Creating a Learner-Friendly Culture the Llama Way

Hey Fast Llama's

While I was preparing for my Principal's certification exam, Courtney Farris shared with me a collection of strategies from Jim Knight that were so good, I knew immediately that they would be great additions to the work we do here.  And that I wanted to include them in my blog.

Today we are going to focus on creating or maintaining a "learner-friendly culture". I say "maintain" as well, because this year, because of the fluidity that is our norm, culture building needs to be a focus as new students arrive daily.  We CANNOT assume that these new students to our classrooms will inherit our existing culture by simply living in it.  In the absence of clear, overt teacher led expectations, kids will bring in/create their own.  We must be purposeful in what we want our classroom culture to be and apply the effort it takes to keep it in place.  What are out desired outcomes? And more importantly, do students know them?

By definition, culture the the thing that shapes behavior in our classroom.  We have a prime directive to do everything in our power to create a culture that has a beneficial effect on student learning.  We want to equate positive learning experiences with our content.  That when students think about our class, they think of it in positive ways,

Let's remind ourselves of John Hattie, his work on the effect size of the strategies we use in class really gives us the research driven evidence that the things we do matter.  Classroom management, teacher-student relationships and classroom behaviors all have effect sizes greater than .49.  That means they have an effect greater than one year growth for one years input.

Things you can do that promote productivity, engagement, supportive environment, and respect -

1. promote hard work and celebrate effort

2. promote openness and respect

3. promote kindness - remember, Doug Curry says "kindness changes lives", you show kindness by having neat, non-chaotic environments, with clear routines, procedures, systems and traditions.  

What can you do to promote a learner - friendly culture?

1.  co-create classroom agreements

2. reinforce and celebrate when agreements are being lived

3.  smile and "make their day" often

4.  walk the talk

5. include students in the culture - allow and display their work, pictures and toys they connect with.  Students love novelty!  

6.  frequently and clarify their learning

7. let them talk often about their learning

8. Create Learning Maps - a graphic organizer of the essential knowledge, skills, and big ideas students are to learn.  More on this next week!  Stay tuned!

9. Self-Reflection - take the personal inventory below:

Remember, when students come from chaotic homes, with food insecurity, job insecurity and homes where they don't have consistent resources, like pencils, scissors or markers, they thrive in environments where they know where they stand both emotionally and physically.  So, I am a big fan of consistency and pattern.  Create tradition out of your procedures and systems, and create a "this is how we do it" attitude for your classroom.  Teach, practice and preach these traditions and never assume students (especially) new students will just get them.  They are not amoebas, they can't soak it in through osmosis.