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A positive attitude is key to maintaining a positive classroom climate
Filed Under "At-risk" students, Behaviour Management, Uncategorized, motivating students, positive climate
A positive attitude is key to maintaining a positive classroom environment.
I couldn’t agree more with Wade Boggs when he says
A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst and it sparks extraordinary results.
In an earlier post, I wrote about how I set about establishing a positive classroom climate at the beginning of the semester and included the Slideshare presentation that I created to summarize the classroom agreements and what they meant. If you want a copy of the Slideshare presentation I’ve created , just email me I’d be delighted to send it to you.
Implementing the classroom agreements of mutual respect, appreciation/no put downs, attentive listening and the right to pass establishes a positive classroom climate where students can feel save and valued. Of course establishing a safe, positive climate and maintaining it day in and day out are two different things. What’s the key to maintaining that safe, positive classroom climate once it is established. Without a doubt, it’s a positive attitude.
If you have a positive attitude you’ll believe and act as if all students will be successful in your class. If you have a positive attitude there are no losers in your classroom despite what you’ve might have heard. Students will live up to your expectations. Think and act as if students are trouble, believe me they won’t disappoint you. I’ve learned that the hard way in my early years of teaching.
Let me give you an example of what I mean. I’ve found that often well meaning colleagues will give me a heads up about the troublemakers they’ve had in their classes. When they find out I’ll be teaching these kids, they tell me how bad the students were. Just for a nanosecond I think great. Just what I need- trouble making students. But then I quickly remind myself that attitude is not a useful attitude to have about these new students whom I don’t even know. I really try hard not to prejudge them. I figure even if these kids were troublesome in the past, it doesn’t mean they are now. Things change.
A few years back I had two students whom I’ll call Chris and Kyle, not their real names of course. They came to my class with a negative reputation and promptly started living up to it. After a few days I decided that I wasn’t going to engage these kids in their battle. It would be totally counter productive to use all my energy battling with these two fourteen year olds, and besides they’d probably win the battle. So I decided that I needed to sit down and talk with them to see what’s going on.
Chris and Kyle proudly told me about their reputation for being bad in class. I told them I didn’t believe they it. They couldn’t believe that I hadn’t heard about them, so they promptly gave me all kinds of proof to support their reputation.
I decided that I would show them I didn’t believe that they were trouble makers and would treat them with respect and worked extra hard to develop a positive relationship with them. Whenever they were disrespectful to me, I’d go to them quietly and ask them why they were being disrespectful to me when I wasn’t being disrespectful to them. I did the same thing when they weren’t listening attentively or showing appreciation. They’d actually apologize for their inappropriate behaviour. I figured being disrespectful had just become a habit with them, and they would learn to be respectful over time. It wasn’t easy, but these two students got to see that they didn’t need to live up to their reputation as trouble makers because I refused to see our relationship as student vs teacher, as them vs me. I really did respect them as human beings and really did expect them to respect me as a human being.
I thank the classroom agreements of mutual respect/no put downs , appreciation, attentive listening and the right to pass for establishing a positive framework that enabled mutual respect to develop. Chris and Kyle became my biggest boosters and did all kinds of positive PR for me and even came back to visit all the time to laugh about how immature they were in grade nine and how they were not like that now. They were proud of being respectful and not of being troublesome.
I truly believe that a teacher’s positive attitude does cause a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. A teacher’s positive attitude is a catalyst and it sparks extraordinary results. Just because I believe this doesn’t mean that I don’t forget this lesson too from time to time because I get distracted by the challenges of my own life, and I regretfully adopt a negative attitude towards a student. I know better, but I also know I’m human and not perfect. When this happens, I apologize to show my respect for them. I want them to see mutual respect in action in my classroom.
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22 Responses to “A positive attitude is key to maintaining a positive classroom climate”
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You make great points here, Elona. Thanks for the reminder of the power of positive thinking and the power of a positive environment so that all students can be successful in their own right.
Kevin
Yes! Students rise to teacher expectations and they also take on a teacher’s personality. The really negative teachers have classes of students who are really negative and the teacher wonders why.
Also, a lot of what teachers label as “bad behavior” is students who demonstrate senses of humor, leadership ability, and knowledge that teachers don’t possess.
Mathew,
Students use their leadership skills, knowledge and sense of humour to amuse themselves in class when they are bored or when they are into revenge. Kids are pretty good at getting even although all the cards are stacked against them at school.
Yes, yes, and yes.
We get more of what we seek. If we look for the positive - that is what we will find.
I like how Matthew pointed out that students take on a teacher’s personality - though I think it has more to do with their actions than their personality. We are great models for our students - and with that comes a great responsibility.
Be the change. We can.
@Tracy
Agreed though it’s often hard to separate one’s personality from one’s actions. Specifically some teachers speak very calmly and gently and their classes are more mellow whereas teachers who whine a lot tend to have classes of whiny students. It takes great self awareness if you’re the whiny teacher to realize you’re whining and to cut it out.
I’m positive that this post is having a positive impact on others! Thanks for writing this important piece!
Positive attitudes are essential, but true transformation change comes from identifying the belief systems that are driving the attitudes creating the results (BAR). For example, I as an educator may have a positive attitude about successful learning and when asked success (my belief) means at least 85%. Yet, the student may have a great attitude about learning with a 75% being success because that keeps him or him from a parent’s wrath. The difference is not positive attitudes, but the supporting belief systems.
Until we dismantle the current system that is based upon agrian beliefs that continue to drive specific actions, we will never unleash the potential within our students as well as our educators.
Thank you for reminding me of what it’s all about.
I’m one of those tough love teachers who still has her NY edge. After teaching for almost twenty years, I find myself often without patience for the major disrupters and the do-nothings.
I would love a copy of your slideshow.
I tend to agree with you, Teacher Expectation has a lot to do with students attainment. If educators believe that students will excel they will but if they believe that students will fail they will. I have created a positive learning and teaching environment without knowing it. I believed that once you build good, genuine relationships with all stake holders, especially the students, learning will be easier and more holistic. Thanks for this article that really expounds on the right of all educators to illustrate that element of care. i believe that this is the first characteristic of all effective educators.
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Thank you so much for your great advise and reminder. It’s easy to react in a negative way when students are missbehaving but it takes a lot of self control to be positive and set the example that hopefully will touch our students for good and for a life time.
I would also love to receive your slide presentation; I am sure I can learn many things from it that I can apply in my classroom.
Thanks again for sharing with us.
Heedy taft
Basha High School. Chandler, Az
Heedy,
I hope you find what I’ve said useful. It is difficult to stay positive sometimes, but you know we’re just human too.
Nicole,
Yes, I believe it is important that we have the right to care, to bring that human element into the classroom.
Randy,
Thanks for being so honest. It is hard to remain positive day after day, year after year. Teaching is a tough job, and we don’t have control over everything and everything isn’t the way we would like it to be all the time. I just try to stay optimistic and remember tomorrow is another day when things can go well.
Leanne,
Thank you for your insight. The underlying belief systems are certainly important and need to be considered. Reform is always slower than we would like.
Mathew,
Yes, teachers are role models and what you give is sometimes what you get back.
I am delighted that I’ve gotten so many request via the comment box and email for the powerpoint presentation on classroom agreements.
I’m working on one for goals setting that I want to use with my classes. I’ll post it when I finish it after I do report cards.
I’m working to make it kid friendly with a different slant that will grab their attention.
heddy,
I tried to send you the powerpoint but your email address didn’t work. Could you please send me another one. thanks
I applaud the mindset and approaches you are using so successfully with your students. You are an “inviting” educator! I too would appreciate it if you send me your powerpoint.
I’d like to share with the readers that Dr. William Watson Purkey has spent a lifetime creating Invitational Theory, which is based on perception and self-concept theories and democratic practice. It invites teachers to focus on giving positive messages to students - those that help develop a positive self concept. Invitational Education asks educators to “See all students as able, valuable and responsible” and to help the students to see themselves in that same light. Invitational Educators maintain a teaching stance of Respect, Trust, Optimism, Care and Intentionality and practice a “doing with” rather than a “doing to” approach to teaching. Readers might enjoy learning more about Invitational Education at http://www.invitationaleducation.net.
If you are in the Long Island or NY Metropolitan area, Dr. Purkey will be presenting a workshop on Invitational Education on Oct. 10th. Feel free to contact me directly if you would like to attend.
Joan
Joan,
Thank you for those kind words and for the heads up about Dr. Purkey’s workshop. Unfortunately I won’t be able to attend. Will there be any podcast/videos of the conference? I’d love to learn more about Invitational Education.
The website for Invitational Education is http://www.invitationaleducation.net. On the site you can find numerous articles and two powerpoint presentations that articulate the IE foundations and concepts. There is also a great list of books on the website under the “Clearinghouse” tab. For a quick summary of Invitational Education, read “Foundations of Invitational Education.” For a more indepth understanding, read “Inviting School Success. I will be happy to email articles that relate to this work to anyone interested.
Joan
Thank you for this wonderful article. I am heading into my first year of teaching and this article has helped encourage me that it is possible to maintain a positive attitude and maintain good classroom management at the same time.
I would also appreciate a copy of your slideshow.
Thank you again.
Jessica
Jessica,
Yes, it is possible to maintain a positive attitude and maintain good classroom management. It’s a very healthy approach and reduces stress for you as well as the kids. I would be delighted to send you a copy of my slideshow.
All so true! At-risk youth just want to be a part of a community (of learners, families, etc.) where they feel valued. Simply taking time to get to know students and giving them an opportunity to express “their” rationale (for inappropriate actions, method for solving a problem, etc.)gives adults permission to re-direct, coach, guide, and experience the “light bulb effect”—they perform at high levels socially and academically.
Think about it. These young people with aggressive behaviors have their defense systems on overdrive and are screaming HELP!
Imagine if every teacher, educator, adult… applied the “mutual respect” motto? Our teens and tweens would be more productive citizens… Today!
Thanks for sharing your experiences.
LaToniya (Toni) Jones
I totally agree! I made all of my students write “I am a Born Winner” on every paper they turned in or I wouldn’t accept it. They have been so negative to themselves over the years that they started to believe it. I had lunch with a former student from 16 years ago and she mentioned that “I am a Born Winner” helped her get through some tough times and it was a major thing in her life at the time. Teachers never know what impact they are making sometimes and having a positive attitude can go a long way.
Thank you so much for your article. I am a deputy principal at a High School here in Johannesburg. I practice IE, but never realized it had a name and that so much research went into this! I am going to give our staff a workshop on Invitational Education.
I would really like to get a copy of your slide show!
Thank you once again.