Classroom Community

Classroom management and classroom community go together. In this module, we will explore how to get started building a successful learning environment. In order to build a successful learning environment it is helpful to have specific strategies and routines to support you and your students. You can plan these strategies and routines with a good lesson plan. By building a successful learning environment you will avoid many classroom management issues.

Thoughtful Lesson Planning –> Good Classroom Management –> Successful Learning Environment

In preparing for your first class you begin to set the tone for your course. For many new faculty, you will want to motivate students to attend, engage with the course activities and community, and take a lead role in their own learning. As a faculty member, you can do this by creating and sustaining a positive classroom environment and addressing challenging situations when they arise.

There are a few characteristics of effective teachers that may be helpful to keep in mind as you prepare for your first day of teaching.

An effective teacher

1. Has positive expectations for student success;
2. Is an extremely good classroom manager; and
3. Designs lessons for student mastery.

From Wong, H.K. and Wong, R. T. (1991). The first days of school: how to be an effective teacher. Sunnyvale, CA: Harry K. Wong.

Lesson Planning

First impressions are important and can set the tone for learning for the semester. The first day gives you the chance to explain why this course and the content matter to you. 

There are a few things that you may want to include during your first class, such as introducing yourself, communicating an interest in students’ success, getting to know your students, setting expectations, reviewing the course outline and assessments, and introducing how your course will use the Learning Management System (LMS). What to Say on the First Day of Class

Preparing for the first day of class includes identifying your goals for that first class, planning activities that will help you and your students achieve these goals, and sharing ideas about teacher and student expectations. A great way to make sure you cover the most important things is with a lesson plan.

Lesson planning strategies for the first class 

1. Check your learning outcomes and break them down into lesson-level goals.
2. Goal(s) for first class:
   – set expectations
   – review course outline
   – get to know each other
   (For future lessons, you will choose mini-goals that contribute to the course learning outcome(s)).
3. Hook or Prior Knowledge: What are the relevant attention-grabbers for your first day of class? What do you need to know about your students to help you plan a great second day of class?
4. “Introduce New Content – Practice – Assessment” Cycle

Remember from Module 6 that these steps can happen in any order, and may repeat throughout the lesson. Cycling through these three steps (New content – Practice – Assessment) will help you and your students reinforce learning and identify any gaps that come up right away.

5. Closing

– Remind students what the goal for the class was and how they met it;

– Tell them what’s coming next; and

 – Ask for feedback/provide feedback.

A final word of advice: make sure to visit your classroom or test your online delivery platform before the first day and make sure things are working the way you want them to!

Try this activity

It’s time for you to start lesson planning. Start by creating an agenda or lesson plan for your first class. You can use this template from the LDS Team.

Wrap Up

Now you know more about the classroom community and how to prepare for your first class. We hope you have a fun and successful experience. If you have any questions don’t forget to reach out to us at ldsteam@flemingcollege.ca.

Resources

LDS Team webpage on Classroom Management

Guidelines for Professional Practice-Student & Faculty Guide and click on the link for ‘Code of Conduct’

New Faculty Semester Tip Sheet

Module 8 Reflection

Please rate your current confidence level on the following items using the following 5-point scale in which 5 = Very confident and 1 = Not at all confident.