Building Classroom Expectations

WRITTEN BY ALICE VIGORS

The beginning of a new school year is an exciting time for both students and teachers. When students walk through their new classroom doors in weeks to come, they will be greeted by new classmates, a new room, a new teacher and a variety of expectations they need to know in order to be successful in this learning space. 

A few years ago, I began thinking about why as the teacher I dictated the way the learning environment looked, operated and the expectations we had of each other. This thought inspired me to make a change and take a risk. 

When students walk through my classroom door on day one, they won't find a Pinterest worthy classroom. What they do find are individual names on the door, a warm and friendly welcome, and 

a safe space to begin building a strong classroom culture together. One of the experiences we engage in is a Chalk Talk thinking routine. Through this routine we explore our expectations around the learning environment and the way we interact within in it. On separate sheets of paper I pose the following questions:

• What does a quality learning environment look like?
• What does a quality learning environment sound like?
• What does a quality learning environment feel like?
• What do you think you need from the teacher to be a successful learner this year?
• How might extend and apply your learning beyond the classroom?
• What interests you? What are you passionate about?

As students walk around the room examining the prompts, they record their own thoughts to each of the prompts, examine the thinking of others, elaborate on the thinking of others by adding further information and find connections between ideas. 

After students have recorded their thinking on each prompt, they gather in small groups to re-examine one of the prompts. When re-examining they look for key ideas that are represented multiple times, they look for ideas that connect in a meaningful way to other ideas building a stronger idea about our expectations. As a class, we come together to share what we discovered about the key ideas and explain why we think they are important for our learning environment this year. This list of key ideas the students have revised and developed form the basis for our classroom expectations and learning behaviours that we agree are important for our class to be successful this year, including myself as the teacher. These key ideas a displayed within the classroom and are routinely revisited and revised based on our current needs as a class. For example, we look at what is working well for us as a group, what areas we are not yet achieving and need further developing and what goals will help us to get there. 

At the beginning of every term we spend time looking back over our key ideas looking for ways we can make adjustments and improvements to our expectations, continually striving to do better and be better as a group. 

As the teacher this is the most important learning experience we undertake. Why? 
It is important because it signals to students that this space we share together is not just my space but is theirs too. It is a space that values their ideas, their opinions, their input, their understanding and their respect. It is also an experience that allows me to find out what they  are passionate about, what makes them tick, how they interact with and share ideas with others, and what they hope to achieve in this learning environment and how they think I can help them get there. 

This is my why! It was the best decision I ever made. So I put it to you now. Why not? ​

Each of us walks through that door with unique thoughts, talents and opinions. We each have a story. We each have a voice that deserves to be heard. What will you do with this knowledge today?