Creating A Respectful Environment Within In The Classroom

Creating a sense of good behaviour and respect within the classroom is imperative to the success of lessons. Everyone has seen a teacher lose their temper or the respect of the class. The challenge is finding ways to prevent this from happening in the first place.

In many ways creating a respectful learning environment can be a two way process. The teacher can outline ground rules from the start so that students know where they stand. The teacher can also create a positive atmosphere and engage with all of the students. Good lessons incorporate whole group discussions and students will ultimately feel more confident to contribute towards these when they are comfortable within the environment.

It is advisable to lead by example by always being polite and using pleases and thank yous to encourage the same sort of behaviour amongst the group.

Teachers should also listen to the individual views of learners, not join in on questionable jokes and avoid being overly judgemental.

When disruptions occur they need to be dealt with in order to avoid future recurrences. Several learners may attempt to disrupt the learning experience of the others as they may not hold the same interest in the lesson. The teacher's role is to shut this sort of behaviour down; however it has to be done carefully in order not to disrupt the rest of the class.

Experience often enables teachers to learn what needs to be dealt with and what can be let go. Sometimes allowing a minor incident to pass may benefit the overall learning experience.