Elements Of Effective Classroom Environment

An effective classroom environment is one where teachers and students are able to fully perform their respective roles with minimal interference. Creating an effective classroom environment is necessary to promote learning and elicit active participation in lesson activities. In order to facilitate and maintain an effective learning environment, there are several critical elements that must be considered and implemented. Some of these elements include; classroom design and layout, managing student behavior, teacher preparedness and knowledge about lesson content and the student-teacher relationship. This paper will serve to further explore these critical elements and the overall impact each has on the creation and maintenance of an effective

One of the most important aspects of managing students’ behavior is the process of establishing clearly defined classroom rules and expectations; students need to be made aware of appropriate and inappropriate behaviors as well as the consequences for misconduct in the classroom. Having clearly outlined classroom rules and expectations helps to provide a structure that is deemed necessary to maintain a stress-free environment that promotes learning while providing both teachers and students with guidelines as it relates to everyday classroom procedures. The process of creating these classroom rules should not be the sole responsibility of teachers; it should be a collaborative effort which involves the input of both students and teachers alike. By being a part of the process of creating these rules, students will be more inclined to follow them as they will have a greater understanding of the reason for the rules and the consequences for not following them (Sadlers, 2009). This cooperative spirit between teachers and students plays a major role in creating an environment of mutual respect and understanding where students can feel comfortable to be themselves thereby opening their minds to learn and excel

The decisions to use a White Board versus a Smart Board, to have students sit as individuals or in groups; to hang students drawing versus professional posters on the classroom walls and how the teacher is able to move through the classroom space are all another critical aspect of creating an effective classroom environment. According to Emil Muller “The design of a classroom can have a very big impact on the responsiveness of the pupils and their ability to absorb new learning material.” (2010). It is therefore crucial that teachers give adequate consideration to the process of creating a learning space that is visually appealing and helps to encourage student participation and learning. The design and layout of a classroom also require that teachers have in-depth knowledge of their students, their individual needs, learning styles, exceptionalities and learning disabilities. This way seats and other classroom furniture and equipment can be arranged to provide interactions that will be most advantageous in addressing each student's unique set of