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Classroom Culture

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Classroom Culture

Critical Components of Classroom Culture
Skilled educators accept responsibility for planning and delivering instruction that brings the five critical components described below to life for all learners.

At times, external factors beyond the classroom walls will affect an educator’s ability to sustain all five critical components. Skilled educators find ways wherever possible to ensure that these five critical components are present in all aspects of classroom culture.

Critical Component #1: Honoring Student Experience
When asking students to explore issues of personal and social identity, teachers must provide safe spaces in which students are seen, valued, cared for, and respected. It is also important that students have opportunities to learn from one another’s varied experiences and perspectives. To create this learning environment, teachers need to skillfully draw on student experiences to enrich the curriculum.

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Without saying a word, classrooms send messages about diversity, relationship building, communication, and the roles of teachers and students. The classroom setup should be student-centered. Specifics will vary from teacher to teacher and class to class, but common elements include the following:

  • Classroom milieu. Classrooms should be decorated with multicultural images that mirror students’ backgrounds and showcase the diversity of our society.
  • Arrangement of furniture and supplies. The arrangement will look different depending on age group and subject, but all teachers can draw on these goals when setting up a classroom: supporting collaboration, fostering dialogue, encouraging ownership, and ensuring comfort.