Establishing a Positive Classroom Climate

The importance of Creating a Climate of Caring and Concern

Bullying, yelling, and fighting are common occurrences in classrooms across the United States.  Many teachers find it difficult to deliver high quality instructions because of disruptive behaviors. Some classrooms have become negative spaces where disrespectful and inappropriate behaviors are the norm.  To deal with this dilemma, it is imperative for teachers  to develop a positive climate in their classroom.  Having welcoming classroom environments, developing positive relationships with students, and establishing safe classroom spaces are effective ways for creating and maintaining a climate of caring and concern.  

Firstly, developing a climate of caring and concern  involves creating a classroom environment that is warm and welcoming for all students.  For example, maintaining a clean, organized, and inviting room gives students a sense of order, warmth, and comfort.  It is also important to have students’ work, student portraits, or personal items that are meaningful to students as a part of the decor of the classroom. This sends a message to students that they are all  important members of the classroom community.  Students feel proud to see their work displayed on the walls.  When students feel at home in their classroom and feel a sense of belonging, that sets the tone for higher level teaching and learning to take place.  

Secondly, it is important to develop positive relationship with students in order to establish a climate of caring and concern. There are many benefits to positive teacher-student relationships.  For instance, positive teacher-child interactions help to promote young children’s development and the social/emotional well-being of students.  Additionally, emotionally supportive interactions with children  can help students to develop a sense of themselves.   When teachers build positive relationships with students, they are providing guidance and control, both behaviorally and academically by setting clear expectations for behavior and academic performance  and communicating these expectations to students. Furthermore, developing positive relationships with students helps to foster a sense of concern and cooperation.  Teacher actions such as eye contact, smiles, verbal praise, and gestures are strategies that help students to feel positive emotions and to know that their teachers care about them.  Additionally, teacher can promote and encourage positive student-student interactions to help students feel that they are a part of a team.  Positive teacher-student relationships sets the tone for higher level teaching and learning to take place.  

Thirdly, students have to feel safe in a classroom in order to establish a climate of caring and concern . Teaching students the importance of treating each other with respect is important in creating a caring environment. Students should be taught that respecting others involves using appropriate physical touch as well as verbal communications.  The teacher should send the message loud and clear that bullying will not be tolerated so that students will feel courageous to go to the teacher in situations where bullying might be occurring.  When students  know that teachers care about their safety and will help to protect that from bullying or any harm or danger,  that sets the tone for higher level teaching and learning to take place.  

It is also important to develop a positive climate in a classroom in which some or most of the students are from cultural backgrounds that are different from mine.  As an African-American woman, I need keep in mind that there are children in my classroom who are from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds.  I want my student to know that no matter where they are from, they are important in my classroom.  I would get to know my students and incorporate their interests and information into the lessons and activities that we do in our class.  In order to  become more familiar with the cultures and experiences of my students and their families, I can have students complete an All About Me activity.  Additionally, I like that my daughter’s teacher sent her a letter in the mail over the summer. The teacher asked her to fill out a survey form so she could learn more about her interests.  I would use also that ideas to help to get to know my students better.  

In conclusion,  developing a positive climate in the classroom is vital to the learning environment.  Maintaining welcoming classroom environments, building positive relationships with students, and  creating safe classroom spaces are effective ways of building  a climate of caring and concern in classrooms.  Although some people might think that teaching and learning can happen without a climate of caring and concern.  Most importantly, establishing a positive classroom climate will have a lasting impact on students’ development.