Chapter+2+Creating+a+Climate+for+Learning

What do learners need to succeed?
They need to believe that they can learn and that what they are learning is
 * useful
 * relevant
 * and meaningful for them ( p 9)

According to //Education on the Edge of Possibility//, Caine and Caine (1997)

Teachers' beliefs in and about human potential and in the ability of all children to learn and achieve are critical. These aspects of the teachers' mental models have a profound impact on the learning climate and learner states of mind that teachers create. Teachers need to understand students' feelings and attitudes will be involved and will profoundly influence student learning. (p. 124)

Classroom Culture and Learning Communities
"the way we do things around here" What teachers do, say, and allude to have an effect on learners. Actions do speak louder than words and in a classroom the brain monitors body language, tone of voice, and personal space. The limbic systems monitors and evaluates all these and evalutes them in terms of their threat potential. Our brain is a parallel processor. That means it absorbs information on a conscious and unconscious level. It can process thoughts, emotions, and perceptions all at the same time.

If we involve focused attention and peripheral perception we facilitate learning.

//Peripheral Stimuli// includes everything in the classroom from drab or colorful walls to looks or gestures. Scarcastic remarks can inhibit the learning of a sensative student and a gesture can send a louder message that something said.

We felt that the following statement from Dimensions of Learnign, Robert Marzano (1992) was very powerful and warranted our attention.

"Closely related to teachers' behavior is the development of a classroom climate conducive to good thinking...students don't think well in a harsh, threatening situation or even in a subtly intimidating environment where group pressure makes independent thinking unlikely."

We should "welcome originality and differences of opinion."

We were surprised to find that "the neural information the heart sends to the brain can either facilitate or inhibit cortical function, affecting perception, emotional response, learning and decision making. What does this mean to our students? Since the heartbeat of another person can be perceived within 3 to 4 feet due to electromagnetic fields, if a student is upset (or excited) and sits close to another student in a crowded room, you get a chain reaction that impacts ability and attitude for that class period. We've all seen that, now we know why it happens. How can we as teachers impact this? If the students know we care then they will are more willing to care about what we know. If they sense that we are there for them, and we are the calming influence in the room then we can eliminate a majority of the problems and provide an environment conducive to learning. We were forced to look at our classrooms to see if the lined up with the following criteria for our students needs.

William Glasser (1990, 1998) cites the following needs of individuals
 * the need to survive and reproduce
 * ( we are not focusing onthe need to reproduce, obviously)
 * the need to belong and love
 * (do you allow for group work?)
 * the need to have some power
 * (yes, we have to give up some control of which assignment or questions they can complete to show mastery)
 * the need to have freedom
 * (again, this goes back to freedom to make a decision about which product best suites their learning style)
 * the need to have fun
 * (do we have fun in the classroom, if you aren't then they aren't. We attach learning to emotion, if we are laughing, we remember the learning experience as something positive. What emotion do your students leave your classroom with???)

Compare that to Maslow's (1968) hierarcy of needs
 * Psysiologial needs: food, wather, air, shelter
 * Safety needs: secrutiy, freedom from fear, order
 * Belongingness and love: friends, spouse, children
 * Self-esteem: self-respect, achievement, reputation
 * Self-actualization: becomiong what the individual has the potential to become

As a result it is essentail that students bond with other students and with their instructor to create a positive learning environment.

In order to develop this type of classroom it is necessary to develop a set of "rules to live by" or "trust statements" For example:
 * Your opinion matters
 * listen to your peers
 * it's ok to make a mistake if you learn from it
 * nice comments only

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In this chapter the author refers to a concept known as "downshifting" which is " the psychophysiologial response to threat associated with fatigue or perceived helplessness" (Caine & Caine, 1997, p 18) This mean intellectual safety (freedom from ridicule) as well as physical safety. How many times have students in our class been made fun of for having the right answer by students that are threatend by their desire to learn? If our students are living with being bullied or ridiculed, the cannot give their full attention to learning. Students are more concerned with being embarrassed or laughed at than whether they are learning or not.======

Also, students are more likely to be engaged in the learning process if they are challenged just beyond their ability level but not overwhelmed. This is the reason for mixed ability groups. If students are bored, the are not engaged and if they are frustrated they are not engaged in the learning process. So how do we find the middle ground? It's improtant to estabilish an emotional climate and relationships with our students that builds intrinsic motiviation and not a rewards based system. Rewards and punishment tend to lessen chances of learning and self-motivation. Here is what the authors suggest instead.
 * eliminate threat
 * creating a strong postive climate
 * increasing feedback
 * setting goals
 * activating and engaging positive emotions (Jensen, 1998b, p 68)

"It is important, if not imperative, that students feel good, have success, have friends, and celebrate their learning." When was the last time a students work was posted on you classroom walls? Do your students feel save in your room? If downshifting occurs, you will be luck if a student can even memorize isolated facts, it will be impossible for higher-order thinking to take place. Does your classroom allow chioces in learning? Do you have established routines? Is there mutual respect to support leraning for your students?

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 * Self-Awareness** - can your students sense and name a feeling? Encourage them to articulate what they are feeling (respectfully) "I am feeling a little tired today." What can you do about that? Take a walk, get more sleep. (use reflections, logs or journals to facilitate this process)======
 * Managing Emotions** - once students can recognize their feelings, they can better manage them. What should you do if you are upset with another student? What is the best way to handle a situtaion? (count to ten, take time out)


 * Self-motiviation** - teach them to set goals and delaying satisfaction. High Challenge + Low Threat = More learning


 * Empathy** - Can you feel where I'm coming from? Can you stand in another person's shoes? Not feeling sorry for someone, but understanding what they are going through. (Could Love and Logic work here?)


 * Social Skills** - learning to "read" other people and interact appropriately

Classroom Climate

 * Learning Atmosphere** make sure your students feel safe and secure in your room. Don't set your expectations low, the students will live up or down to them.


 * Physical and Emotional Atmosphere** - pay attention to lighting, cleanliness, orderliness, displays of students' work and appropriate resources


 * Use of Music** modern music with a tempo similar to classical music (60 beats per minute) make the mind more receptive to learning. Music actually helps the brain retain information.


 * Laughter and Celebrating Leraning** - Endorphins are released when students laugh, this helps students anchor learning. It's like placing a thumb tac on a note. If you laugh at something you are more likely to remember it.

Phrases to celebrate learning: Yes, Triple Yes, Oh, Yes, Awesome, Ding, Wah hoo, You Did It, High Five........

@Chapter 2 Reflections