The purpose of Learning Environment Standard is to ensure that Virginia’s public school teachers are providing their students with an exemplary education driven by an excellent learning environment. The Learning Environment Standard is important because it assures that Virginia’s students receive an outstanding education that is rooted in an exceptional learning environment. The Virginia Department of Education (2011) recommends three ways for the teacher to meet the standard are when the teacher:
1.) Maximizes Instructional Time and Minimize Disruptions
2.) Respects Students’ Diversity, Including Language, Culture, Race, Gender, and Special Needs
3.) Maximizes Instructional Learning Time by Working with Students Individually as Well as in Small Groups or Whole Groups.
1.) Maximizes Instructional Time and Minimize Disruptions
Classroom procedures maximize instructional time and minimize disruptions. Teach for America writes, “Indeed, procedures serve to help your classroom run smoothly, thereby maximizing instructional time” (Teach for America, 2011). When asking students for their attention the organization suggests the teacher use specific cues that alert students to pay attention. (Teach for America, 2011) During student teaching, I use call and response to draw students’ attentions to me. This brought them quickly to attention and kept learning moving along at a steady pace.
2.) Respects Students’ Diversity, Including Language, Culture, Race, Gender, and Special Needs
Educators Carol S. Weinstein, Saundra Tomlinson-Clarke, and Mary Clarke encourage the teacher to take the time to learn about the various cultures represented in her classroom. They write, “Teachers must also have knowledge of students’ cu
ltural backgrounds to develop
skills for cross-cultural interactions.” (Weinstein et al., 2004) During student teaching, I gave the students a questionnaire about their home lives to better access their cultural backgrounds.
3.) Maximizes Instructional Learning Time by Working with Students Individually as Well as in Small Groups or Whole Groups
I was able to work with students individually, in whole-group settings, and in small-group settings while student teaching. The reading period began with whole- group instruction when I often read the students a picture book, led the students in a mindful moment, and went over the morning’s objectives. I used the Activ Board to show videos or project reading passages.
Then, we’d move to small-group time. I worked with individual reading groups for twenty-minutes at a time reviewing the lesson’s objective or spelling/word study. During small-group, I was also able to work with students one-on-one as I circulated the table to hear them whisper-read their guided reading books.
Math similarly provided opportunities to work with students individually, in whole-group, and in small-group. I typically presented a whole-group mini-lesson on the Activ Board for about fifteen minutes and then did guided practice work with the differentiated math groups. On a few days, when certain students needed more intervention we scraped the small-group work time and I worked individually on times.
References
Virginia Department of Education. (2011). Guidelines for Uniform Performance Standards and Evaluation Criteria for Teachers. Retrieved from: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching/regulations/2011_guidelines_uniform_performance_standards_evaluation_criteria.pdf