Build positive classrooms
In addition to building positive relationships, a quality classroom environment will help bridge the divide between disengaged, disability and mainstream students.
In order for students to get the most out of their education, schools and teachers must make quality classrooms a priority. Classroom environments needs to transcend mainstream education and encompass all students within special education settings, those who have disengaged from school with disruptive behaviour and students who are at risk of school failure.
Three of the most important characteristics of a connected and positive classroom environment are teachers who:
- Are pro-active and use explicit instruction for behavioural expectations
- Have a clear system of reinforcement to support pro-social behaviours
- Consider how adaptions to behavioural supports can be used to include all students regardless of their different needs
Being willing to adapt, create an interactive space and support diversity in students will increase their successes and elevate the spirit within the classroom and school. Some additional positive strategies to consider using are listed and in the graphic below:
- Be responsive to students
- Respect students perspectives
- Support students independence and autonomy
- Use a variety of modalities and materials
- Have clear learning objectives
- Create a rich concept driven curriculum
- Incorporate real world problems and make connections
- Model higher order thinking and language
- Give quality feedback
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