultation or compact
• Consequences reflect individual differences
• Rewards are mostly intrinsic
• Students share in classroom responsibilities
• Partnerships are formed with business and community
enrich and broaden the learning opportunities for students
COLLABORATIVE CLASS NORMS
Norms are agreements that everyone in a classroom decides on.
Norms typically fall into three core categories: health and safety
(“no shoving”), social interactions (“help peers”) and
discretionary (“clean your desk before leaving for the day”).
According to education writer Alexandra Van Tol, fairness is
essential to building a mutually-respectful classroom climate.
LOGICAL CONSEQUENCES
Logical consequences are different from Natural Consequences
in that they require the intervention of an adult or other in a
family or a class meeting. It is important to decide what kind of
consequence would create a helpful learning experience that
might encourage children to choose responsible cooperation.

The Three Rs and an H of Logical Consequences
• Related
• Respectful
• Reasonable
• Helpful
Related means the consequence must be related to the behavior.
Respectful means the consequence must not involve blame,
shame or pain; and should be kindly and firmly enforced. It is
also respectful to everyone involved. Reasonable means the
consequence is reasonable from the child’s point of view as well
as the adult’s. Helpful means just that it helps rather than hurts.
Some advantages of consequences to modify a child's
behavior:
• Consequences allow the bad choice or behavior problem
to be distanced from your student. The action leads to the
consequence; the focus is on the choice and the result, not
on the child.
• There's no shaming, judging, or punishment involved. A
choice was made, and it led to something, short and
simple. So, if a student was not careful and lost or broke
something, he/she will be asked how he will work to
replace it, without making him feel bad about what he/she
did.
• Consequences take anger and punishment out of the
equation and then put the focus on teaching. There is no
need to react with emotion and be angry with your student
since the consequence is what will teach him, not a long
speech about what he did wrong or yelling or punishment.
• It puts the responsibility and choice in your students’
hands.
CONSISTENT APPLICATION
• Creating an environment that welcomes uniform
responses to behavior choices will support each student’s
understanding of expectations.
• Unchanging rules and regulations ensure that students
and families understand classroom norms and know what
to expect when those norms are not met.
Consistency is Key
• Consistency is critical to creating space for effective
learning environments. Students are able to participate in
learning more effectively when they have a clear
understanding of classroom procedures and their
importance. If students can name the expectations and
receive consistent responses to their behavior they are in
better control of their actions.
• Classroom expectations are important to academic
achievement—consistent learning environments allow
students to really thrive academically by providing time
and space to focus on the academic material.
STUDENT SPECIFIC
• Cultivates and maintains trusting relationships, and is
respectful of students.
• Helps students understand their impact on others, build
empathy, and repair harm they may have caused.
• Prioritizes keeping students in the learning environment,
engaged with peers and support systems.
• Is responsive to the cultural, developmental, and school
context for behavior and aims to end the disproportionate
use of harsh punishment of students of color.
Developing student-centered discipline strategies, including:
• Having discussions and providing students with
opportunities to provide input and feedback on classroom
routines, procedures, and community agreements.
• Providing strategies for students to monitor and regulate
their behavior and emotions.
• Providing tools for students to problem-solve, work
through conflicts, and repair harm.
• Teaching and modeling self-reflection (Time-outs)
• Responding consistently and fairly when classroom
shared agreements are breached, but also understanding
students’ individual needs and the root causes of
behaviors.
TIME FOR RESOLUTION
• Training students for conflict resolution helps to equip
them to become independent problem-solvers, prevents
additional behavioral concerns, has a positive effect on
the learning environment, and supports the responsible
learning atmosphere desired by all schools.
• The key to eventually saving class time by teaching
conflict resolution is to coach students to become
advocates for their own conflict resolution.
• This type of valuable training of students to be advocates
for themselves during conflict
Resolution is a three-part process:
1. Attitude assurance: Ensure students have the right view
of, and attitude about, conflict.
2. Cooperation coaching: Train students, and give them
plenty of practice, in cooperating with their peers.
3. Negotiation ‘know how’: Teach students how to
negotiate.
CALM SPACES
A calm space sometimes referred to as a mindfulness corner, is
a designated space in your classroom where students can go
when they need to regulate their emotions. Calm spaces are
becoming popular for their ability to help students implement
social and emotional learning skills.
Here are some things you can include:
• A sign with breathing techniques.
• A sign asking students to rate their “temperature.”
• A list of things students could do in the space.
• A resource with strategies for handling problems.
• A resource with strategies for dealing with bullies.