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The classroom is a student's natural habitat. It may be where they spend most of their waking hours, but it doesn't have to be a tedious place to visit.
There are many things you can do as a teacher that have an immediate impact on your students and their ability to learn, grow, and develop as people. In this article, let's cover some simple ways to transform your classroom — both inside and out — and make it an environment that supports learning rather than hinders it.
We’ve all heard the horror stories. A room of unruly students who can’t seem to focus on the teacher or the subject at hand. A lack of inspiration, engagement, and enthusiasm. It’s no wonder that teachers burn out so quickly these days.
A change at this level could be exactly what your classroom needs to transform. A big part of this for many teachers is shifting their mindset about the role they play in their students’ education. Despite an influx of new technologies, some approaches to teaching haven’t changed since the time of Carter G. Woodson.
While there are many factors that may have led to the current state of the education system, many teachers realize that they can’t simply wait for policymakers to change. They have to make changes themselves. This can be a scary proposition for teachers who feel like they’ve already exhausted every option at their disposal. But what if I told you that you could completely transform your classroom?
The first step in transforming your classroom is redefining the role you play in your students’ education. The current generation of students has access to an abundance of information at their fingertips, and they don’t want to waste time learning things the same way everyone else does.
Because of this, an active learning environment is more important than ever before. Active learning environments provide students with opportunities to explore their interests. Rather than simply listening to lectures or reading textbook sections, students work through hands-on activities and projects and develop problem-solving skills...
There are many tips that teachers can implement to help them be more effective at their jobs. Knowing what worked for another teacher or even knowing what worked for you in the past isn’t always the best way to go when preparing to do something.
If you find yourself struggling with engagement, enthusiasm, or just want to make your class more enjoyable -- take a look at our list of ways to transform your classroom.
1. Transforming your classroom to make it appealing
The first step to transforming your classroom is making it appealing. Sometimes this may seem like a bit of a luxury, but it’s really not. Change the way you think about your classroom, and try to see it as a space that you want to spend time in. There are a lot of ways to do this. Hopefully these ideas will inspire you the next time you walk through the front door.
Making your classroom attractive to students is a great way to get them more involved in the lessons, but it's definitely not an easy task. With that said, you can transform your classroom into an appealing place that students will enjoy being in by taking some time to plan out how you're going to do it.
If you're looking for new ways to get your students interested in what you're teaching, here are some tips that will help you transform your classroom into a positive environment:
Make it comfortable
This may seem like a no-brainer, but making sure that every student has a comfortable seat and desk is really important. This means making sure you have enough desks and chairs for everyone as well as extra space for any activities or team work you want the students to participate in.
Add color
The walls of your classroom should be interesting and colorful so they don't become monotonous and boring. Adding color to the walls will draw attention and make it more appealing.
Add interest and appeal
You want your classroom to look like a place that people would like coming into every day. If there are things on the walls that catch the eye, such as plants or pictures, then it will make your classroom more appealing to students.
2. Make the most of your classroom space
It is important to make the most of your classroom space, no matter the size.
The perfect classroom begins with the right layout. In the same way that a good house is built from a solid foundation, a successful classroom starts with a layout that makes sense and provides easy access to resources and materials.
If you're sensing that it's time for a redesign, take stock of your teaching space and consider ways to organize the classroom:
Keep it organized
When teachers have a disorganized classroom, they often find themselves spending more time looking for things than teaching. A cluttered room lowers student morale and leaves teachers feeling frustrated.
There are many ways to keep your classroom organized, but one of the best is to keep things off the floor. Having shelves for supplies and storage bins underneath tables gives you instant organization that is also mentally soothing.
3. Create a more harmonious environment
The classroom environment can be improved if people get involved and participate. Usually, the students who get involved and participate get more out of the class and learn more. The teacher can also get more out of the class and improve the classroom environment if they get the students involved and get them to participate.
If you want to make a positive impact on your classroom, it is important to focus on creating a harmonious environment for your students.
By using these tips, you can create an atmosphere where everyone feels comfortable and motivated to be better learners. If your students want to learn, then they will have a much better chance of doing so.
To create a more harmonious classroom, teachers should first acknowledge the importance of having a safe and secure environment. Students can feel comfortable about asking questions, participating in discussions, and exploring new ideas when the environment is right.
They must also become aware of different techniques that will help them build trust with their students.
Finally, teachers should be able to assess their own teaching style so they will be able to provide what each student needs in order to achieve success. These techniques and assessments will help create a classroom environment that is conducive to learning and growth.
4. Make it easier for students to learn with visual aids
One way to make your lessons more interesting is to incorporate visual aids into your class. There are many techniques you can use to make your lessons more visual, like using diagrams, charts, pictures, videos, and even props.
To be an effective teacher, you must have a good understanding of the subject matter and be able to explain it in a clear, logical manner. In addition to this, you also have to understand your students and their needs.
As a teacher, you can make your job easier by using visual aids in the classroom. Visual aids help the students better understand the subject matter and absorb the information at a faster pace. However, there are many different types of visual aids available and it can be hard to choose which ones would work best for your particular class.
Every type of visual aid has its own strengths and weaknesses — and its own audience.
Visuals that convey abstract information — such as graphs, charts and flowcharts — work well when teaching complex material or large amounts of information. Maps and photographs work best with concrete, factual material.
If you're not sure what type of visual aid you need, here is a list of some of the most effective visual aids that teachers can use in their classes:
Flashcards
Flashcards are one of the oldest and most effective learning tools that exists today. They consist of questions or statements printed on one side along with answer choices on the other side. Flashcards can be used in all subjects and grade levels and they are great for reviewing key concepts in small group settings or one-on-one with students.
Flip Charts
Flip charts are a great resource for not only recording results and information, but also for getting students' feedback and comments on what they've learned or would like to learn. Charts like these can be used as a tool to teach and assess knowledge and then later be used as a study aid for students to record what they've learned from the lesson.
Visual Schedules
Visual schedules are another great way to help students learn how to manage their time. When properly constructed, visual schedules give students an easy reference point to refer back to when trying to complete their tasks or do certain activities.
Classroom visuals
Classroom visuals take the form of diagrams, charts or maps that help students better understand topics such as math formulas or historical events.
Teachers can use classroom visuals in a variety of ways:
- Organize information into charts or graphs that students can relate to
- Use pictures, diagrams and figures to get across difficult concepts
- Highlight key points with sticky notes or visuals on a whiteboard
- Make slide decks or other visuals for presentations or speeches
5. Design lessons with the future in mind
When designing lessons with the future in mind, it’s important to think about the big picture.
While it’s important to focus on the individual student, it’s impossible to ignore the broader context of the classroom. No single teacher — or even a team of teachers — can have all the knowledge necessary to prepare students for their future.
What will future jobs look like? What skills will be relevant? How can teachers help students develop those skills? Teachers are limited only by their imaginations when it comes to designing lessons that emphasize skills relevant to tomorrow’s world.
We often think about the present and plan for the immediate future. But it’s important to consider what we want the future to look like and create lessons that will help students get there.
The following tips can help you transform your classroom:
Design lessons that help students learn how to learn.
Give students opportunities to create and collaborate with others both inside and outside of the classroom.
Help students develop transferable skills through authentic projects and real-world examples.
Focus on developing 21st century skills, such as critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and digital literacy skills.
What do you want your students to be able to do when they leave your classroom?
Do you want them to have a deeper understanding of the subject? Do you want them to apply their knowledge outside of the classroom?
When you think about the big picture, it becomes easier to develop a plan for your lessons. You can begin by dividing your lesson into smaller pieces, and then thinking about each piece as a component of a larger lesson.
There are many things you can do that are simple but have a big impact on your students and their ability to learn.
The tips above are just a few of the many things teachers can do to transform their classroom. And if you feel like your creative juices have been flowing, there’s plenty more you can add — the best ideas are often ones you come up with on your own. Regardless of your individual style, there’s something for everyone in the list above.
How to implement these different strategies will vary based on factors like your course content and your campus administrators, but applying one or more of them will surely make a positive impact on the learning experience for both you and your students.
