Ways to Create a Positive Classroom Environment

I've been teaching for over 20 years, and these are 8 rules I live by: Get to Know Your Students: Spend the first week or two learning about each of your students—their passions and concerns. This effort will make your school year smoother because your students will know that you genuinely care about them. Positive First Contact with Parents/Guardians: Take the time to call each of your students' parents or guardians, introduce yourself, and share a little about who you are. Your first interaction should be positive, not negative. Embrace Risks in Your Teaching: Don’t be afraid to take risks and try new things in your classroom. Even if some of them fail, the experience will be valuable. Adapt to Different Class Dynamics: Understand that a lesson that works well with one class might not resonate with another. Each class has its own dynamics, so be prepared to adjust your teaching methods accordingly. Avoid Comparisons: Don’t compare yourself to other teachers or measure your worth by what they do or post. We all have our unique strengths and weaknesses. Don’t Take It Personally: Never take things personally, especially when it comes to student behavior. Recognize and Celebrate Progress: Throughout the year, reach out to parents/guardians to let them know when their child is doing well or showing improvement. This positive feedback means a lot to both parents and students. Acknowledge Your Own Ups and Downs: Like your students, you will have good days and bad days. You may even question if you’re making a difference—know that you are.

It is the start of the semester, and for many it will be their first time teaching. Teaching can feel like being thrown into the deep end, especially for new professors. Many of us, including myself, received little to no formal training on teaching. We were told, "Here's your classroom, now go teach," and we had to figure it out through trial and error. I learned most of what I know about effective teaching from observing great instructors and by constantly experimenting in my own classroom. The good news is that there are fundamental principles of pedagogy supported by research that can help. Here is some of what I've learned. 1. Activate Prior Knowledge - Students build new knowledge on the foundations of what they already know. Before introducing a new concept, I help them make connections to past experiences or previously learned material. This primes their brains and gives the new information an anchor. A simple question like, "Think back to the first time you heard about atomic orbitals, what were your first thoughts? What were the questions that came to your mind?” can make a huge difference. Putting what you are about to discuss in the context can be motivating for students. For example, “Now we are going to talk about the equation that governs their shapes and what those shapes even mean." 2. Foster a Culture of Psychological Safety - One of the most powerful things we can do as educators is to create a space where students feel safe to be vulnerable. This means celebrating questions and discussion. When a student starts a question with, "This might be a stupid question, but...", it's a critical moment. I make it a point to say, "There are no stupid questions." Being approachable and available outside of class is also key. I make a conscious effort to signal that my door is open and I am here to support them. 3. Connect Learning to the Real World - Students learn best by doing and by seeing how concepts apply to their lives. When designing assignments, I try to move beyond theory. I ask students to solve problems related to everyday experiences. I encourage them to look at the world around them through the lens of the course. This helps them see that science and engineering is everywhere, waiting to be discovered and understood. 4. Equip Students to Learn on Their Own - While we can use diverse teaching methods to cater to different learning styles, the reality is that we can't be everything to every student. This means empowering them to understand how they learn best. We need to educate them on the different learning strategies available and encourage them to experiment and discover what works for them. This shifts the focus from passively receiving information to actively taking ownership of their own education. Ultimately, great teaching is about much more than just conveying information. It's about building a relationship with students and helping them develop the skills to think critically and learn independently.

The start of the year is critical to establishing joyful, focused classrooms. The number one reason students "misbehave"? It's not that they are out to get you. It's not that they are "bad" kids. It's not because you are a first-year teacher. It's not because you are an exhausted veteran. It's not because the principal didn't do a good job with class rostering. It's not because the curriculum is too hard / easy / boring. It's not because you are too young and they are taking advantage of you. It's not because you are too old and don't get today's kids. It's because your directions weren't clear. Kids want to do the right thing. Kids want to be challenged to meet a high bar, behaviorally and academically. Kids can't do what you want unless you give them clear directions. What do clear directions look like? Here is the action step for Precise Directions and Narration that my colleagues at Simply Great Schools and I wrote: Precise Directions and Narration: Tell students precisely what to do and narrate aligned to those directions. - Give a clear call to attention that ensures 100% of students are with you for the start of your directions - Movement: tell students who they’re working with  - Volume: tell students the noise expectation  - Participation: tell students what the task is and how they’ll participate in it  - Give a cue to begin that ensures all students start together AFTER hearing the directions - Narrate at least two students in alignment with your directions immediately after your cue to begin My experience is that when teachers do this action step EVERY SINGLE TIME they are giving directions, student focus and engagement soars ... and all those other reasons why kids "misbehave" seem to go away.

Student Support is a functioning consciousness with the greatest needs of our young people as its axis. Here are eight pieces of advice for educators, who are preparing for our young people to return. 1️⃣ Even if you have anxiety about being back from summer break/vacation… our most vulnerable won’t see a real one until their late 20’s. Don’t assume that they are well rested but also bring some of that well rested energy to the table. For many kids the highlight of their summer may be coming back to school. 2️⃣ If you struggle with making your office space or classroom culturally responsive, start the year by making it responsive for you. Your space should make young people be curious about your lived experiences. Tell them who you are well before the true relationship building happens. Then as you grow together the space should be reflective of many experiences and cultures. 3️⃣ Master one relationship building skill really really damn well. Either it’s the greet, or dap at the door or the restorative exercise. Be known for being someone who is warm to the complexity of a young person. 4️⃣ Utilize essential questions. “How can this be used in the real world?” Or “Where does this live in your world?” No wrong answers here. 5️⃣ Do something unpredictable but fun and unique. Young people love feeling special. One time I brought yoga mats into a class room and we all laid on the floor facing the ceiling talking about Marxism, Capitalism, Socialism and Communism and ended with the young people wanting their own “ism” 6️⃣ Send a note home to parents. “My name is Cory McCarthy. My fav show is greys anatomy, my pet peeve is folks who rush to get off planes instead of waiting their turn and I got into education because I want to make the world bigger for your child. My fav fruit is papaya. 7️⃣ Remember, just because they don’t do our work or take directives… doesn’t make them crappy kids. If you care about that fine line where delivery meets message the kids will respond in turn with the same. 8️⃣ Understand you have one young person, but three relationships to build. 1. The young person 2. Their parents. 3. The person that brings them joy or make them feel that anything is possible. 2 & 3 can be the same but as they grow so does their network of trusted humans. Be one of them. None of this is easy, but the greatest relationship building tutors are our young people.