A Warm

A warm, safe, and caring environment allows students to “influence the nature of the activities they undertake, engage seriously in their study, regulate their behavior, and know of the explicit criteria and high expectations of what they are to achieve” (Queensland Department of Education, 2005). According to Wilen et al., (2004), part of building a supportive climate for learning involves teachers sharing their expectations concerning learning of content, achievement, and social behavior with their students. Early on in the school year, I observed my mentor teacher’s strategy for creating a positive and learning-centered environment. In fact, I described many instances in which my mentor teacher set a positive tone for the class, made her expectations known and established a routine of conduct and respect, in the “First Day of School Observation Assignment” I wrote for Professor Kenney’s Educational Research class. For instance, I commented that from the classroom posters demanding respect and tolerance, to the posted class and school rules, the physical environment of the classroom set a clear tone of what was expected from the students in terms of behavior (Benchmark 4.9). Moreover, my cooperating teacher clearly established routines for discourse and classroom procedures and expectations for behavior, safety, and achievement for the class through utilization of detailed handouts for students (Expectations and Strategies for Success, Safety Contract, How Your Grade is Earned). The purpose of this was to guide students to be both respectful in their conduct and responsible for their actions and work.
In order to create and maintain a smoothly functioning learning community (Benchmark 4.4), I enacted several strategies. To begin with, I carefully planned lessons for the class with the idea of making transitions between activities as smooth and efficient as possible. Students easily became familiar with my basic lesson format of start-up activity,