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How to Establish a Sustainable, Positive Atmosphere in Your Classroom

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How to Establish a Sustainable, Positive Atmosphere in Your Classroom
Title: Factors that contribute towards classroom atmosphere and how to establish a sustainable, positive atmosphere in your classroom

Table of Contents

1. Introduction 2 2. Learner Motivation 2 2.1. Extrinsic Versus Intrinsic Motivation 4 3. Communication 5 4. Interpersonal relations between learners and the facilitator 6 5. The maintenance of discipline 6 6. Classroom discipline policy 8 7. Conclusion 9 8. References 9

Introduction
The benefits of creating a positive learning atmosphere in a classroom are numerous. Schools that have a positive learning environment embody a place that students enjoy coming to everyday and where they are able to perform to their full potential. A classroom culture can be difficult to describe and yet it is one of the most important elements in the success or failure of educating students. The culture of a classroom can be affected by many different factors from learner motivation to disciplinary problems. This paper looks at 5 identified aspects that can be use to create a sustainable, positive atmosphere in the classroom, namely: Learner Motivation, Communication, Interpersonal relations between learners and the facilitator, the maintenance of discipline and Classroom discipline policy. We will see that all these elements play an interrelated and significant role in establishing a productive and positive class atmosphere.

Learner Motivation
‘Motivation is something that energizes, directs, and sustains behavior; it gets students moving, points them in a particular direction, and keeps them going. We often see students motivation reflected in personal investment and in cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement in school activities (Fredricks, Blumenfeld, & Paris, 2004; Maehr & Meyer, 2004; Reeve, 2006).
Learner Motivation is important in creating a warm classroom climate because when learners feel insecure, threatened or uneasy it reduces their motivation, their willingness



References: * Barry, Kevin and King, Len. (1999). Beginning Teaching and Beyond (3rd Edition). NSW: Social Science Press. * Coetzee SA, Van Niekerk EJ & Wydeman JL. 2008. An educator’s guide to effective classroom management. Pretoria: Van Schaik. * Csikszentmihalyi, M & Nakamura, J. 1998. The dynamics of intrinsic motivation: A study of adolescents. San Diego. Academic Press. * Fredricks, J. A., Blumenfeld, P. C., & Paris, A. H. (2004). School engagement: Potential of the concept, state of the evidence. Review of Educational Research. * Gordon, T. (1974). Teacher effectiveness training. New York: P.H. Wyden. * Haslett, B.J. (c1987). Communication: Strategic Action in Context. Hillsdale, N.J Lawrence. Erlbaum Associates, Publishers. * Nieman MM & Monyai RB. 2006. The Educator as Mediator of learning. Van Schaik. * Marsh, C. (2000). Handbook for Beginning teachers (2nd edition). NSW: Pearson Education Australia. * Maehr, M & Meyer, H. 1997. Understanding motivation and schooling: Where we’ve been, where we are and where we need to go. Educational Psychology Review. * Pugh & Bergin. 2006. Predicting immediate and longer-term transfer of training. Personnel Review. * Salzberger-Wittenberg, I., Henry, G. and Osborne, E. (1983) The Emotional Experience of Learning and Teaching, London. * Schweinle, A, Turner, JC & Meyer, DK. 2006. Striking the right balance: Student’s motivation and affect in elementary mathematics. The Journal of Educational Research.

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