The best ways to create a favorable environment in your classroom hinge on the following:

1. Get to know the parents and enlist their help.

2. Keep the class busy for the whole period.

3. Never take insults personally; they are just blowing steam because they are frustrated.

4. Accompany them during games or special events. Visit their homes and see how they live; they’ll understand that you are genuinely interested in them (Stand up and Deliver is a true story).

5. Respect them and you will (eventually) be respected. Teens are especially sensitive to slights, even said jokingly. It is in their nature to be untrusting with adults, as many of them have been the subjects of verbal abuse as children.

6. Talk to each one of your students to get to know them better (in private). A student will react differently alone than accompanied by his peers.

7. Study the way they get along (or not) in small groups and detect the leaders of the classroom. These last students will be of invaluable help to you due to their influence on the rest of the group.

8. Decorate your classroom in accordance with school policy and with the age of your students. A history teacher in high and middle school may have posters of historical movies on the walls. An English teacher may prefer posters of famous writers. An elementary teacher will favor educational decorations that include fun characters (such as cartoon heroes).

A good idea is to post famous sayings by great minds all over the walls, such as “Great will power is more important than great intelligence.”

9. A list of what they may not do in the classroom is useful from day one; for example, “no electronic games, no gum, no foul language, no horseplay, and no cell phones (prevalent in high school).” Make a very visible poster of the list and stick it on the wall at the entrance so students can see it every day as they come in. Read it to them the first day of school and enforce the rules very strictly.

10. A list of what they should do; “start working immediately (pre-established activities), stop talking, take out your notebook, and raise your hand if you have a question.” Same location as the previous list for maximum exposure.

You must set the working conditions immediately from day one. Students, as a group, will always test you to see how far they can go. Firmly, gently, and with good humor, let them know that you have a job to do and that you count on them to help you out.

Even though you may feel discouraged at first (that happens to all first year teachers), try to hide it from your students. They are much more perceptive than you can imagine. Even small children sense a change in humor in adults and react accordingly. Put on your best face and remember that you are dealing with immature human beings.

Let them know that you have very high expectations of them, even though they might feel unskilled and undereducated. It is your job to create a productive environment in which students and teachers work in harmony. If they discover, after showing skepticism, that you are the genuine article, they will open up and do their best to succeed. It might take time, but the end results are indeed highly rewarding.

By: J.C. Sprenger

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