ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT OF LEARNER – CENTERED CLASSROOMS

The classroom is a vehicle for getting 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
studentcentered
classroom, students take a more "active" role in the education experience.
It doesn't matter if you're a kindergarten teacher, high school instructor or college
professor, developing a student-centered learning environment will help your students become
independent learners who will ultimately take charge of their own education–students who are
curious, eager to learn, and willing to do whatever it takes to be successful.
Unfortunately, developing a student-centered learning environment isn't always easy,
especially if your experience frames learning in a more traditional way. For many, implementing
a student-centered learning environment sounds great in theory, but putting it into practice is a
different story. Below we'll explore some strategies, principles and offer some proven tips that
can make the student-centered learning environment a reality, and success, in your classroom.

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 may be 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
productivityis much higher. Where student’s complete schoolwork outside of the classroom in a
studentcentered 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.

I. 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.
Many teachers prefer to create different areas within the classroom. For example, a
classroom might feature a quiet reading corner, a music area where students can play soft
music while completing work, a discussion/conversation center, a large table for cooperative
projects, spaces for wet or messy projects, multimedia spaces, learning centers or stations, and
individual work areas.
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.
Appropriate room arrangements that support the curriculum will often shift across grade
levels, and these tend to become more formalized with increasing grade levels (Gallego and
Cole 2001; Johnson 1985, as cited in Gallego and Cole 2001). Therefore, teachers at the higher
grade levels who are establishing learning-centered environments will be especially aware of
the shift from the prevailing norms as they arrange seating to support more face to-face
interaction. If room arrangements change, students must be socialized to working in these
different configurations.

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 (Bruer 1993). 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. For example, each student participated in a home
group of four students as well as a center group of four students, but the mixture of students
was different in each group. During center time, groups were given freedom to move to a
carpeted area or other space for private workspace or needed supplies and equipment. For
many students, center time was the highlight of their day because they could have their “own”
space. Some researchers (David 1979) have found that students consistently listed as concerns
adequate personal space and having private places. The emphasis on collaboration in learning
centered classrooms should not be misinterpreted to mean that students never work alone.
Not all students learn in the same way. Classrooms that nurture a social environment can also
attend to students as individuals. Students have more choice about when they might need
personal space. Teachers have more flexibility to confer either with groups or privately with
individual students, as needed.

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 mediator 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. Thus, shared knowledge and authority, mediated learning, and
heterogeneous groups of students are essential characteristics of collaborative classrooms.

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.

II. CLASSROOM ROUTINES AND PROCEDURES

Establishing effective classroom routines early in the school year helps keep your
classroom running smoothly and ensures that no time is wasted while students wonder what
they should be doing during times of transition. Classroom routines can be established for many
activities, including entering the classroom in the morning, transitioning between activities and
preparing to leave the classroom. The basic procedures for establishing solid routines remains
the same regardless of the routine procedure that you are teaching your students.
Explain the routine to your class. Tell your students why the routine is important and
what you expect them to do as part of the routine. If you want your students to enter the
classroom quietly in the morning and select a book to read, explain how entering the room this
way helps get the day started quickly; define what quietly means, because without clarification,
some students may consider quietly to mean a whisper voice while others will take it to mean
no talking. Allow students to ask questions about the routine and your expectations.
Model your expectations. Act out, in detail, what you expect from students when
completing a routine. Break the routine down and narrate what you are doing. Show each step
of the routine and how it should be properly completed.
Have students practice the routine. Select one or two well-behaved students to
demonstrate the routine first, allowing the class to see how the routine should be completed by
a student. Once students all understand what is expected, have the whole class practice the
routine. Younger students may benefit from completing the routine one step at a time before
practicing the whole routine at once. Have students practice the routine until the class feels
comfortable completing the routine without teacher assistance.
Implement the routine in your day. Once students understand the routine, have them
complete it during the day. As you implement the routine, remind students of the proper
procedure and your expectations, making your reminders less detailed until they are able to
complete the task completely on their own.
Review your routine as necessary. If the class struggles to remember the routine or has
trouble completing the routine after a break from school, review your expectations and have
students practice the proper way to complete the routine again.

Here is a list of general routines and procedures

 Entering the room: Enter quietly and politely; remove your hat if you're wearing one;
don't interrupt other students; follow the appropriate procedures for each time of day
(e.g., morning, after lunch, after a special class).
 Lining up: Stand up quietly; push in your chair; take all necessary items; line up without
touching others or talking; face the front of the line; watch where you are going.
 Leaving the room: Tell me where you are going; take the correct hall pass; do not run or
play in the hallways or restrooms.
 Beginning the day: Enter the room politely; put away your backpack, lunch, and coat;
turn in your homework; sit at your desk and read alone or do before-school work
silently.
 Ending the day: Clean off your desk; leave out your work notebook; pick up any trash
within three feet of your desk; stack your chair; collect your mail; wait quietly to be
dismissed.
 Taking out/putting away/caring for supplies: Share group supplies; recap markers and
glue; check the number written on the supplies to make sure they belong in your group
basket; if something belongs to another group, return it to them quietly.
 Participating in group lessons: Do not bring anything with you unless I ask you to;
politely find a place to sit where you can do your best learning; sit flat, not on your
knees; listen carefully for new information; raise your hand to speak; do not speak when
someone else is speaking.
Obtaining help with assignments: Quietly ask the students at your table for help with
directions if you need it; if you are working alone, raise your hand to get help from me; if
you are working with a group, ask them for help in understanding how you do the
assignment.
 Handing in finished work/homework: Make sure your name is on your paper; place
your paper upside down in the "finished work" or "homework" basket.
 What to do with unfinished work: If I ask for work to be turned in, let me know if it isn't
finished; if I ask you to keep an unfinished project, put it in your class work notebook.
 When and how to use the school restroom: If I am not teaching the whole group, stand
by the classroom door with your hand raised; if I say "no," wait for a better class time to
go; if I nod, leave the room quietly; do not play in the restroom; return to class before
two minutes have passed (promptly).
 When and how to use the drinking fountain or sink: When I am not teaching the whole
group, you may get a drink; take only a three-second drink; you may bring a water bottle
to keep on your desk; if you need to wash your hands, use only a little soap; wipe up any
water you spill.
 When and how to use the pencil sharpener: At the beginning of each assignment, the
person I've chosen to be the "Pencil Sharpener" will invite you to have him or her
sharpen your pencil; if your pencil breaks during an assignment, use a community pencil;
only the "Pencil Sharpener" can run the sharpener and empty it.
 Being a classroom helper; learning a classroom job: If you get a job on Monday, see the
person who did the job last week during silent reading time, ask him or her for the job
description card, and have him or her help you on the first day. For the rest of the week,
it is your responsibility to remember to do your job.
 Getting into work groups: Take all the materials you will need; greet each other;
complete the task doing your personal best; make sure each person signs the project;
thank the others in your group.
 Using the classroom library: When I am not teaching the whole group, you may check
out a book. To do so, select a book (you only have three minutes at the class library) and
sign out the book on the sign-out sheet. Take good care of the book; when you are
finished, return the book to the basket and check it off the list.
Handling seatwork pages: As soon as you get a paper, print your first name and last
initial at the top on the right-hand side and today's date at the top on the left-hand side.
 Preparing for lunch: Wait quietly at your desk; when your lunch number is called, get
your lunch or lunch money and line up in order; take everything with you, as you will not
be allowed to come back to the classroom after we leave for lunch; while you're waiting
in line, think about the way you need to behave in the lunchroom and on the
playground; while you're at lunch and at recess, find one person who is behaving
responsibly and be prepared to tell the class what you noticed.
 Getting a tissue: You may get a tissue from the closest of the four tissue boxes whenever
you need one; you don't even have to ask; throw the used tissue away immediately;
make sure it lands in the trash can; get right back to work.
 Lunch count/attendance: "Hot lunch" means you are having school lunch; "cold lunch"
means you brought a lunch from home; move your attendance tag/magnet/clothespin
to the "hot lunch" or "cold lunch" sign/spot; wait patiently for your turn.
 Throwing away trash: You may throw away trash whenever you need to if I am not
teaching the whole group; do not play basketball with your trash; make sure all trash
lands in the can; pick up trash even if it isn't yours.
 Turning in lost items: Ask the people around you if they lost the item you found; if not,
write your name and the date on a slip of paper and tape the item to it; if it is money or
something valuable, put the item and slip on my desk for safekeeping; if not, put it in the
Lost and Found box; give yourself a "pat on the back" for being honest.
 Locating lost items: Ask the people around you if they found the item you lost; if not,
check the Lost and Found box; if it is not there, ask me at a time when I'm not teaching
the class; if you find it, thank the person who turned it in; next time, try to take care of
your things. Consider going through the Lost and Found box at the end of each month
with the whole class. If an item remains unclaimed, give it to the person who turned it
in.
 Pledge: When you hear/see the signal, stop what you're doing immediately and stand
up; place your right hand over your heart; say the Pledge of Allegiance respectfully;
during the 30 seconds of silence, quietly think about the things you want to learn today
and how you will act in class and on the playground.
Visitors in the classroom: When visitors enter the room, let the designated classroom
"host" or "hostess" greet them; when the host or hostess rings the chimes, get ready to
listen to and look at the visitor — a smile is great!; when the host or hostess introduces
the visitor, say, "Welcome to our class, __________"; remember, most visitors are here
to watch you learn, so be ready to explain what you are working on; treat visitors
respectfully.
 Fire drill: Stop everything; stand up and head for the door quickly, but without running
or pushing; do not cover your ears; do not make any side trips; the classroom "fire chief"
takes the fire drill packet and leads the line outside; the second person in line holds the
classroom door for the rest of the class; the third person in line holds the outside door
only for our class, then becomes the last person in line; wait patiently, calmly, and
quietly in line outside until we are allowed to go back to what we were doing.
 Signals for attention: When I need your attention, I will ring the chimes (or sound the
rain stick, open the music box, etc.); as soon as you hear the signal, stop what you are
doing, look at me, and listen for directions.
 Helping other students: In a cooperative classroom, it is good to help one another; if
someone needs help with directions or reading an assignment, help him or her if you are
able; if someone needs help with understanding the problem, tell him or her to ask me
for help; never put down another student who asks for help.
 Organizing desk: Remove all loose papers; decide if they should go home or stay at
school; put papers that should stay at school in the front pocket of your work notebook;
put pencil or art supplies in your school box; put your folders and work notebook on the
left side of your desk tray; everything else goes on the right side; pick up your trash.
 What to do during free time: If you finish an assignment, first work on any unfinished
assignments that are in the front pocket of your work notebook; when you finish those,
you may choose to do your classroom job, read a book, write a story, illustrate a book,
make up math problems, work on a research project, peer-tutor someone who needs
your help, or create a song about what the class is studying.

SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT
From the point of man's birth, (s)he is welcomed into a social environment, firstly the
family. The family is therefore the basic social group whose influence on the child at the earliest
stage of development cannot be compared to any other group as manifest in the child's
helplessness in the formative years. Furthermore, it is clear that the family is the sole medium
by which all initial emotional and physical needs of the child are met. Infancy and early
childhood are periods of opportunity for growth as well as vulnerability to harm. The
socioeconomic status of the family, which goes a long way in determining the family lifestyle, is
the first component the child encounters. A child comes into either the wealthy or poverty
status of the family. Children's social environment is largely dictated by where their parents live
and send them to school. In turn, the social environment largely determines from whom
children form social relationships with, and the quality of those social relationships, as many of
the relationship’s children form are within their family or neighborhood. As such, parents'
decisions (or, on the contrary, indecision) about where to live, work and school can markedly
affect the health and wellbeing of their children choices, preferences and desires and helping
them to arrive at decision that will not lead to regrets and pains later in life.

Fairness
Promoting fairness in the classroom not only gives the teacher respect but also gives the
students a sense of safeness and trust within the classroom. Creating an environment that
revolves around fairness, trust and respect will be beneficial to all of the children in the class.
The terms respect and trust are pretty straightforward. There doesn’t need to be a debate on
what those two means, but the same cannot be said for fairness. When one usually hears the
word “fair” it is often looked at as synonymous to the term “equal” but the two are not the
same, especially in a classroom setting. The term fairness on the classroom level means that the
individual students are given what he or she may need in order to be successful.

Respect
Students—particularly children and teenagers—often learn to reciprocate respect,
empathy, and other positive attributes by way of a strong example. Here are thought starters
and tips for all educators on how to cultivate a learning environment grounded in respect and
understanding! Students model and internalize the repeated and influential behaviors they
observe in adults. It’s important for all educators to try and set examples of respect, and here
are four places to start!
 Listen to student concerns and make it known that they are being heard
 Practice integrity so that it “infuses into classroom culture”
 Speak to students with encouraging language to build growth mindsets
 Treat all students fairly, especially when it comes to delivering fair
Consequence
Care
Creating a caring classroom starts on the very first day of school. One of the most
important steps a teacher can take that first week is to establish a warm and caring atmosphere
in his or her classroom. You’ll need to build an atmosphere of trust, where students can feel
free
to be themselves without worrying that classmates will make fun of them. At the same time,
you’ll want to establish clear expectations for acceptable behavior right from the first day.

It is critical that our classrooms provide safe, warm, and supportive learning
environments. As we meet our students' academic needs, we must also concern ourselves
with who our students are going to become. If we ultimately want caring adults, we must
nurture that tendency in our children. It is essential that we build classrooms that foster
positive relationships among all students and give students activities and responsibilities that
foster personal accountability, kindness, and respect for others. We need to give students
opportunities to care.

Encouraging learning
Every teacher has a dream of encouraging lifelong learning in all their learners. They will
not rest until their students shine. It happens by osmosis when you demonstrate you are as
passionate and curious learner as you want your kids to be. The ultimate trick to teaching
lifelong learning effectively is to become a lifelong learner yourself.

Lifelong learning is a conscious and joyous effort to keep learning as we grow. So, what
does a lifelong learner look like? There are 4 pillars to lifelong learning:
 Learning to know
 Learning to do
 Learning to live together and with others
 Learning to be
In addition, lifelong learners are able to manage uncertainty and communicate across
and within cultures, sub-cultures, families, and communities. They are also exceptional at
negotiating conflicts. 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
Kids are always watching and imitating us. By showing that you are always learning,
students will realize that it continues throughout adulthood and is an unending journey of
personal growth and development.

2. Speak the Language Often

What can you say to keep encouraging lifelong learning? Take cues from Carol Dweck’s
Growth Mindset. If we praise effort alone, even if the outcome is not satisfactory, we might
hear ourselves say, “Great effort!” to make them feel good. This may cause disillusioned
students to feel misled when they realize their low achievement.
3. Rethink the Definition of Failure
Too many of us are setting our children up for a fixed mindset and a fear of learning. So
we need to begin redefining the word “failure” as “opportunity” to debrief, improve, and excel.
When students are ashamed of failing, they will do everything in their power to look like they
didn’t fail. They will hide their failures for fear of looking stupid. Patience is of the utmost
importance here so be sure to plan carefully to set your children up for success. Scaffolding
skills deliberately and thoughtfully set up realistic expectations and minimize failure.

4. Assume That Everyone Learns by Doing

Use all resources and materials around you, even the great outdoors if the weather (and
school policy) permits. Get their heads out of the textbook, go out into the world and gets
hands-on with learning, and be prepared to get messy. There’s no better way to get kids excited
about learning and discovering that it can be fun after all.

5. Teach Positive Self Talk

The skill of positive self-talk lives on long after students have left your classroom.
Encouraging lifelong learning involves remaining positive about the journey, and with this focus,
we can turn negative into empowering ones. It comes down to choices—what we choose to
think, say, and feel. Encouraging lifelong learning involves always remaining positive about the
journey of learning.
No one crawls inside our heads and controls our thoughts and beliefs. They are ours and
we must own them as lifelong learners. You can guide children to turn around negative self-talk
using logic, compassion, and encouragement to help them banish those deconstructive ideas.

6. Remember Learning Doesn’t Stop After School

Most kids think that learning stops at summer vacation. We see students leaving for
summer as a happy time when we should be figuring out how to keep the students learning
during summer. If we make learning fun, there should be no problem in getting kids to come
back for an awesome summer session.
IV. CREATING A MOTIVATING LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
Positive educational environments are necessary to facilitate optimally adaptive student
outcomes, including learning, motivation, school adjustment, and achievement (Eccles,
Wigfield, & Schiefele,1998). Researchers (e.g., Goodenow, 1992; Juvonen & Weiner, 1993) 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 classroom social environment is comprised of students’ perceptions about how they
are encouraged to interact with and relate to others (e.g., classmates, the teacher), and
encompasses dimensions of: (1) teacher support, (2) promoting mutual respect, (3) promoting
student task-related interaction, and (4) promoting performance goals. Recent research has
indicated that these various dimensions of the classroom social environment are separate, can
be measured quickly and reliably, and relate significantly to students’ motivation, self-regulated
learning, classroom behavior (both positive and negative), social relationships, and
achievement (Ryan & Patrick, 2001)
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 (Wlodkowksi, 1999) and
related learning activities to include in the design of the instructional plan:

1. Establishing inclusion. How do we create or affirm a learning atmosphere in which

we feel respected by and connected to one another? (Best to plan for the
beginning of the lesson)

2. Developing attitude. How do we create or affirm a favorable disposition toward

learning through personal relevance and choice? (Best to plan for the beginning of
the lesson)

3. Enhancing meaning. How do we create engaging and challenging learning

experiences that include learner perspectives and values? (Best to plan throughout
the lesson)

4. Engendering competence. How do we create or affirm an understanding that

learners have effectively learned something they value and perceive as authentic
to the real world? (Best to plan for the ending of the lesson).

B. 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 to behave in the classroom. A thought out and well
implemented classroom management system is not only how teachers get through their day
without losing their minds, it is how students make themselves available for learning.

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. In addition, students and instructional team members jointly developing and
implementing norms shifts some of the responsibility for supporting and encouraging socially
appropriate interactions from the teacher to the students. It also helps to ensure that students
indeed understand the classroom community’s expectations and provides the rationale for
them to monitor and change their own behaviors.

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. 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.

Calm Spaces

Do you have students who have a hard time controlling their emotions?
Are you unsure of the best approach to help meet your students’ social and emotional
needs?
One strategy to try is called a calm down corner. A calm down corner, 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 down corners are becoming popular for
their ability to help students implement social and emotional learning skills.
If you are unfamiliar, Committee for Children defines social-emotional learning as, “the
process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge,
attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive
goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and
make responsible decisions.”

UNIT IV: LEARNER-CENTERED

PEDAGOGY
A. DELIVERY MODALITIES
1. FACE-TO-FACE LEARNING
- This refers to a learning delivery
modality where the students
and the teacher are both physically present
in the classroom,
and there are opportunities for active
engagement, immediate
feedback, and the socio-emotional
development of learners
UNIT IV: LEARNER-CENTERED PEDAGOGY

A. DELIVERY MODALITIES
1. FACE-TO-FACE LEARNING - This refers to a learning delivery modality where the students and the
teacher are both physically present in the classroom, and there are opportunities for active engagement,
immediate feedback, and the socio-emotional development of learners.

Benefits of Face-to-Face Learning

1. Encourages and Helps with Social Skills - Face-to-Face learning gives individuals the opportunity to
enter a classroom with other students and have that social interaction.
2. Real-time Interaction - Face-to-face learning will ensure that you can receive help at the exact moment
you need it. Whilst online learning still involves help through video lessons and email, face-to-face
learning means you get the help and explanation at the exact moment you need it.
3. Lack of Distraction - Whilst some individuals feel like they are more productive working from home,
many find the familiarity of their home a massive distraction. Avoiding that temptation is easy by going
into a physical classroom.
4. Promotes Collaborative Learning - Face-to-face learning teaches students how to work in a team
environment and prepares them for when they enter the workplace with other staff members.
5. Encourages Critical Thinking - Being in a classroom with other students encourages individuals to
engage in live discussions and relevant debates.
6. Teaches Accountability and Responsibility - Having to physically go into class holds you accountable
and teaches students about responsibility. These skills will be essential when entering the workplace.

2. BLENDED LEARNING - Blended learning is a learning model that combines in-person classroom
instruction with online and virtual components to reap the benefits of both. The result is an
enhancement of inperson teaching with the ease, flexibility and accessibility of technology.
 Face to Face and Online Distance Learning
 Face to Face and Modular Distance Learning
 Face to Face and TV/Radio-based Instruction
 Face to Face and a combination of two or more types of distance learning

Benefits of Blended Learning

1. Provide Students with Autonomy Over Their Learning - Blended learning lets students’ progress at
their own pace. Students can refer to course concepts and material as needed and can advance when
they feel ready. An LMS makes it easy for students to look back on earlier materials and to move through
coursework at their own pace.

2. Enhance Communication with Teachers, Students, and Parents - Blended learning environments
combine the benefits of in-person and online teaching. This technology-infused learning helps enhance
communication for teachers, parents and students both synchronously and asynchronously.
For example, in a blended environment:
 Teachers can use announcement features in their LMS to communicate class updates, changes and new
information to students and parents all at once.
 Students can use discussion forums to ask questions, discuss course content and assignments, and
work together in assigned groups and sections.
 Parents can get a window into the classroom by using the same LMS as their children to see what they
are working on and what’s on the schedule.

3. Track and Improve Engagement - Using EdTech tools to enhance traditional learning practices also
helps provide educational stakeholders with more information about learning, engagement and
adoption to inform teaching and decision-making. But success is dependent on using the right tools,
such as an LMS, with the right reporting capabilities to match your needs.
For example:
 Measure engagement
 Understand assessment quality
 Monitor adoption levels

4. Improve Accessibility and Reach - The integration of technological tools not only ensures that students
can use material any time, but from anywhere—it also improves accessibility for all students regardless
of their learning needs.
● Accessibility checkers
● Closed captions
● Assistive technology integrations

3. TECHNOLOGY-BASES, ONLINE/E-LEARNING - Online learning is education that takes place over the
Internet. It is often referred to as “e- learning” among other terms. However, online learning is just one
type of “distance learning” - the umbrella term for any learning that takes place across distance and not
in a traditional classroom. - Online learning is a method of education whereby students learn in a fully
virtual environment. First introduced in the 1990s with the creation of the internet and utilized in
distance learning, online learning (also called e-learning) is most prevalent in higher education, enabling
students from different geographical areas to engage with an academic institution and other students
online and learn flexibly, at their own pace, while working towards a degree or certificate.
- A higher education institution will use a learning management system, or LMS, to facilitate online
learning, which can take the form of synchronous learning (where students must be online at the same
time). Or Synchronous learning refers to instructors and students gathering at the same time and (virtual
or physical) place and interacting in “real-time”.
- On the other hand, asynchronous learning (is where students are not required to be online at the same
time, and utilize discussion threads and e-mails to complete coursework) or synchronous learning
(where students must be online at the same time).

The Advantages of Online Learning

1. Efficiency - Online learning offers teachers an efficient way to deliver lessons to students. Online
learning has a number of tools such as videos, PDFs, podcasts, and teachers can use all these tools as
part of their lesson plans. By extending the lesson plan beyond traditional textbooks to include online
resources, teachers are able to become more efficient educators.

2. Accessibility of Time and Place - Another advantage of online education is that it allows students to
attend classes from any location of their choice. Thus, online learning offers students the accessibility of
time and place in education.

3. Affordability - Another advantage of online learning is reduced financial costs. Online education is far
more affordable as compared to physical learning. This is because online learning eliminates the cost
points of student transportation, student meals, and most importantly, real estate.

4. Improved Student Attendance - Since online classes can be taken from home or location of choice,
there are fewer chances of students missing out on lessons.

5. Suits A Variety of Learning Styles - Every student has a different learning journey and a different
learning style. Some students are visual learners, while some students prefer to learn through audio.
Similarly, some students thrive in the classroom, and other students are solo learners who get distracted
by large groups.

The Disadvantages of online learning

1. Inability to Focus on Screens - For many students, one of the biggest challenges of online learning is
the struggle with focusing on the screen for long periods of time. With online learning, there is also a
greater chance for students to be easily distracted by social media or other sites.

2. Technology Issues - Another key challenge of online classes is internet connectivity. While internet
penetration has grown in leaps and bounds over the past few years, in smaller cities and towns, a
consistent connection with decent speed is a problem. Without a consistent internet connection for
students or teachers, there can be a lack of continuity in learning for the child.

3. Sense of Isolation - Students can learn a lot from being in the company of their peers. However, in an
online class, there are minimal physical interactions between students and teachers. This often results in
a sense of isolation for the students.
4. Teacher Training - Online learning requires teachers to have a basic understanding of using digital
forms of learning. However, this is not always the case. Very often, teachers have a very basic
understanding of technology. Sometimes, they don’t even have the necessary resources and tools to
conduct online classes.

5. Manage Screen Time - Many parents are concerned about the health hazards of having their children
spend so many hours staring at a screen. This increase in screen time is one of the biggest concerns and
disadvantages of online learning. Sometimes students also develop bad posture and other physical
problems due to staying hunched in front of a screen.

4. DISTANCE LEARNING

● It is a way of educating students online. Lectures and learning materials are sent over the internet.
Students work from home, not in a classroom.
● This refers to a learning delivery modality where learning takes place between the teacher and the
learners who are geographically remote from each other during instruction.

Types of Distance Learning

This approach has three types of delivery modalities, depending on the students' available resources:
Online Distance Learning (ODL), Modular Distance Learning (MDL), and Self-learning Module (TV/Radio-
Based Instruction).

Advantages of Distance Learning

1. Flexible
2. Time-Efficient
3. Cheaper
4. Self-Paced

Disadvantages of Distance Learning

1. Minimal Social Interaction
2. Little Support
3. Poor Accessibility
4. Low Self-Motivation

B. STRUCTURES FOR FACILITATING LEARNER-CENTERED TEACHING

1. FORMAL (TRADITIONAL) Formal / Traditional Structure
● Formal education system is classroom-based and managed by trained formal school teachers. Formal
education structured by:
● Curriculum
● Tests
● Home works
● Grades
These were the criteria for students to move to the next level and this structure starts from primary,
learning different instructional materials.

2. ALTERNATIVE LEARNING SYSTEM (ALS)

What is Als?
- an alternate or substitute
- provides a practical option to the existing formal instruction

Why is There a Need for Alternative Learning System in the Philippines?

- every Filipino has a right to free basic education
- lack of opportunity to attend and finish formal basic education (Grades 1-6 and Year 1-4)

What is the Basis of ALS Implementation in the Philippines?

- The 1987 Philippine Constitution provides for the recognition and promotion of other forms of
education other than formal education. Article XIV, Section 2, Paragraph (1) declares that the State shall
establish, maintain and support a complete, adequate and integrated system of education relevant to
the needs of the people and society; and paragraph (4) concisely encourages non-formal, informal and
indigenous learning systems as well as self-learning, independent and out-of school study programs
particularly those that respond to community needs. - The Governance Act for Basic Education otherwise
known as the Republic Act 9155 stipulates the establishment of the Alternative Learning System (ALS) to
provide out-of-school children, youth and adults population with basic education.

How Does ALS Work?

- There are two major programs on ALS that are being implemented by the Department of Education,
through the Bureau of Alternative Learning System (BALS). One is the Basic Literacy Program and the
other is the Continuing Education Program – Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E). Both programs are
modular and flexible. This means that learning can take place anytime and anyplace, depending on the
convenience and availability of the learners.

What is the Difference between the Formal Education System and the Alternative Learning System
(Als) NonFormal Education?
- Formal Education system is classroom-based, managed by trained formal school teachers.
- ALS Non-formal Education happens outside the classroom, community-based, usually conducted at
community learning centers, barangay multi-purpose hall, libraries, or at home, managed by ALS learning
facilitators, such as mobile teachers, district ALS Coordinators, instructional managers at an agreed
schedule and venue between the learners and facilitators.

3. ALTERNATIVE DELIVERY MODES (ADM)

- Non-traditional education program recognized by DEPED which applies a flexible learning philosophy
that includes nonformal and informal sources of knowledge and skills.

Goal of ADMS - to provide learners with equal access to quality basic education through a home-based
environment. - to offer solutions that may help underprivileged students acquire the needed basic
education competencies and life skills

Three Accredited Modes Done by DepEd

1. Modified In-School and Off-School Approach (MISOSA) - Involves subsiding congested classes (with
more than 50 students)

2. Enhanced Instructional Management by Parents, Community, and Teacher (E-IMPaCT) - A

technology-enhanced learning delivery mode for Basic education. - to address the high percentage of
dropouts. - a management system where parents, teachers, and community collaborate to provide the
child with quality education at lesser costs.
3. Open High School Program (OHSP) - Intended for students who would otherwise be unable to pursue
formal secondary education due to the rigid requirement of regular class schedules. - It is an alternative
mode of secondary education that uses distance learning. - It caters learners who are unable to pursue
formal