What does my ideal classroom look/sound/smell like?
In my ideal classroom, the physical space is conceived in a purposeful way. It is designed in a way that optimizes thinking, learning, and collaboration. It is immediately apparent that the students’ work, ideas, and passions are valued by the instructors.
Educational resources are available for student use and systems have been put in place by the teachers to facilitate student use of those resources in an appropriate fashion. It is a place of active learning. Students are not just sitting back and listening. They are seeing, touching, and doing.
The room is organic and dynamic. It is a place of ongoing discovery and is constantly in flux. It is a resource that is being used. As a result, it is not sterile or always in perfect order. However, the physical space is also not cluttered to an extent that inhibits learning.
There is sound. It is not the sound of chaos and disruption, but the sound of active learning occurring. Students are openly sharing ideas and discussing their work in a respectful manner. The presence of absolute silence in a room full of 12-year-olds is unnatural. It is more the result of laborious enforcement than the by-product of a successful learning environment.
According to Piaget and Dewey, learning is at it’s best when it is the result of the sharing of ideas and information as well as the interplay ad synthesis of conflicting interpretations in an atmosphere of social support – if a student is truly stuck they should feel comfortable turning to their peer.
Of course, there are exceptions, such as independent reading, where students and instructors give each other a quiet space for intellectual growth. There is an understanding and dialogue that exists between students and between students and teachers that is at once comfortable as well as respectful.
What are my beliefs regarding students?
I believe that all students, regardless of their academic “level†or perceived behaviors, have the ability to take control of their own learning. In my ideal classroom, the teacher is not the sole source of knowledge charged with the task of filling empty vessels with generic facts and skills.
My education philosophy is partially inspired by John Locke, but is equally influenced by ancient Greeks such as Plato and Socrates. If provided with the appropriate structures and systems, all students can self-assess and decide for themselves what the best course of action if they encounter a novel problem or obstacle in their work – if and only if the teacher has set out explicit routines and procedures that students are familiar and comfortable with.
What obvious goals are we working towards?
As an addendum to the previous section, it should be the goal of all teachers in the room to create an environment that is conducive to thinking, learning, and the free expression of ideas. It is my goal to develop the self-confidence necessary in my students to take control of their own learning.
One of my biggest goal is that all goals are clearly defined. It is my goal to create an environment where students see the work they do as valuable and worthwhile. An environment where students and teachers alike are keenly aware of what the class is working on (as well as why) and have a sense of where they are going in the future.
It is my goal to create a learning environment where students do not rely on external rewards. Instead, teachers and students work together to nurture an intrinsic motivation to learn. This motivation is a result of the teacher constructing the learning process in such a way that it resonates with a sense of purpose in the students.
What role do the teachers play?
The primary role of the teacher is that of the facilitator. The teacher is a resource to the student. His or her main role is to take every possible measure to ensure a clear path for students to walk down as they take the reins on their own intellectual and social-emotional growth.
It is the teachers’ responsibility to create and implement the structures necessary for student success. This includes, but is certainly not limited to the provision of clear expectations (both academically and behaviorally), the efficient distribution and collection of classroom materials, and a procedure in place that enables students to choose what to do next when they finish a task. The teacher has developed and put into place systems that empower students to to be able to monitor their own performance and hold themselves accountable. To that extent the teacher has to make sure that all routines are clear enough for all students to understand that these systems are empowering to the student and not restrictive.
The teacher also plays a very important role in the classroom dialogue. It is essential for effective instruction that all tasks assigned are inherently valuable to the student. The creation of content should be the result of student needs, not arbitrary decisions.
What role do students play?
The classroom does not belong to the teacher. Students should be empowered to lead discussion and perform roles that allowed to take ownership of and invest themselves in the classroom community. Students should be able to make important decisions in their education. It is the role of the teacher to make sure that important choices are structured in a meaningful way. They are both independent as well as interdependent. They interact with one another to share ideas and build knowledge. Students are encouraged to rely on themselves, each other, and the systems put in place by the teacher to surpass obstacles in their learning.
Each student plays a part in building a tone that is conducive to reading, writing, and thinking. Students understand that as empowered learners, it is their responsibility to actively listen during instruction. They are able to articulate not only what it is that they are doing, but why they are engaged in that activity and how it relates to their intellectual growth.
As members of a community of learners, students recognize that every in the classroom has talents and struggles that are unique and specific to them. Students not only respect, but embrace those difference and learn to rely on one another as well as build their own self-confidence. Members of the community (teachers as well as students) embrace mistakes and confusion as catalysts for the creation of new knowledge.
