Observable Teacher Behaviors to Promote Positive Classroom Climate

Characterized by:Communication and respect among and between students and staff.Discipline using formative (not punitive) consequences.Engagement, recognition, and leadership opportunities for students in a wide variety of activities.

To provide an observation tool to identify teacher behaviors in the classroom that contribute to a positive classroom climate

To provide online training for teachers specific to actions that support a positive climate in the classroom

To provide an online guidebook to assist in the implementation of student focus groups about school climate

Know their names. Smile at them. Know them outside of the school. Know their dreams. Care about them. Not be so mean. Love their job.

“Happiness, Joy, Love”

“Like we are a family.”

“Classmates supporting classmates (prompted by teacher).”

“Friendly, caring”

“Everyone is free to give their opinion.”

“Everyone is friends with each other.”

“Feels like home, as if you are completely comfortable in that room.”

Caring Culture: Look like? Feel like? Sound like?

http://www.schoolclimate.org/programs/documents/dimensions_chart_pagebars.pdf

◦Interpersonal Relationships

◦Safety

◦Teaching and Learning

◦Institutional Environment

20 Observable Teacher Behaviors to Promote Positive Classroom Climate

1. The teacher will invite a peer teacher to observe in the classroom as the Teacher Peer Observer.

2. The Teacher Peer Observer will download and copy the Observation Checklist from the website.

3. The Teacher Peer Observer will mark behaviors on the Observation Checklist.

“NA” – The behavior was not observed. It does not mean that this behavior is absent from the repertoire of the teacher; however, it means that during the peer observation, it was not seen.

“Yes” – The behavior was observed in the teacher’s actions.

“Yes +” – The behavior was observed and a real strength of the teacher.

Teacher Peer-Observer gives the completed form to the observed teacher

Observed teacher will use the checklist findings to select an appropriate training vignette from the Warming Up the Classroom website.

Observed teacher may view the additional training vignettes to complete the review of teacher behaviors.

Interpersonal Relationship; SafetyTeaching and Learning; Institutional Environment

Interpersonal Relationships

Safety

Teaching and Learning

Institutional Environment

• Respect for Diversity

• Social Support for Adults

• Social Support for Students

• Rules and Norms

• Sense of Physical Security

• Sense of Social-Emotional Security

• Support for Learning

• Social and Civic Learning

•School Connectedness/Engagement

• Physical Surroundings

Student Voice to Improve Climate

Introductions◦ Introduce the facilitator◦ Introduce teachers/administrators◦Background information/purpose of classroom climate

focus study◦Rules of focus group ◦ Ice breaker◦Start focus group

1. Give each student a survey of questions. 2. Ask each student to record responses on survey. 3. Facilitate discussion on each question. 4. Record responses on a flip chart in the front of the room.5. Collect responses 6. Present findings to Campus Climate Team.

1. What does a caring culture in the classroom look like? •Feel like? •Sound like?

2. What do teachers do in the classroom to create a caring culture?

ESC personnel introduce the tool to the campus leadership

Campus leadership reviews the information and shares with administrative team

Campus leadership decides which teachers or teams will participate

The campus leadership meets with participants and disseminates information about tool

Teachers decide which dates they will participate in peer observation.

Teachers will invite or be assigned peer observers

Teachers begin peer observations. Teachers share findings between colleagues. Information may be used to plan future staff

development.

“We can all remember childhood moments when we felt particularly safe (or unsafe) in school, when we felt particularly connected to a caring adult (or frighteningly alone), when we felt particularly engaged in meaningful learning (or not).

These are the school memories that we all tend to vividly remember: good and/or bad. It is not surprising that these kinds of experiences shape learning and development.”

National School Climate Center. (2014) School Climate: What is School Climateand Why is it Important? http://www.schoolclimate.org/climate/

We encourage you to take some time to browse additional websites for valuable asset-buildinginformation and more school-friendly resources!

Search Institute http://www.search-institute.org National School Climate Council

http://www.schoolclimate.org/climate/documents/school-climate-challenge.pdf

CASEL. Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning http://www.casel.org/