Creating a Learning Environment and Intervention to Misbehavior

Creating a Learning Environment
In class, we discussed the importance of creating a classroom environment conducive to learning, and I have a few ideas about how I will achieve this. In deciding the aspects of my classroom environment, I thought about classes that I have been in. I thought about what has worked for me as a student and what has not worked. In jotting down my ideas, two of them stuck out the most to me: respect and communication. If I can use these two aspects as the foundation of my classroom environment, I think it will be a success.

To ensure a happy, comfortable, and carefree atmosphere in my classroom, I believe it is important to establish respect early on. If I thought my class was mature enough, I would only give one rule: to respect everyone. I want my students to respect each other and other faculty in the school. And it's not just a one way street; I will also value and respect each and every one of them.

I also believe it is important to keep up communication with parents and students. Keeping parents in the loop will allow them to help in their child's education. It helps connect the school and learning environments. And when parents reinforce what is learned during school, it's more likely that the subject will stick.

Communication with students is important as well. Talking with students about their interests and what's happening in their lives lets them know that they are cared for and gives them a feeling of importance. This can give students a more positive attitude about school and  possibly help motivate them to learn more. It's also important to keep up communication with the students about their school work. This includes discussing with a student about where they are in the work. Ask the students if they feel behind in a subject, or if they feel comfortable with the material that's been covered so far. Find out what they subjects they like and which ones they hate. This can be helpful information when planning lessons.

The link below goes to an article containing strategies that can help teachers communicate with parents. This will be a good resource as I will soon need to find ways communicate with parents.
Strategies for Communicating with Parents

Intervention to Misbehavior
Now to switch things up a bit, I'll cover the "Intervention to Misbehavior" part of this post. The hypothetical problem is about third grader, Lisa. She is causing her group to get off task and not finish work because she does not like her assigned responsibilities in the group and refuses to do them. How would I intervene in this situation?

First while the class is doing group work, I would walk up to Lisa's desk and quietly ask her what she is supposed to be doing and remind her to get on task. If the problem persists, I would talk to her individually after class about why her group is not getting its work done. If talking individually with Lisa doesn't work, I might try moving her to a different group because the problems might be stemming from the individuals in the group not working well together. If she continues to cause problems in different groups, I would remove her from all groups and give her individual work. Hopefully at this point, Lisa would realize that working in a group is better than working alone, and she would be willing to participate in the group even when she does not like her responsibilities.