It greatly either enhances the learning or subtracts from the learning. Temperature, organization, cleanliness, distractors-everything plays a part in the learning process. And negativity needs to stay outside of my classroom.
I think there is a relation between physical comfort and the ability of the student to focus on the learning activities. It works as the Pyramid of Maslow You need to fulfill your physical needs before you go ahead with any intellectual activity.
HI Jennifer - thanks for your post to the forum. Yes, we do often need to become advocates for our students to make sure that they get all the equipment, texts, furniture that they need to successfully learn. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I think it's important to find out if you can get the equipment in your class to suit the various learning styles. For instance, an LCD projector for animation or PPT slides; speakers for videos with a strong auditory component; and tables for demonstrations/hands-on activities.
The physical setting can affect the learning preferences of students by emphasizing one or more learning style. A colorful classroom, for example, would certainly stimlulate a visual learner. Other strategies can be implemented at the same time to address other learning types - classrooms can be laid out to target the preferences of the kinesthetic learner. teaching can easily address multiple learning styles simultaneously if planned well.
the physical setting should be organized and clean with learning aids that speak to the topic being delivered such as posters in a lab or lab materials for practice
Being creative and innovative with surrounding learning equipment or materials stirs interests to the learning preferrences of the student.
Entering a classroom that is organized with objectives outlined for the day can help prioritize the learning and put the student at ease.
Hi Mary - Thanks for your post to the forum. It seems so obvious - let's just ask how our students feel about their classroom experience! Thanks for sharing that! Susan
Certainly lighting affects learning as does temperature. Decor on walls can stimulate thought and reaffirm commitments. Colors have been important. Take the class out of doors for a break or on an approved jaunt to a relevant off campus site.
If a student is not comfortable in the physical setting they will not learn well. This incorporates how the room is set up, the chairs they are sitting in, temperature of the room, and how they feel around the instructor and other students. I think the best way to make them feel comfortable is ask them how they feel about the situation.
Hi Craig - Thanks for your post to the forum. You have given us a very complete list of the "do's and don'ts" of classroom environments. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
It is important to have positive contributions from the environment, several of which instructors should be able to control:
- Proper lighting
- Heat and humidity
- Audio-visual equipment in good working order.
It is also important to minimize negative aspects; example include:
- Noise/disruptions from nearby classes/students
- Inadequate working space for individuals and teams to perform tasks/conduct meetings
- Computers/internet access being inoperable.
Hi Mark - Thanks for your post to the forum and for pointing out that in addition to the physical environment of the classroom, the instructor sets a tone or mood. Warm creatings as students enter the classroom, calls to students who have missed class etc. all add to the environment. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
The physical setting is important to establish confort, but more importantly it is the mood set by the instructor.
The students need to realize that the whole class is learning from their question or answer. It is hard to get the students to try to answer one of my questions without feeling scared that the answer was wrong.
The physical setting must mimic what the student will find out in the work place. I teach the positioning part of the radiology course to medical assisting students and try to use the equipment we have available as much as possible.
HI Anna- Thanks for your post to the forum. You have quite an interactive classroom! Your students must really enjoy their time in class!
Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
On the first day of class, I have name placards for every student for me to learn their names. While with large classes this can be a real challenge, for the most part I have mastered just about every student's name.
I also tell them at the beginning of class that the only stupid question is the one they didn't ask. No question is too insignificant for an answer. Because I have been a registered nurse for over 15 years and teach courses like anatomy and physiology, the students pepper me with questions about their past experiences with the healthcare system and about current questions they have on present healthcare problems they are experiencing or their family members are experiencing. Some of their experiences are good but unfortunately, many of them have had poor outcomes.
I do a variety of activities with my students and I also hand out my lecture notes for the students to refer to during my PowerPoint presentations. I do a lot of kinesthetic activities because I find it helps reinforce the content.
We have a great time in class. When we do labeling exercises with the SmartBoard technology, students fight to get close to the board. It creates an atmosphere of competition without making the students feel stupid.
My test scores are frequently within the normal grade curve.
Hi Michael - Thanks for your post to the forum. You are taking the most important first step with your students - unless they feel at ease they will not learn! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
