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This article shares some of the disadvantages online learners face with solutions to help. Most points refer to the opposite of what creates a healthy online culture, such as feedback, relationships, practice vs. theory, and accessibility.

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10 Biggest Disadvantages of E-Learning - E-Student

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There are a number of disadvantages to E-Learning, and these drawbacks must be addressed to ensure the legitimacy of online learning.

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This article has great tips for teachers on creating a positive online classroom culture. Some of my favorites were recording the class meetings so students can go back and review, having an online buddy system (if your students are old enough), and inviting the family as partners.

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Online learning was a widespread necessity during the pandemic-but even though restrictions and closures have eased, distance education services will continue to be an effective way to meet the needs of many students, including those students with disabilities.

Today's post is excerpted from the new book The Special Educator's Guide to Distance Education, edited by Belva C. Collins. Adapted from the chapter by Cindy Gilson and LuAnn Jordan, this post offers 9 ways to establish a positive learning environment in your online classes. (Though the book is for special educators, these tips can be easily applied to any distance learning situation.)

Welcome students in creative ways
Create an inviting classroom culture from the beginning by sharing a welcome video, email, letter, or newsletter. Greet the students, share a little bit about yourself, and provide an overview of the online class.

Be clear about etiquette
Communicate the etiquette guidelines for your online class as early as possible. These are the rules and routines that students should follow when interacting with others online. For example, tell students to avoid using all capital letters when they respond to other classmates or email you, because capitalized words in online communications may be misinterpreted as shouting. Share your guidelines in a class syllabus, in an email to the students and guardians, and/or post them to your online course. Students should understand the consequences of not following netiquette guidelines. (And every online teacher should communicate a no-tolerance policy for cyberbullying!)

Set guidelines for videoconferencing
Clearly communicate the participation guidelines when using the chat and video features in platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, WebEx, or Google Meet. Let students know if they are allowed to chat with each other during class or if they only can do so at specified times. Some teachers only allow the students to directly chat with the presenter. If you allow students to chat with each other, monitor the chat box to ensure that students are engaged in appropriate, on-topic discussion.

Be sure to establish your guidelines for student interactions if you use breakout meeting rooms. Plan how you or a teacher's aide or student teacher will monitor the room, and decide what to do if students are not using the rooms appropriately. For small-group assignments, try assigning specific roles for each student and posting the instructions in an easily accessible location online.

Engage students with getting-to-know-you activities
At the beginning of the semester or marking period, engage students in an online getting-to-know-you activity. Provide students with a few inviting and fun question prompts (e.g., What do you enjoy doing on a Saturday morning? What is your favorite movie and why? If you could meet any fictional character, who would you meet?). To spark motivation and teach a new technology tool, allow students to select an electronic format from a few options, such as a discussion post, electronic poster, video, podcast, slideshow, or series of photos for a collage. There are many creative and interesting online apps that could facilitate a more interactive getting-to-know-you activity, such as Padlet, Flipgrid, and Jamboard.

Record class meetings
Record and share your class meetings so that students can review course material as many times as needed. This may be especially important for students with unreliable internet access.

Watch your language
Carefully consider the use of sarcasm and joking language in any typed communications to students. Without gestures, facial expressions, and auditory cues, students may misinterpret the meaning of your message.

Start an online buddy system
Depending on students' developmental levels, establish an online buddy system in which you pair up students to help each other with questions they have about your online class. This will help them form new friendships, and it will also encourage students to work together to problem-solve before asking you for help. An online buddy system may be especially helpful for students who have limited or unreliable internet access. One buddy could help the other by sharing notes or announcements from class that they missed.

Partner with the home team
Build goodwill and create a healthy and supportive school environment by inviting members of the home support team into the online curriculum and instructional design process early on. Communicate with the home support team often by asking them for their input and reassuring them that their contributions matter. Keep in mind that members of the home support team, such as parents and guardians, may work during regularly scheduled school hours, so meetings and special school events may need to be scheduled during alternative times to accommodate work schedules. When you meet or communicate with the home support team, make it clear that you hope they will become collaborative partners in establishing realistic expectations and reaching attainable goals while their child learns at home virtually.

Be proactive to maintain a positive environment
Be sure that all students' areas of strength are acknowledged and celebrated in your virtual classroom. At the same time, establish an environment in which all students feel safe to make mistakes and view errors as opportunities to learn and grow.

You can also maintain a positive environment via activity design where supports are engineered within the learning activity. Mastery-based quizzes, for example, reward the learner's perseverance with options to improve their grades by reviewing content and repeating all or part of a quiz. Other activities can focus on "interesting to know" aspects of the curriculum and give students practice with socially valuable information about what they're learning.

Are you teaching virtually this year? Do you know a teacher-especially a special educator-who is? Be sure to check out the book behind today's post, a timely guide to what effective and engaging distance education looks like from preschool through high school.

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9 Tips on Creating a Positive Online Learning Environment - Brookes Blog

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Online learning was a widespread necessity during the pandemic-but even though restrictions and closures have eased, distance education services will continue to be an effective way to meet the needs of many students, including those students with disabilities. Today's post is excerpted from the new book The Special Educator's Guide to Distance Education , edited by Belva C.

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The New York Times has compiled this list of relationship-building activities for the virtual classroom. They are like ice-breakers for students and teachers to get to know each other better.

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Ideas for creating authentic connections, meaningful relationships and classroom camaraderie through the screen.

When schools transitioned to remote learning in the spring, teachers worked quickly to adapt lesson plans and curriculums for virtual classes, while also trying to maintain community and connection. This fall, not only will many educators continue that same work, but they will have the added challenge of building community with students they've never met.

To support educators who are trying to do this, we've compiled a list of strategies that can foster meaningful relationships and authentic connection in the virtual classroom. They come from the community building exercises we used during our three-day virtual New York Times Teaching Project summer institute. After several participants told us they planned to start the school year with some of these activities, we thought we should share them with all of our readers.

How are you planning to get to know your students while teaching remotely this school year? Let us know in the comments.
Please note: The activities we describe below were all conducted via , but many other video conferencing platforms have similar capabilities.

We started off our first professional development session with a series of discussion questions to get to know one another. Before the session, we selected a handful of questions from our daily student writing prompts that we thought would give participants an opportunity to learn something new about one another, while remaining low-stakes - no one had to share anything too personal.

Here's how it worked: We shared a question on the screen, then sent participants into breakout rooms with one other person to discuss. After four minutes, we brought them back to the main Zoom room. We shared the next question on our screen, then sent them back into a breakout room, this time with a different partner. We repeated the process a total of three times.

This quick game allowed for short but meaningful conversations and, at the end, participants had gotten to know three new people.

If you want to try this with students:

The teacher will need the ability to create breakout rooms and assign students to them on their digital learning platform.

We put participants in groups of two, but if you're starting the school year with this activity, consider that students might feel most comfortable talking in a group of three or four.

We gave participants four minutes to chat. Your students might need more or less time.

If we were doing this with students, we might give the class two minutes to write down some ideas in their notebooks before pairing them up to discuss.

"I have two cats." "I love eating Oreos dipped in peanut butter." "I speak two languages at home." These are the kinds of personal statements participants shared during our game of That's Me.

To set up the activity, everyone started with their cameras and microphones turned off. Then, one person came on camera and shared a statement about themselves like, "I have a sister." Anyone else who had a sister turned on his or her camera and said, "That's me!" Then, everyone turned their cameras and microphones back off and the next person made a statement.
If you want to try this with students:

Teachers need to have a remote learning classroom space that allows individual students to control their cameras and microphones.

If you're concerned that students might have trouble coming up with statements about themselves, you can provide the class with a list of possibilities from which to choose: "I like mint chocolate chip ice cream." "I have never tried surfing." "Math is my favorite subject. ..."

Instead of having students jump on the mic whenever they have a statement, you might have them use the "raise hand" icon or group chat to volunteer. Then you call on them one at a time.

This activity works best using the "gallery view" or something similar so you can see all participants.

A screenshot of some of the introductory videos Teaching Project participants made using FlipGrid.

Flipgrid is a video discussion tool that allows you to have face-to-face conversations without being in the same place at the same time. It's easy: You create a discussion topic. Share it with your class. Then, learners record and share short videos to respond.

Before our summer institute began, we asked our Teaching Project participants to create short Flipgrid videos introducing themselves, including their name, pronouns, subject area, location and the answer to a fun question of their choice:

What's your favorite show to binge-watch?

If you had to eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

What's one thing that people don't know about you by looking at you?

After they posted their own videos, we asked them to reply to at least one other person's introduction. It was a way for participants to get to know one another and make connections before the sessions even started.
If you want to try this with students:

Teachers will need to create a class Flipgrid account. It's free.

The default video length is 90 seconds, but you can adjust it to anywhere between 15 seconds and 5 minutes.

Start by posting your own video answering the questions you ask students and reply to them as they post their own.

You might be familiar with the game Human Bingo: students walk around the room and mingle until they find someone that matches the facts listed on a bingo-style sheet. The student writes down the person's name, and the first student to get five in a row - or fill out the whole board - wins.

Well, we adapted this for the virtual classroom: We used the Flipgrid introduction videos to populate a Bingo board, with each space including a statement about one of the participants. Then, we displayed the board on a shared screen and invited participants to write, using Zoom's annotation tools, the correct names in each square. Participants discussed the answers in the chat and on the mic. The only rule was that you couldn't write your own name.

This can be a great follow-up to the Flipgrid introductions to see how many students watched their classmates' videos and remembered what they shared.
If you want to try this with students:

Zoom, and Google Jamboard all offer built-in annotation tools that students can use. We had participants practice by writing their names first so we could make sure everyone knew how to access the tools.

If you don't have access to a meeting annotation tool, then students can share answers in the chat or on the mic while the teacher writes them on the board.

If you have a large class, you can split students up into small groups in breakout rooms. Make it a competition: Whichever team completes the card first wins!

A screenshot from our one-word reflection activity at the end of the first day of our 2020 Teaching Project summer institute.

As a daily closing activity, we invited participants to sum up their reactions to the session on a written sign, then hold it up for everyone to see. The first day we asked them to describe how they were feeling in one word. Another day, we asked them to find a New York Times headline that reflected their moods. On the last day, we asked them to craft their own headlines, ones that captured how they felt and what they had learned after the three-day session.
If you want to try this with students:

For this activity, everyone will need to be able to see everyone else's screen. It works best in "gallery mode" or something similar.

Students will need a piece of paper and a marker so their text is easy to read on the screen.

You can use this activity to get a sense of students' emotional well-being at the end of each class or as an exit ticket to gauge their understanding of academic content.

What's going on in this picture? Look closely at the image above or view it in a larger size, then tell us what you see by posting a comment. On Thursday afternoon, we will reveal more about the image and its origins at the bottom of this post.

After participants had gotten a chance to get to know one another via the community-building activities, we introduced them to " What's Going On in This Picture? " one of our most popular Learning Network features. It encourages communication and collaboration - and teachers tell us it's fun for students too.

We sent participants into breakout rooms to look closely at the Times photograph above and discuss the three questions we ask every week as part of this activity:

Participants chimed in on the microphone and in the group chat to share their observations, offer their interpretations and build on one another's answers, while a facilitator summarized their responses and kept the conversation moving. This exercise isn't about getting the right answer; it's about examining an image, looking for details, practicing inference skills and then, based on the clues, drawing a conclusion.

If you like What's Going On in This Picture? then you should also consider trying What's Going On in This Graph? - its sister feature that we run with the American Statistical Association.

If you want to try this with students:

You can also put students into small groups in breakout rooms to discuss while viewing the image on The Times's website. Have them come back to the main room to share their conclusions with the rest of the class.

Participants from the Teaching Project they plan to use this activity in their classes to create a predictable weekly structure and as a warm-up activity to get students thinking and engaged before diving into academic content.

Sitting at a screen all day can be tiring and physically uncomfortable - even if the lessons or conversations are engaging. Throughout our Teaching Project, we tried to hold space for this reality by sharing a mindful moment together once a day.

One way we did this was by practicing different breathing techniques and mindfulness meditation. We practiced box breathing (exhale for four counts, hold for four counts, inhale for four counts, hold for four counts, repeat) and a five-minute body scan, like the one below.

Body Scan Meditation

A 12-minute practice involving the whole body, led by Tara Brach.

If you want to try this with students:

"How to Meditate," an article from the section, offers a step-by-step guide with various techniques, as well as audio guided meditations. You can start with a one-minute meditation and work your way up to 15 minutes.

You can play one of the guided meditations by sharing your audio on Zoom or lead your own.

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7 Activities to Build Community and Positive Classroom Culture During Online Learning (Published 2020)

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Ideas for creating authentic connections, meaningful relationships and classroom camaraderie through the screen. When schools transitioned to remote learning in the spring, teachers worked quickly to adapt lesson plans and curriculums for virtual classes, while also trying to maintain community and connection.

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This article is actually about the whole school culture. Still, most points can definitely be applied to the classroom, such as no clear sense of purpose, an absence of honest dialogue, self-preservation vs. collaboration, punishment instead of recognition, rewards, and behaviors motivated by the avoidance of discipline, a palpable lack of safety, a small group who controls the conversation, and an absence of risk-taking.

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Robyn Jackson reports that she can tell what kind of culture a school has within five minutes of entering the front door. Jackson, a former National Board-certified teacher and administrator turned education consultant, spoke at the ASCD conference in Chicago, Ill., about the warning signs of a toxic school culture and what leaders can do to disrupt it.

Warning Signs

1. No clear sense of purpose. If school administrators and teachers don't share a common goal, they will work toward their own agenda, which will eventually create conflict.

2. Hostile relations among staff, students, and parents. When elephants fight, it's the grass that suffers. When the adults in the room fight, no one can focus well on the most important thing: the students.

3. An emphasis on rules over people or mission. This issue is often created at the district level. Teachers are more focused on the rules than on serving students and feel they have little latitude to do their jobs.

4. An absence of honest dialogue. Principals who avoid difficult conversations with teachers and address issues by reassigning the teacher or changing a teacher's schedule aren't truly serving kids.

5. More self-preservation than collaboration. When self-preservation takes priority over serving kids, it's difficult for good ideas and talented teachers to stick around.

6. Active back channels over formal lines of communication. If more is being said and accomplished in unofficial meetings after the staff meeting, it's a sign that teachers and faculty don't trust each other. If the rumor mill controls everything, it leaves an opening for people to make their own narratives. Whoever controls the narrative controls your school culture.

7. Punishment instead of recognition, and rewards and behavior motivated by the avoidance of punishment. If colleagues punish bad behavior and don't reward good behavior, the culture encourages students and staff to do the minimum to avoid getting punished, but not to excel.

8. A palpable lack of safety. If people are afraid to speak up, they can't address problems head on. When teachers aren't free to be vulnerable, they don't feel safe in uncomfortable conversations.

9. A small group who controls the conversation. If a few dominant voices control the culture of your school, toxicity thrives. It's imperative to find ways to help everyone speak up.

10. An absence of risk taking. People are afraid to do what they feel is right for kids because they're afraid to step away from the pack. If teachers try nothing new, the kids are the ones who suffer.

How to Protect Your Confidence

Join Robyn Jackson for a Virtual Author Workshop where she will walk you through a deep dive on her groundbreaking work. Seats are limited.

November 30, 2022, 11:00 AM-12:30 PM EST

Where to Start

If you notice these warning signs, Jackson says it's important to intervene-not by hiring and firing, but by focusing on building a better school culture. Although this work is ongoing and far from easy, the first step is overhauling your school's core values, mission, and vision.

To form core values, Jackson recommends dividing teachers into small, naturally occurring groups, such as by grade level, and asking three questions:

1. Imagine the students you have right now come back to speak at your retirement ceremony. What are the three most important things you want them to say about their experience with you?

2. The students you have right now come back for their 25-year reunion. What do you want them to say about their experience in this school?

3. As you consider these questions, what are some trends you're noticing that get at what your core values are?

From the core values ideas generated in these small group reflections, leaders can create a master list that all staff can review to select the most important values. Jackson recommends putting all the potential values in front of an all-staff meeting and giving each participant three dots to "vote" on the core values that resonate most with them.

"It's risky, but when you do that, you give everyone a veto, not just a voice," Jackson said.

The process of overhauling values, mission, and vision is healing in and of itself. When you shape your work around these things, Jackson said, you will change your culture-and leave no room for toxicity to grow.

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Robyn Jackson reports that she can tell what kind of culture a school has within five minutes of entering the front door. Jackson, a former National Board-certified teacher and administrator turned education consultant, spoke at the ASCD conference in Chicago, Ill., about the warning signs of a toxic school culture and what leaders can do to disrupt it.

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In this article, Tatiane Rigonati writes about her strategies for creating a caring culture in her early years' classrooms. She says, "Caring relationships are motivated by mutual empathy, based on the understanding and recognition of others and their needs. Caring enhances the child-teacher relationship, especially in a culturally diverse classroom. Being in a constant caring relationship motivates children to learn."

Her four main strategies are
1) Listening: recognizing and connecting with the students, their experiences, and their social and cultural backgrounds.
2) Voice: acknowledge the social, cultural, and ethical responsibility they have in nurturing and maintaining caring relationships, welcoming the children's voices, and making them feel their stories are valued by creating a safe space for them to be heard.
3) Sharing Stories: children feel safe sharing their stories. Asking questions about the characters' qualities and whether the learners can relate to them, the setting, and the main idea
4) Assessment: collecting relevant information from the learners' stories, interests, and goals.

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Culturally Responsive Teaching

A commitment to fostering an environment of caring can promote learning in culturally diverse pre-K to 2 classrooms.

What does it mean to care? How can pre-K to 2 teachers have a genuine caring relationship with their learners? Caring relationships are motivated by mutual empathy, based on the understanding and recognition of others and their needs. In the early learning classroom, caring is present in the relationship between children and teacher: Teachers respond to children's needs and interests when they adapt and design a differentiated curriculum.

When they truly care for children, teachers meet students' social and academic realities and create opportunities for deep, meaningful, and relevant learning. Caring enhances the child-teacher relationship, especially in a culturally diverse classroom. Being in a constant caring relationship motivates children to learn.

Although caring may be intrinsic to teaching, it's important that teachers reflect on the implications that caring has for their teaching practice, and question and reflect on how much their caring habits are culturally inclusive and responsive.

Building a Circle of Caring in a Culturally Diverse Classroom

Teachers can respect, dialogue with, and consider each child's social and cultural background to model and promote caring in the classroom, and they can include opportunities for teaching children to practice and reflect on their own caring habits. Teachers can do this by listening to their students, giving them a voice, and encouraging them to share their stories.

Listening: A teacher who cares is an attentive one, who talks with students, provokes critical thinking and reflective responses, and makes thoughtful connections among school disciplines and life experiences. In my teaching practice, I often connect classroom subjects to facts of different cultures. While talking about plants, colors, historical facts, or geographic elements, for example, I engage children to connect their cultural background to what I'm teaching, aiming for meaningful learning.

A caring teacher is one who listens. Listening is a responsibility that's emotionally and intellectually important. Provide a secure environment so that students can feel they matter and they're being heard.

To listen to someone is to move beyond the conversation in which one speaks and the other listens. Listening in teaching consists of recognizing and connecting with the students, with their experiences, and with their social and cultural backgrounds.

Voice: It's important that teachers acknowledge the social, cultural, and ethical responsibility they have in nurturing and maintaining caring relationships as well as welcoming the children's voices and making them feel their stories are valued by creating a safe space for them to be heard.

It's also critical to promote and engage children in self- and social awareness, as these are important steps in promoting a more inclusive classroom. I created a memory game with pictures of different people that the children have to match with cultural elements, such as musical instruments, clothing style, or typical food.

I also created a "cultural Bingo game," using pictures of people of different nationalities. When I refer to a specific picture, I provide clues such as "the person has black curly hair and wears glasses" or "the person has brown skin tone and long black hair." After choosing their options, the children and I discuss our similarities to and differences with the person in the picture.

These activities exemplify caring and can widen the teacher's lens on their curriculum and their teaching practices, promoting and enhancing sustainable and respectful relations among children, their stories, and the diverse society they live in.

Sharing stories: Supported by a caring relationship, children feel safe sharing their stories. I bring movies and picture books to class to further engage students. While presenting these materials, I ask questions about the characters' qualities and whether the learners can relate to them, the setting, and the main idea. To further engage the learners, I also ask how they would tell their stories and what main ideas they would include.

As a first step, they narrate their stories to one another. As a second step, the children and I use technology tools to draw, record, or (using pictures) animate their stories. While sharing their stories, children are building a caring community, promoting empathy for one another and supporting each other's emotions and responses. As a result, children are able to identify and respond well regarding their and others' feelings. These stories can also promote reflexive dialogue that both children and teachers can reflect on.

Assessment: Caring is not a single act. It requires practice and continuity. It also demands reflection on caring relationships and the way educators evaluate children. To assess the children in a caring way, teachers can collect relevant information from the learners' stories, interests, and goals.

This way, the assessment is not only content focused but also learner focused, valuing the children's thinking and emotional, cognitive, and academic learning and growth. In this process, teachers can reflect on not only "What has the child learned?" but also "How has the child been building their knowledge?" With this question in mind, I assess the children by how their social, emotional, and language skills have improved, and what new knowledge and concepts they learned while listening to others' stories and connecting school subjects with cultural topics and elements.

When teachers personalize children's learning by meeting their social, cultural, and academic realities, needs, and demands, they create an atmosphere that nurtures deep, meaningful, and relevant caring and learning.

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What a Culture of Caring Looks Like in Early Childhood Classrooms

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Culturally Responsive Teaching A commitment to fostering an environment of caring can promote learning in culturally diverse pre-K to 2 classrooms. What does it mean to care? How can pre-K to 2 teachers have a genuine caring relationship with their learners? Caring relationships are motivated by mutual empathy, based on the understanding and recognition of others and their needs.

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Connected to the previous post, this article covers the role of the environment in creating a great classroom culture. It talks about our classroom space, books, time, and print and gives examples of how to teach and pose questions to our students when coming up with classroom norms

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Classroom Culture & Environment > Environment | LEARN - Children’s Literacy Initiative

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The physical environment plays a crucial role in helping children feel both comfortable and supported in their learning environment.

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A fantastic resource on creating a strong classroom culture. It covers three aspects (responsibilities, language, & procedures) in a very student-centered way and tries to answer the question, “What do all my children need to grow and thrive?”

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A strong, positive classroom culture supports children's social and emotional needs and development. Children thrive in a community where everyone contributes and everyone is valued. The classroom culture is created through the language we use, the responsibilities we encourage, and the procedures we teach.

A purposeful classroom culture teaches children the social-emotional skills they need to succeed in the world - in and out of school. These skills include understanding and managing emotions, setting and achieving goals, feeling and showing empathy for others, maintaining positive relationships, and making responsible decisions.

When we are thoughtful about our classroom culture we ask, "What do all my children need to grow and thrive?" Use this information as you plan, model, and reflect on the culture you have - or want to develop - in your classroom.

Reflect on Your Classroom Culture

A positive, caring classroom culture doesn't "just happen." It emerges as a result of thoughtful reflection and purposeful planning and actions. Here are some questions to get you thinking about your current classroom climate. Take some time to reflect on your own practice, recognizing all the great things you are already doing, and noting any areas where you would like to grow.
Do all the children in your room feel valued and included in the classroom community?

What are some of the things you do to build strong, positive relationships with all of the children in your room?

What are some things you do to get to know your children's families and include them in the life of the school community?

What are some things you do to learn about and understand children's home cultures and communities? How do you use this information to adapt your language, instruction, and culture?

Do your children feel that they have a say in how the classroom works? Do you talk about your classroom community as something that all children are part of, participate in, and responsible for maintaining? Would they say "we are all in this together"?

Do children in your room have an opportunity to discuss their ideas, thoughts, and opinions with each other?

What kind of language do your children use with each other? Do they know how to start conversations, ask for help, disagree politely, and encourage each other?

How have you taught children to speak to each other? Do you model, give them time to practice, and reinforce what is going well?

Do the children in your room feel responsible for their own learning and behavior?

Why do children follow "rules" in your room? What happens if they don't?

Do the children in your class behave the same way outside of the classroom as they do inside the classroom? Why do you think this is?

How do you teach classroom expectations/rules? How are they stated? How are they reinforced throughout the year?

Do your children understand why being responsible for themselves, others, and their classroom contributes to a positive classroom culture? Why is that important?

Do you think children feel that you believe in their ability to overcome challenges?

Do the children in your room have procedures and routines for all of the materials, processes, and spaces in your room?

Which classroom procedures are working well? What makes them work well? How do you know when a current procedure needs to be enhanced, improved, or changed?

Which procedures do you still need to establish (as evidenced by what children do not know how to do and/or what they are not doing)? Sometimes it can be helpful to close your eyes and imagine the perfect classroom. What does it look like? What are the children doing? What is the teacher doing?

During which parts of the day do children seem to have difficulty moving from one activity/space to the next? Are there any portions of the day when instructional time is lost due to poor transitions?

Getting Started with Classroom Culture

Here are our recommendations for first steps you can take to build, change, or enhance your classroom culture.

Use a variety of strategies to build relationships with all children.
Greet children in the morning, call them by name, communicate at eye-level, etc.
Building a positive relationship with your children is at the foundation of effective teaching. Positive teacher-child relationships build trust, help the children feel secure, and increase the level of cooperation. Positive teacher-child relationships will also positively contribute to your children's intellectual and social development. When the children feel safe, they are more willing take the risks necessary for effective learning to take place. Children learn best from teachers that they like.

Stand by the classroom door each morning and greet each child by name. Give high fives. Inquire about their pets, after school interests, and siblings.

Stand by the door at the end of the school day and say goodbye to each child. Try to recall a positive experience from the day.

Speak respectfully to the children. Conduct one-to-one conversations at eye level when possible.

Get to know your children via direct conversations with them and their parents, by reading their writing, and by "kid watching." Find out about their out-of-school interests and activities.

Include books in the classroom library that reflect your children's interests. Call each child's attention to those books that are well matched to that particular child.

Read aloud books, such as Something Beautiful, that encourage children to share their thoughts, feelings, and ideas.

Acknowledge their birthdays, out-of-school events and accomplishments, and family celebrations (e.g., new baby, parent returning from military service, etc.).

Create a classroom that feels welcoming, joyful, and safe for children and families.

Creating a safe, joyful, and welcoming classroom is one of the most important things that you can do to promote learning. Children need to feel safe in order to learn. They need to feel secure in order to want to engage and participate. Children feel safe in an environment that is orderly, consistent, and predictable. They develop a feeling of belonging when they contribute to and help to build the positive environment. Parents feel welcome in classrooms in which the child is happy and has positive feelings. Parents are more likely to cooperate and become allies in their children's education when their children are feeling safe and welcome.

The classroom community is built upon the shared values of kindness, responsibility, and empowerment. Take the following steps to ensure that these fundamental values permeate the classroom.

Model and teach kindness through positive and empowering language, respectful interactions, and mini-lessons.

Construct and consistently reinforce procedures and responsibilities to give the children a sense of contributing to a positive environment.

Empower the children to take risks by viewing mistakes as learning opportunities and focusing on the learning process (not the product).

Recognize and celebrate successes with classroom culture, so that the children will understand the importance of these shared beliefs and demonstrate them consistently.

Use the language of "we, us, and our" to build community.

Use inclusive language that invites the children into the community of learning. When you use "we," "us," and "our," you make each child feel like a valued member of the classroom and send the message that "we're all in this together." The children will learn that group processes are an essential part of learning and of society as a whole. "We language" sends the message that all members of the class belong, are collaborative partners, and are invested in each other's success.

Engage the children in creating a class promise. Decorate the promise with the children's photos or self-portraits. Have each child sign the class promise.

Engage the children in "The Power of Three" mini-lessons to help develop and instill the idea of "our classroom."

Create classroom jobs to help the children understand that they have a responsibility to contribute to the smooth running of the classroom.

Schedule and conduct regular classroom meetings to give the children a forum to express ideas and take part in the decision-making about classroom life.

Gain children's attention before giving directions using verbal and non-verbal cues.

Learning to follow directions is one of the important life skills that your children will learn. Following directions is at the foundation of everything they do at school. However, you can't give the children any directions until you gain their attention. Primary classrooms are busy places, and your children are likely to be deeply engrossed in engaging literacy tasks that you have provided. Teaching the children to quickly respond to one of several attention-getting signals will help to maximize instructional time. You'll need to teach both verbal and nonverbal signals because there are times, such as indoor recess, when there is too much going on for the children to hear you.

Teach the children whimsical signals to stop and listen. You can use a call and response signal such as: (a) You say, "Macaroni and cheese," and the children respond, "Everybody freeze." or (b) You put your hands on your head and say "Hands on top," and the children respond, "Everybody stop." Some teachers clap a rhythmic pattern, and the children repeat it. Or you can say, "If you can hear my voice, clap once, twice, three times."

You might want to use a nonverbal signal such as raising your hand. Teach the children to raise their hands and stop talking when they see your raised your hand. When other children notice, they'll raise their hands, too. Eventually, all hands will be up and everyone will be quiet.

When the children comply with the request to stop and listen to instructions, compliment them for cooperating.

Teach children procedures for material, processes, and spaces.

Procedures are routines for using and understanding all aspects of the classroom. When planning which procedures to teach, analyze all of the class's materials (leveled books, art supplies, etc.), areas (classroom library, whole group meeting area, etc.), and processes (how to put books away, how to line up, etc.). List the procedures associated with each one. Procedures can be co-created with children's input. They are shared with the children through mini-lessons, using language that is specific, predictable, and consistent, so that the children understand exactly what is expected. Discuss the purpose (to maximize instructional time) of performing procedures routinely and accurately, and give children ample time to practice each one. Knowledge of procedures promotes children's independence, which results in reduced transition time and, therefore, more time for instruction.

Identify the procedures that children will need to learn to have the classroom run smoothly and efficiently.

Carefully plan procedural mini-lessons using a procedural lesson planning template.

Rehearse mini-lessons to ensure that you are using precise and effective language.

Call the children to the large group meeting area to teach the lesson.

Tell the children why you are teaching the lesson and how it will help them and the class.

Practice the procedure as needed.

Co-create, post, and regularly reference procedural anchor charts.

Anchor charts are created for the procedures that children need to have ingrained in long-term memory. When any procedure is taught, the teacher should consider whether an anchor chart is needed as part of the planning process. These charts are co-created with the children, are written in language that is positive, clear, and concise, and are regularly referenced during instruction. The class decides together where to post the chart, so that it is visible and easily accessible. Children are taught how to use anchor charts with independence, so that procedures become rituals. Creating, posting, and regularly referencing procedural anchor charts promotes responsibility and greater understanding of all routines in the classroom.

Create anchor charts for the procedures, responsibilities, and beliefs/values that children need to have ingrained in long-term memory.

Co-create these charts with the children. They must be written in language that is positive, clear, and concise.

Decide together with your children where to post each chart, so that it will be visible and easily accessible.

Teach the children how to use the anchor charts.

Regularly reference the anchor charts during instruction.

Work with children to develop appropriate, consistent, and fair responsibilities (instead of rules) for expected behaviors.

Teacher and children establish responsibilities together as a guide to all expected behaviors in the classroom. These responsibilities build and support classroom community, and they empower and encourage all children to be responsible. In contrast, "rules" often focus on obedience and cause power struggles. At the beginning of the year, the teacher and children create a list of responsibilities together, stated in the positive, so that the focus is on what children should do rather than what they shouldn't do. Two examples are, "Share materials" and "Raise your hand when you want to speak." Expectations are high but realistic to the particular age group. After the list is complete, the children are taught that any positive experiences or challenges that arise in the classroom can be categorized by three main responsibilities: responsibility for yourself, others, and the classroom ("The Power of Three"). These responsibilities are modeled, practiced and reinforced on a daily basis. As responsibilities become an integral part of classroom life, children will want to contribute responsibly to their classroom, resulting in an increased love for learning and school.

Use The Power of Three board to teach procedures, responsibilities, beliefs, and culture lessons throughout the year.

Create the "Power of Three" display together with the children:

Take Care of Yourself

Take Care of Others

Take Care of our Classroom

Build the Power of Three slowly over time.

Plan and implement responsibility or procedural lessons for most (if not all) of the mini-lessons that are listed under Take Care of Yourself, Take Care of Each Other, and Take Care of Our Classroom, using language that is specific, predictable, and consistent, so that the children understand exactly what is expected.

The teacher and children use "take care of" language as much as possible throughout each day and reflect on The Power of Three daily.

State responsibilities positively.
Avoid "no" and "don't."
Maintain a positive environment in your classroom by helping the children learn responsibilities instead of demanding that they follow rules. Focus on what the children should do, not on what they shouldn't do. Staying positive will encourage the children to act responsibly. Help the children understand that in their efforts to be responsible, they will make mistakes. These mistakes are learning opportunities and evidence that they are trying. By focusing on positively stated responsibilities, you can help your children be more accountable for their own actions and feel a sense of belonging to a classroom community.

Develop a list of responsibilities for the children. Keep the list short and general, so that the children are not overwhelmed.

Share the responsibilities gradually via a series of mini-lessons on "The Power of Three."

State the responsibilities in simple, positive language, such as, "Be kind to each other," instead of "No hitting."

Use precise and specific language that is kid-friendly.

Build in "power breaks" throughout the day to reflect on, highlight, and celebrate responsible behavior.

Model self-regulation throughout the day.
Appropriately express and label emotions and feelings for children.
The most powerful lessons that we teach children are through our own actions. Children truly learn what we do rather than what we say. Our children use us as a model of behavior. You will experience a range of feelings and emotions during each school day throughout the school year. There will be times of joy, frustration, disappointment, anger, and sadness. The way that you react, respond, and express those feelings during those times is an authentic teaching and learning opportunity. Through your modeling, your children will learn to appropriately label feelings and express their own feelings.

Engage the children in creating a "feelings chart." Talk about the range of feelings and the appropriate responses to those feelings. Have the children make drawings showing a given feeling, or even have a child act out the feeling and snap a photo. The feelings chart will help give "names" and images to a wide range of feelings.

During read alouds, frequently have the children identify a character's feeling on the feeling chart.

When you experience an emotion and respond to it, take advantage of the teachable moment. Talk to the children about what happened, how you feel, and what you did and didn't do.

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A strong, positive classroom culture supports children's social and emotional needs and development. Children thrive in a community where everyone contributes and everyone is valued. The classroom culture is created through the language we use, the responsibilities we encourage, and the procedures we teach.

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The challenges that focus on what is  happening on the virtual environment that disrupt the children in their learning.
These are the things that most of the students struggle when they are at home.

Reference:
Vierstra,Gretchen
https://www.understood.org/en/articles/distance-learning-focus-challenges

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For kids and teens who struggle with focus, distance learning can be especially difficult. Here are eight ways learning at home can make it harder to focus.

Learning from home often means making up your own routine. For some, the flexibility is liberating. But kids and teens who struggle with focus tend to do better when they know exactly what to expect, and exactly what's expected of them.

A doorbell ringing, someone making lunch, people or pets moving around. There are sights, smells, and sounds at home that make it hard to focus on schoolwork.

Many kids are feeling sad or anxious because of the pandemic. They may miss seeing friends or attending events. Some are coping with the trauma of family members losing jobs or getting sick. And social media exposes them to what other people are going through. All these emotions and worries can be as distracting as a loud TV.

4. Less support for time management

At home, there are no set start and end times for when to get work done. And there are no teachers standing there to keep them on track. Without the natural supports that exist in a classroom, kids and teens can easily drift off and lose track of time.

5. No in-person help for refocusing

At school, the teacher can refocus students with a hand on the shoulder or a quiet reminder. Classmates asking or answering a question can bring attention back to the lesson or activity.

Changes in routine can upset sleep schedules. And coping with uncertainty and anxiety can make it harder to fall asleep or stay asleep. When people don't get enough sleep, it directly impacts how well they can focus.

7. Long, written communication

Many teachers are using email to reach students and share information. But a long email can be hard to focus on, just like a long oral lesson in the classroom can be. The same is true of written class materials.

8. No change in scenery or built-in breaks

Staying in one place all day can make it hard to stay focused. Students get built-in breaks in regular school. Recess, gym, music or art class, and even changing from room to room all help students recharge.

About the author

About the author

Gretchen Vierstra, MA is the managing editor at Understood and co-host of the "In It" podcast. She's a former educator with experience teaching and designing programs in schools, organizations, and online learning spaces.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Bob Cunningham, EdM serves as executive director of learning development at Understood.

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8 Focus Challenges of Distance Learning | Understood

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For kids and teens who struggle with focus, distance learning can be especially difficult. Here are eight ways learning at home can make it harder to focus. Learning from home often means making up your own routine. For some, the flexibility is liberating.

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What does not work in Physical environment

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Jean Eclarin - Classroom Management in an Online Environment

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Jean Eclarin - Classroom Management in an Online Environment

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Build an engaging experience
Cultivate a Community Amongst Students
Positive Relationship between Teacher and Students
Establish and Reiterrate Routines
Educate Students about Plagiarism
Establish Communication Norms
Set Expectations and be Consistent
Acknowledge Student Accomplishments

Online class has its challenges however if a teacher will set the tone of the class the student are able to attain better understanding and diligent to do their work.

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Classroom Management in an Online Environment - TeachHUB

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The sudden shift to eLearning has presented educators with many challenges. Explore our strategies for classroom management in an online environment.

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Jean Eclarin - Building classroom culture

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Jean Eclarin - Building classroom culture

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There are 3 strategies that can create a positive  classroom culture.
1. Communication
2. Inclusive Environment
3. Organization and accessibility of course content

Teachers build a good communication with the students. It will build good relationships and able to welcome the children and they feel belongingness in the class.

Inclusive environment means celebrate diversity and promote inclusivity by recognizing and valuing the differences in your students, including their backgrounds, experiences, and identities.
Set clear expectations for behavior and create a safe space for all students to express themselves without fear of judgment or ridicule.Encourage collaboration and group work, which allows students to learn from one another and build relationships with classmates who may have different backgrounds and experiences. Provide opportunities for student-led initiatives and encourage students to take an active role in shaping the classroom culture.
Address and challenge any biases or prejudices that may arise in the classroom, and model positive behavior for your students.

The student are able to access the things they need in the classroom. Organization of what are your plans for the day will not cause chaos.

Classroom and Culture, Center of Transformative ; University of Lincoln Nebraska https://teaching.unl.edu/resources/classroom-climate/classroom-climate-and-culture/
https://teaching.unl.edu/resources/classroom-climate/classroom-climate-and-culture/

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Classroom climate refers to the atmosphere of a classroom including the social, emotional, and physical aspects of a learning space. The moods, attitudes, and tone of instructor-student and student-student interactions in a classroom culminates in the overall classroom climate. Additionally, both intentional and unintentional actions and explicit and implicit messages add to the classroom climate. To cultivate a positive classroom climate, instructors need to build strong rapport with students (Barr 2016) by incorporating seven dimensions of classroom climate (Fraser and Treagust 1986).

Seven Dimensions of Classroom Climate

1. Personalization - Students know the instructor sees them as individuals and cares about their well-being and success.

2. Involvement - All students are actively invited to participate in the class resulting in an inclusive learning environment.

3. Student Cohesiveness - Students are encouraged to know and work with their peers during class activities to build a sense of community.

4. Satisfaction - Students find value in and enjoy coming to class.

5. Task Orientation - Students find class activities to be worthwhile, well-organized, and clearly aligned to learning objectives/goals and expectations.

6. Innovation - Activities and assignments are designed using pedagogical best-practices. Students understand why the instructor is using these activities and assignments (explicit statements by instructor on why students are doing specific tasks).

7. Individualization - Students are given autonomy/choice for some aspects of the class which allows them to develop/explore areas that are interesting to them.

Fortunately, most of these aspects of classroom climate can be developed by the instructor using a few basic strategies.

Building Classroom Culture

There are three strategies that aid in creating a positive classroom climate and culture:

1. open, warm communication,

2. inclusive environment, and

3. organization and accessibility of course content.

Communication

Communication is key to building a positive and inviting classroom culture. Therefore, the first steps to building a strong community include providing information to students before the start of the semester. For example, publishing the Canvas course and posting a pre-course welcome announcement provides students with information they need while also showing that you care about their success in the course. Along the same lines, creating a syllabus that invites students to the course and explains course expectations in an inclusive manner promotes a positive climate before the course begins. At the beginning of term, it is also important to greet students, learn students' names, get to know your students, share enthusiasm for the course/topic, and explicitly state that you believe all students can learn by normalizing academic struggles and sharing personal accounts on how effort resulted in positive outcomes. It is also highly recommended to allow students time to get to known each other as student-student interactions can be critical to the learning environment (Barr 2016).

Once established, it is important to continue to provide clear and timely communication with students. A few strategies for maintaining good communication include responding in a timely manner to student questions (whether in-person, via email, or using another method), fostering open discourse through open ended questions and class discussions, and providing students with prompt feedback. Additionally, communicating concern for students that are not doing well in the course creates positive culture (Barr 2016) and can be accomplished with an in-person meeting, an individual email, or through the Canvas LMS (using the "Message Students Who" option in the gradebook). By using these strategies throughout the semester, you convey interest in students' ideas and provide students with the information/means to succeed in your course.

Inclusive Environment

To ensure a positive classroom climate, a course must provide an inclusive environment where all students feel safe and empowered to learn. Creating an inclusive environment begins with the implementation of inclusive course content. Inclusive course content includes using materials that accurately represent the diversity of ideas, perspectives, and people within your content area. But inclusivity is more than just content. It also requires creating safe spaces and opportunities for individuals to contribute to the class. Thus, instructors need to provided students with multiple methods of learning by using a variety of instructional strategies, allowing students to participate in different ways, and providing students with options on assignments and other aspects of their learning. The Center for Transformative Teaching has a newly constructed Inclusive Course Checklist that provides further details on how to create a more inclusive classroom.

Organization and Accessibility of Course Content

A chaotic and unorganized course design will inherently be difficult to learn in and thus make it difficult for a positive classroom climate to be achieved. Therefore, instructors need to organize course content to be easily located within Canvas using modules and other structuring to consistently place information, files, assignments, quizzes, and other required and supplemental resources. Additionally, due dates and other important information should be associated with each assignment or assessment to ensure students know and meet these expectations. Outside of course content and assignments, specialized resources that support students should be placed in easy to locate places within Canvas for students to reference when needed.

These support services include student health (including mental health) services, tutoring services (writing and math centers as well as discipline specific services), disability support services, student housing, and many more. The Center for Transformative Teaching has a Canvas module that contains this information and can be imported into your Canvas course [to import the newest version of this module, go to Canvas, then select Common from the left side menu; on the Common's site search for "Eyde Olson" and the select "Canvas Orientation and Student Resources", then import/download (blue button on right) to add to your course]. When instructors create well organized courses, students know the instructor has their best interests in mind which aids in creating a positive class climate.

In addition to a well-organized course, all course materials need to be accessible to all students. Digital accessibility requires more than just adding a file to a course. The file also needs to be created in a manner that allows students with different abilities to have equal access to these files. For example, videos need to have accurate captioning, documents need to have heading and other structures added, and images need alternative text. The Center for Transformative Teaching has an Essential Accessibility Checklist (Accessibility Checklist | Center for Transformative Teaching (unl.edu)) and Accessibility/UDL Resource (Making Course Material More Accessible : CTT Accessibility/UDL Resource (unl.edu)) to help you improve the accessibility of your course content. Alternatively, a new "Digital Accessibility Training" is available through Bridge ( https://hr.unl.edu/training/, then select the red button labeled "NU Bridge Learning Portal" and search for the course using the title) that includes information and videos showing how to make digital content more accessible.

Building a positive classroom climate and culture is essential for student learning. Student motivation and self-efficacy are positively affected by a supportive classroom climate (Wang et al. 2020). Additionally, student learning has been shown to increase when classroom climate is supportive and positive (Falsario et al. 2014, Persson 2015). And since an instructor's perceptions of a student's abilities and attitudes directly influences the classroom climate (Alonso-Tapia and Ruiz-Diaz 2022), it is imperative for instructors to develop strategies that create a supportive and healthy classroom climate.

Additional Resources

References

Alonso-Tapia, J and Ruiz-Diaz, M (2022). Student, teacher, and school factors predicting differences in classroom climate: a multilevel analysis. Learning and Individual Differences, 94: DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2022.102115

Barr, JJ (2016). Developing a Positive Classroom Climate. IDEA Paper #61.

Falsario, HN, Muyong, RF, and Nuevaespana JS (2014). Classroom climate and academic performance in education students. DLSU Research Congress.

Fraser, BJ and Treagust, DF (1986). Validity and use of an instrument for assessing classroom psychological environment in higher education. Higher Education, 15:37-57.

Persson, M (2015). Classroom Climate and Political Learning: Findings from a Swedish panel study and comparative data. Political Psychology, 36:587-601.

Wang, Q, Lee, KCS and Hoque KE (). The effect of classroom climate on academic motivation mediated by academic self-efficacy in a higher education institute in China. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 19:194-213.

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Classroom climate refers to the atmosphere of a classroom including the social, emotional, and physical aspects of a learning space. The moods, attitudes, and tone of instructor-student and student-student interactions in a classroom culminates in the overall classroom climate. Additionally, both intentional and unintentional actions and explicit and implicit messages add to the classroom climate.

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Norms that do not work in a virtual environment

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Norms that do not work in a virtual environment

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Not encouraging students to speak. It is easy to be quiet especially in a virtual environment

Plain slides or visuals during the lessons. Or no visuals during the lesson.

Majority of the time only the teacher is speaking

Not greeting each student and asking how they are

Lack of implementing group work

Lack of collaboration with parents. As the teacher is unable to be physically with the child then the parents will partake in that role and help with their learning.

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Providing engaging visuals for the lesson / class as the teacher explains

Establishing rules (raising your hand if you wish to speak)

Ensuring that all students get the chance to speak

Greet each student using their name

Encourage group work through breakout rooms

Encourage students to also create visuals when presenting

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Norms that don't work in a physical environment

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Norms that don't work in a physical environment

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Not giving equal attention to all students or favoritism

Lack of engaging lesson plans (not including games or arts etc)

Showing negative expressions to students such as side eyes and yelling

Lack of diversity in lessons to cater to each student's learning style

Judging a student when they make mistakes

Lack of encouragement and praises

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Norms that work in a physical environment classroom

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Norms that work in a physical environment classroom

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Build positive relationships with the parents - constant communication during pickup or through an online platform

Outline the classroom rules for positive behavior.

Give praises

Have a positive mindset as energy is contagious

Help students learn to understand their own emotions and others

Incorporate games into the lesson to keep students engaged

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Norms That Do Not Work In Virtual Environments 

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Norms That Do Not Work In Virtual Environments 

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Going with the flow or lack of routine for each class

Not providing individual meetings with students

Lecturing majority of the class

Lack of inclusivity and consideration of different learning styles

Lack of clarity when giving instruction

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Norms That Work In Virtual Environments 

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Norms That Work In Virtual Environments 

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Collaborating with parents to ensure that students are prepared for class

Creating virtual classroom expectations with students so they hold one another accountable

Posting virtual class expectations in a place that is visible to students

Create consistent routines for students to follow

Survey students for information on how to make the class better and utilize the feedback to make the virtual classroom a more conducive learning space

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Non-Examples of Norms That Don't Work in an Online Learning Environment

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Non-Examples of Norms That Don't Work in an Online Learning Environment

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This article discusses how online learning can negatively affect students.  The ways in which they do are:

1.  Social Isolation
2.  Lack of Skill Development
3.  Less Interactive Knowledge
4.  Affect of Mental Health
5.  Physical Health Effects
6.  No Practical Knowledge
7.  Low Academic Performance

Although online learning is great tool to have, it doesn't have the same feel as an in-person live classroom environment and give a limited experience.  Here are some non-examples of norms that don't work in the online learning environment:

• Feeling isolated and unmotivated, not giving a feeling of belonging and community
• Difficulty for kinesthetic, tactile learners and those with special needs, like students with autism who don't speak much, may be hard to differentiate effectively
• Lack of accountability, collaboration, and support
• Harder for those who need to be in and feel the energy of others
• Distracted by other devices, TV, family, or friends
• Plagiarism
• Cyberbullying and predators

Without face to face interaction, academic performance and motivation may go downhill.  If a routine is not set in place or a student is not self-motivated, they could lose interest in online learning.  Students may need to get an accountability partner such as a classmate or family member. 21st century skill building, such as social skills, collaborative work, problem solving skills and creativity can be limited.  They will have to pay attention to their mental and physical health.  They will also need to be educated on netiquette and staying away from and reporting cyberbullies and online predators.   Parents can monitor and have parental controls on their devices.  All of these factors can contribute to a negative online classroom learning experience.

Cheise, A., & Adam CheiseAdam is a student pursuing his master's in Machine Learning and AI. He is a passionate writer and loves to review — coding and technical course platforms. He reviews all tech courses on ProsperityForAll. (2023, January 16). How online learning affects students & their performance? Prosperity For All. Retrieved March 31, 2023, from https://www.prosperityforamerica.org/how-online-learning-affects-students/

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How Online Learning Affects Students & Their Performance?

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Online learning has become superly popular after the rise of the Covid-19 pandemic. It has been showing significant growth over the last three years, as education and the internet are combined to provide people with the opportunity to gain new skills. Since the pandemic, almost every university, school, and college have started to adopt the ease of online learning.

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Examples of Norms That Work in an Online Learning Environment

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Examples of Norms That Work in an Online Learning Environment

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In this article, the writer's five tips on how to create a positive online learning environment are as follows:

1.  Utilize a variety of technology options
2.  Provide collaborative learning
3.  Keep it simple
4.  Maintain a positive mindset
5.  Build positive relationships through communication

Here are some of examples of norms that work and can be standardized in the learning environment:

• We practice being on time.
• We practice kindness and respect.
• We are mindful about what we say and type.
• We are in a quiet space, with no distractions, sitting upright, and ready to learn.
• We have our cameras turned on and mute our microphones when not speaking.
• We practice proper netiquette and codes of conduct.
• We participate, collaborate, and contribute during class.
• We are flexible, adaptable, positive, and value a growth mindset.
• Teachers are available for individual meetings for additonal support and check-ins.
• Teachers have on-going meetings with parents to communicate on student progress, to address concerns, and to get on the same page

Many of the same norms from the physical classroom apply to the online classroom.  Of course there are differences to virtual learning.  Since we are not physically in front of someone, it may feel easier to type something you wouldn't say to someone's face.  Students must still practice kindness and respect even when in the online classroom.  They must be mindful of their user names, background images both on the computer and in their learning space.  They must be actively listening and willing to participate in discussions and collaborative assignments.  An online classroom foundation built on flexibility, inclusion, safety, respect, emotional intelligence, awareness, kindness, doing our best, creativity, collaboration, support, proper netiquette, and having fun all contribute to the positive climate and culture of an online learning environment.

India Today. (2022, April 17). 5 tips to enable a positive online learning environment. India Today. Retrieved March 30, 2023, from https://www.indiatoday.in//education-today/featurephilia/story/5-tips-to-enable-a-positive-online-learning-environment-1938399-2022-04-17?onetap=true

Common class norms. Academic Resource Center. (n.d.). Retrieved March 31, 2023, from https://academicresourcecenter.harvard.edu/common-class-norms

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By India Today Web Desk: Whenever the word classroom comes into a conversation, the image formed in our minds is that of the typical classroom set up with blackboards and books. The traditional form of learning is associated with the teacher regulating a flow of information and the students jotting it down.

Ever since the outbreak of coronavirus, every industry has been deeply impacted. The education sector is one of them. The students were forced to stay at home and experience the online learning environment.

Initially, people were hesitant about adopting virtual means of learning. Over time, students are able to see and reap the benefits given through an online learning environment.

However, it was a dire task for the teachers to get familiar with the new normal. For educators, it has become necessary to look for new ideas and ways to connect with students in a virtual environment. Those who work in education are carrying a tremendous load, and their importance cannot be overstated.

Today, educators are working harder than ever to ensure that students are successful, going beyond and beyond to prepare them for online classrooms, and changing their strategies and plans as needed.
What are some tips to enable a positive online learning environment?
Technology is one such aspect that we use in our daily lives. It has evolved and is still evolving with a long way to go. When it comes to online learning, technology can be accessed in order to create a more interactive and positive learning environment.

Technology apart from connecting the students and teachers can prove to be beneficial with the help of tools like video conferencing, audio-video components, and assisting tools like YouTube, PowerPoint, Prezi, and learning games can all help add an interactive and visual element to your online classroom.

2. PROVIDE COLLABORATIVE LEARNING:

Learning is not just about memorising facts, it is about grasping more important skills and concepts that will shape the future of students. By organising and conducting group projects for students, teachers can enable a positive learning environment even virtually.

Additionally, teachers can hold small group sessions with students so that they can converse and work together in a more comfortable environment.

3. KEEP IT SIMPLE:

The students are already in a haze trying to adapt to the new means of learning. Teachers should use minimal platforms so as to not confuse the students further. When introducing new content, teachers should be cautious.

Learning via distance is generally the most effective method for completing reviews.

In order to prevent students from forgetting what they have already learned, teachers must reinforce what students have already learned.

4. MAINTAIN A POSITIVE MINDSET:

Before trying to create a positive environment, one should have a clear and positive mindset of your own. Your state of mind will certainly affect the kind of learning environment you are trying to create for your students. You won't be able to help your students as effectively if you don't take care of yourself properly.

5. BUILD POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH COMMUNICATION:

Building a positive relationship with the parents as well as the students is necessary to carry out the smooth functioning of the online classroom. Keeping the parents updated about the child's progress is crucial so that the parents can also get familiar with the boon of online learning.

One-on-one meetings with your students will also help you to demonstrate your care for them and build the trust and understanding you'll need to guide them through their educational journey. These meetings will help you keep students engaged and strengthen your teacher-student relationship.

Adapting to the new normal has been a difficult task for all. However, you should consider an institute that understands both the benefits and challenges of online learning.

(Authored by Dr Nachiket Bhatia, CEO, DBMCI, E-Gurukul)

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5 tips to enable a positive online learning environment

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By India Today Web Desk : Whenever the word classroom comes into a conversation, the image formed in our minds is that of the typical classroom set up with blackboards and books. The traditional form of learning is associated with the teacher regulating a flow of information and the students jotting it down.

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Non-Examples of Norms That Don't Work in a Physical Learning Environment

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Non-Examples of Norms That Don't Work in a Physical Learning Environment

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This article discusses how the pandemic has worsened the mental health crises of students in the classroom due to academic pressures, toxic school and social culture, growing school violence, and spiking suicide rates.  A negative learning environment can lead to low student achievement, poor behavior, student anxiety, and/or depression.  Here are some non-examples of norms that don't work in a physical learning environment:

• Practicing discrimination and favoritism towards students
• Yelling and shouting at students
• Shaming and blaming students
• Making students feel unheard and unseen
• Ignoring students' feelings and emotions
• Having a rigid and negative mindset
• Encouraging unhealthy competition and pitting students against each other
• Expecting perfection
• Devaluing and dehumanizing students
• Displaying unethical values and cruel behavior
• Putting teacher's or school's needs above the students in an unhealthy way

Strauss, V. (2022, January 10). Perspective | school environments can be toxic. why and how they must change. The Washington Post. Retrieved March 30, 2023, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/01/09/toxic-school-environments-must-change/

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The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated what has been a growing mental health crisis among young people, and now some school districts are trying to find ways to address the issue.

With violence in schools on the rise, many school districts are hiring more counselors and mental health professionals, and are trying to intervene with students before behavior becomes egregious. But is it enough?

This piece, written by Vicki Abeles, a filmmaker and author who has chronicled education in this country for more than a decade, argues that it is not. Abeles is a mother of three and a former Wall Street attorney, and her latest documentary is" Chasing Childhood," which looks at what children need to become happy, functioning adults.

Her 2010 film, "Race to Nowhere," probed how America's obsession on achievement harmed children's mental health and learning. And her 2015 documentary, "Beyond Measure," which looked at communities seeking educational change, was accompanied by the book " Beyond Measure: Rescuing an Overscheduled, Overtested, Underestimated Generation."

Abeles has written on this blog before, and here's her newest piece.

In early December, when U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy made a rare public advisory on the mental health crisis facing young people, he joined the growing list of health officials calling for immediate action against this national emergency. "This is a moment to demand change," Murthy urged.

That means starting this new year by finally reckoning with the demands placed on our kids that are making them sick. Our children's lives - and particularly their academic lives - have been turned upside down over the last two years by the pandemic. But instead of seizing this moment of profound uncertainty as a chance to reimagine schooling, we've pushed students right back into a broken educational system that prioritizes achievement over emotional resilience.

In a devastating pandemic, teens are 'more alone than ever.' Many struggle to find help.

Long before covid-19 exacerbated the current mental health crisis among children and teens, studies consistently found that a toxic culture of pressure and measurement in our schools is a key culprit contributing to student stress, anxiety and depression. Accompanied by a relentless drumbeat for high grades, college admissions and perfect test scores, our schools have long been competitive, disempowering environments for students.

Five years ago, my colleague Stuart Slavin, a pediatrician and then professor at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine, studied the mental health of high school students. He found similar symptoms of depression and anxiety with his own medical school students but was shocked and disheartened to find that teens had worse mental health outcomes.

"In the schools I've looked at, I believe that high school is more demanding than medical school - teens are working harder, are more stressed and are getting less sleep than med students are," Slavin said. He also found that school and school culture were the primary sources of stress and distress, not social media and smartphones, as some researchers have postulated.

The pressure to catch up from the upheaval of interrupted learning during the pandemic has worsened this trend. Not only are suicides and mental health-related emergency room visits spiking among youths, but we're seeing a startling increase in school violence, including school fights and tragic shootings.

Many schools are desperately trying to respond to the mental health crisis by hiring extra counselors, implementing mental health screenings and even shutting down for self-care days for students and teachers alike. Interventions like these are important, but they also miss something crucial: They focus on and treat the symptoms and impacts of mental illness without addressing the underlying causes.

If we are to meaningfully address the mental health crisis among our youths, we need to systematically transform the environment of our schools - an environment that is exhausting and overstretching students, teachers, parents and entire communities. An environment that does not value well-being as essential to learning.

How do we begin to transform a culture that is harming, not helping, our children? How do we bring humanity to the classroom so that our students feel seen, supported, inspired and excited to learn?

The tenets of social emotional learning (SEL) have proved to be beneficial for entire school communities. In a national survey, more than 80 percent of educators reported that emotional well-being is critical for academic success. But this has to mean that the development of skills like self- and social awareness and responsible decision-making are built into the entire school experience and not just siloed off with the occasional workshop, yoga class or curricular add-on.

When Slavin found his medical students suffering from severe anxiety and depression, he and his colleagues decreased the academic workload, moved to a pass/fail grading system, expanded elective time and found ways to give students more downtime. It worked: Students' mental health improved, as did their academic performance.

We can and should do the same in our schools by backing off demands at this most dire moment: We must ease up on grades and rankings and move to a pass/fail system to rid our schools of needless competition and the stress born of constant measurement. We must value and safeguard free time after school and on the weekends. By eliminating the second shift of homework and excessive time demands for extracurricular activities, we can ensure kids have the time and space to fulfill basic health needs like sleep and rest, play and exercise - all of which will support their ability to thrive.

Finally, we must provide our children with learning experiences that prioritize connectionand collaboration, and that deepen relationships between students, teachers and the larger world. By turning the focus away from individual achievement, we can empower young people to find meaning and purpose as caring members of their community, which bolsters good mental health in turn. And we will also leave our kids better prepared to find their way in an unpredictable future in which skills like creative thinking and collaboration will be essential to succeed.

It's time to wake up in 2022 to the gravity of the current situation and examine the place where our kids spend the majority of their time. Schools are human-made systems that profoundly and universally affect children of all ages, from all backgrounds, from all parts of the country.

For the sake of our children's recovery in the new year and for years to come, we must demand that our schools build back with well-being at their core.

College students struggle with mental health as pandemic drags on

A mental health crisis was spreading on college campuses. The pandemic has made it worse.

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Perspective | School environments can be toxic. Why and how they must change.

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The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated what has been a growing mental health crisis among young people, and now some school districts are trying to find ways to address the issue. With violence in schools on the rise, many school districts are hiring more counselors and mental health professionals, and are trying to intervene with students before behavior becomes egregious.

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Examples of Norms That Work in a Physical Learning Environment

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Examples of Norms That Work in a Physical Learning Environment

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This is a great article on norm ingredients to add to the classroom.  One of the ways of building a positive climate and culture is to give a welcoming feeling when students walk into their classroom with positive expectations and standards messages displayed on the walls.  They can be colorful with fun images.  Students can be reminded on a daily basis of what kind of learning environment they are trying to create and maintain.  A classroom foundation built on acceptance, inclusion, respect, mindfulness, emotional intelligence, awareness, kindness, doing our best, creativity, teamwork, upliftment, resilience, social etiquette, and having a good time all lend to the positive climate and culture of a physical classroom.  Here are some of examples of the same norms and additions that work and can be displayed in the learning environment:

• We are all different and we can all be friends.
• We respect each other.
• We mindfully express our feelings.
• We speak and act with kindness.
• We try our best.
• Learning is fun!
• We are creative.
• We are a team.
• We encourage each other and cheer each other on.
• We learn from our mistakes.
• We strive for excellence, not perfection.
• We value a growth mindset.
• We take accountability for our actions and behavior.
• We practice the following magic words: please, thank you, sorry, and excuse me.
• We focus on solutions, not problems.
• We solve problems fairly.

Author. (2021, July 25). Ingredients for building a positive classroom environment. Sey Education Solutions. Retrieved March 30, 2023, from https://www.seyeducation.com/abenas-blog-spot/2021/7/24/ingredients-for-building-a-positive-classroom-environment

Twinkl.kr. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2023, from https://www.twinkl.kr/resource/t-m-910-in-our-classroom-display-posters

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Ingredients For Building A Positive Classroom Environment - Sey Education Solutions

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Classroom Norms That Do Not Work In Physical Environments

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Classroom Norms That Do Not Work In Physical Environments

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Teachers using aggressive tones with students

Teachers using poor classroom management strategies

Embarrassing students when they behave inappropriately or when they lack understanding of new skills

Teachers displaying a lack of empathy

Lack of resources for both gifted and struggling students

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Classroom Norms That Work In Physical Environments

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Classroom Norms That Work In Physical Environments

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Having class meetings

Daily affirmations

Notice and reinforce casual positive interactions between students on a daily basis.

Notice changes in students’ physical and emotional behaviors.

Having meetings with individual students often as possible

Create behavioral processes early on and referring students to them when necessary

Practice the patience and kindness you expect your students to have

Practicing inclusive measure for students with different social, ethnic, and learning backgrounds

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Norms  that doesn't work in a virtual classroom .

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Norms  that doesn't work in a virtual classroom .

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Multiple devices on at the same time.

Not showing up on time.

Using too many emojis.

Software that's not accessible to all students in the classroom.

Not dress appropriately.

Not keeping eye contact, hand gestures, facial expressions, and body language polite and focused.

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Norms  that works in a virtual classroom .

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Norms  that works in a virtual classroom .

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Create  rules and expectations in the classroom

Review classroom procedures.

Create fun daily icebreakers.

Using chat to check for understanding.

Host small groups in break-out rooms.

Stay muted so we can hear each other.

If you’re late, don’t say hi in the chat.

School-related things only.

Use texting appropriately.

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Norms  that don't work in a physical environment.

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Norms  that don't work in a physical environment.

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Not creating rules and expectations in the classroom.

Yelling at students and giving corporal punishments.

Not being kind and polite to others.

Not being respectful of classmates, teachers, and belongings.

Not keeping hands and feet to yourself.

Dirty and untidy environment.

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Norms  that work in a physical environment. 

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Norms  that work in a physical environment. 

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Building positive relationships with students.

Be there for them

Providing positive reinforcement which helps to promote a strong classroom culture.

Establishing a routine.

Be on time at the beginning of the day and after lunch and breaks.

Give students a voice and a choice.

Raise your hand when you would like to speak in class or need the bathroom

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Non-Examples of Norms for Creating a Positive Classroom Climate in the Virtual Classroom

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Non-Examples of Norms for Creating a Positive Classroom Climate in the Virtual Classroom

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1. Disrespect and Interrupting:
Participants use inappropriate language in chat messages or disrupt virtual meetings with off-topic comments or excessive background noise.

2. Exclusion and Insensitivity:
Participants make insensitive or offensive comments in discussion boards, group chats, or during video conferences.

3. Lack of Engagement and Participation:
Students don't engage in online activities, fail to complete assignments, or have poor attendance in virtual meetings.

4. Uncooperative Behavior and Competition:
Participants are uncooperative in group projects, withhold information, or focus on individual success at the expense of others.

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Examples of Norms for Creating a Positive Classroom Climate in the Virtual Classroom

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Examples of Norms for Creating a Positive Classroom Climate in the Virtual Classroom

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1. Active Listening and Respect:
Students use the "raise hand" feature in video conferencing platforms and avoid interrupting or talking over others.

2. Inclusivity and Diversity:
Participants use respectful language in written communication, such as discussion boards and chat messages, and are mindful of diverse backgrounds when sharing resources or examples.

3. Accountability and Responsibility:
Students manage their time effectively, engage in online activities, and communicate proactively with teachers and peers about any difficulties or concerns.

4. Support and Collaboration:
Students participate in virtual breakout rooms, collaborate on shared documents, and provide support through online discussion forums or messaging platforms.

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Non-Examples of Norms for Creating a Positive Classroom Climate in the Physical Classroom

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Non-Examples of Norms for Creating a Positive Classroom Climate in the Physical Classroom

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1. Disrespect and Interrupting:
Students interrupt or talk over others, engage in side conversations, or make derogatory comments.

2. Exclusion and Insensitivity:
Students form cliques or exclude others from group activities based on personal biases or preferences.

3. Lack of Engagement and Participation:
Students arrive late to class, don't participate in discussions, and avoid taking responsibility for their learning.

4. Uncooperative Behavior and Competition:
Students refuse to collaborate or share resources, undermine the success of their peers, or engage in overly competitive behavior.

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Examples of Norms for Creating a Positive Classroom Climate in the Physical Classroom

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Examples of Norms for Creating a Positive Classroom Climate in the Physical Classroom

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1. Active Listening and Respect:
Students raise their hands before speaking and listen attentively when others are talking.

2. Inclusivity and Diversity:
Students and teachers use inclusive language and avoid making assumptions about others based on their race, gender, religion, or culture.

3. Accountability and Responsibility:
Students come prepared to class, submit assignments on time, and take responsibility for their learning.

4. Support and Collaboration:
Students work together on group projects, offer help when needed, and share resources.