First read: Seven Strategies for Building Positive Classrooms

In this discussion you and the class are going to explore the different ways teachers work to create a great classroom
environment for their students. In your clinical experiences you have observed different techniques used by the teacher
to create a positive classroom environment. Use this knowledge AND the internet to enhance your understanding of
specific classroom strategies for successful teaching. Suggested keyword searches:
teaching style and classroom management building positive classrooms techniques

Assignment
1. You will share through discussion below, one technique that you will use to create a positive classroom
environment. Make sure you describe your technique, how you will implement it and what benefits it will have
for your students. Copy your strategy next to your name and change the color and font. (see example below)
2. Then you will need to provide feedback to TWO or more classmates on the technique they will implement.
Your feedback is vital to the learning process so provide thoughtful responses. To get credit, you must put your
name at the end of the feedback.
Remember the expectations regarding posts and threaded discussions. Be respectful at all times.

EX of how this should look:

Devon: One technique I will use to create a positive environment for my classroom is after a long lecture or in the
middle of a lecture to take a break and do a little activity such as an icebreaker or a quick little game so my students
can come back and be ready to learn with refreshed minds and also so they get the opportunity to create relationships
with their classmates whom they normally wouldn't tend to have those relationships with.
● I like the concept of the idea, but with an icebreaker in the middle of a lecture, would the
students get confused while you are switching gears? -Kyle
● The icebreaker wouldn't be literally in the middle of the lecture. It would be between breaks in different
headings if that makes sense. -Devon
● I like the idea Devon, I know from previous experience that a little break in the middle will help
keep the students minds fresh.- Kyle

Connor: One technique that I will use to create a positive environment is taking breaks between lessons to
do fun activities, such as a spelling game after spelling pre test. The teacher I am working with will also
have dance breaks where she will turn on dancing videos to dance behind their seats.
● I feel like this is a really good way to keep your students interested, because then they know they will be able
to do something that is less work and more fun after they spend time working to learn new concepts or take a
test. - Mia
● I like this idea because they are still learning with the spelling game and you are helping them
with other basic skills, like remembering what they have already said. -Nicole

SCROLL DOWN TO BEGIN

Hailey Balzer
 It may sound generic, but in my observations the technique that builds the most positive
classroom environment is staying positive. In my classroom, I will ask open ended questions and
respond positively to every response. I notice that kids are more willing to try an answer when
they know the teacher will not respond negatively to wrong answers. A good teacher builds ideas
off of wrong answers instead of embarrassing students who suggest them. I will also make sure
my students associate putting in effort with positive reactions from me. If I smile at students
when they exhibit positive behaviors, they will associate the two things. Being positive in
these ways will encourage my students to want to make me happy. They will also feel more
comfortable sharing ideas in my class. This Is very important in a fine arts classroom, as
there is typically no right answer, and things can be done multiple different ways.
I love the idea of responding positively to questions and wrong answers in a classroom. I
think that people are often scared to ask questions in class because of what the teacher will say.
I think that this will create a very open and welcoming environment in your class. -Hadleigh

I agree that it is important to always respond positively to a student's response to a question even if they
are incorrect. I believe that there isn’t a wrong answer to an open ended question if a student gives
reasoning behind their answers. -Shelley Engel

I agree that having a positive attitude is beneficial in making a classroom successful. I know teachers that do not do
this and students are afraid to be wrong, so I completely agree if you do this then your classroom will be a positive
and successful environment.

Madison Becthold

I will use strategy 7 the most. I am going to always stay positive. I have noticed in my placement that
when I smile at my students they feel good and they are motivated to work hard. In addition to that I am
going to implement positive sayings. For example I am going to work on saying things like “good job” or
“nice work” more often. I think this will motivate my students to work and make them feel better overall
about the work they are doing.

Taylor Boten

To keep a positive environment in the classroom, a strategy my teacher uses for her
Kindergarten class is on each Friday the students will compliment another student. This enforces an
positive behavior because it makes them feel good about themselves and it’s a way to teach the
students to be nice to each other. It benefits the students in the long run because being 5 and 6 they
are still learning new things and being nice to others is something they struggle at bit ever since they
do this they have become better at it. Throughout the week, I try to use a similar strategy to
complement the students on the hard work they are doing in the classroom or if I like what they are
wearing that day. This teaches positive actions to the students and since they often look up to people
older than them it makes the students more likely to want to be like them so they will want to
compliment people too. Once again, this is a great way to show them how they should act when they
get older and to compliment others to make them feel good about themselves.

Carl Clark - I think it is great trying to create model students and productive members

of society. The positive actions that you project off are infectious to others: including
students. How would one keep up the positive vibes if there was tension and hatred between the

students due to something petty?

I love that you want to incorporate compliments in your classroom. At times students feel as
though they need compliments because they may not receive much or hardly any in a day. I like this
technique because it can apply to all ages as well.
- Paige Hollingshead

Emma Marshall- I really like how sharing compliments shows students how to have positive behavior.
Having students write compliments to each other helps them to learn to be kind. If a teacher has a good
attitude, it can rub off on the students, but I think actually having the students practice positivity is what
makes a permanent difference.

Shainah Capistrano

To keep a good and positive environment in a classroom Mrs Robbins the teacher from the placement that I am at right now
uses a ticket. Every day before the class starts each of her students receives a ticket and every time students have bad behavior during
and not doing what they are supposed to do she takes their ticket away. This strategy works for her students because it makes them work
hard to maintain positive behavior in order to keep the ticket throughout the day. However when the ticket of her students got taken
away they have a chance to earn that back when Mrs. Robbins sees them learn from what they did wrong. At the end of the day, whoever
keeps their ticket gets to earn a small reward from her and students feel good about themselves. This strategy is something that I would
use to have a good and positive environment in the classroom because it shows that students learn from what mistakes they made . It
also makes them feel good about themselves and they can continue doing that, once they go up to a higher grade level.

Taylor Boten - I like how the students have rewards to show when they are doing good in the
classroom and to see when they are doing something they are not supposed to be doing. This makes
them more responsible and shows what they can earn when they are doing good in the classroom.

Lacey Christian

To create a positive environment I will show the students that what I am

teaching them is relevant to the real world. It is proven that students learn better

when they can relate it to what they do in their world. Depending on the subject this

can be hard but that is that fun part about teaching and that you can make it your

own. When doing that, you are showing the students that what you are teaching them

isn’t just crap and that you use it in the real world.

Noah Sturtz - I like your idea on creating a positive environment, but how will you be creating a positive
environment?

I will do that by showing the students what they are learning is relevant and relate it to specific things in their
life. Lacey Christian

Carl Clark
Make Learning Relevant - Carl Clark

I would implement the “Make Learning Relevant” strategy in my classroom setting. I think

the reasons that some students do not do as well as others because of a lack of relatability or

care for the subject matter. I would try to make the material be meaningful to the students; in

order for the students to create a stronger connection to the course. By answering the

questions of “So What?” or “Who Cares?” the students shall be able to thoroughly understand the

class. The students come first, and by utilizing the “Make Learning Relevant” strategy the

students would be more engaged.

I think that this is very important because I have been a student in classes that are

required, but are not at all relevant to the work I want to do for the rest of my life. That

feeling made me less motivated to participate in the class, so I believe if you make it

relevant to your students then they will want to learn and have motivation. -Madison

Dezi Jones - I think this is very important as well because a lot of time things seem useless in class and you
wonder why does this matter so explaining and saying why it really does matter would help students relate
to the material more and be able to learn better.

Christopher Cunningham

The technique that I want to install most in my classroom is to be more positive

or “Always be Positive”. A positive personality or person makes the students feel more
open with the teacher about their emotional needs and safety within the classroom
environment. Being more positive and taking better approaches to conflicts or even
lessons can have a great impact on the students learning and their moods.It will have
the benefit with students being more engaged and happier with what they are learning
as well as the overall mood that I am as a teacher. It also will allow students to feel
more open with me when they are being taught and can talk about semi personal things
to them. I will implement it by making the best impression to my students and trying to
be in a good mood as much as I can be. I will be putting my students in a position
where they can ask questions and learn more from the questions that they ask. As well
as being in a good mood such as a little thing as smiling because smiling is a
contagious thing also being humorous with them because that can create a sense of
positivity if we can joke around in the classroom.
I totally agree with this. By my own experiences I can relate with the always
positive will make your students have a positive mood. Especially if teachers are trying
to act positive it also gives the students the idea that the teacher cares about them
and that they feel wanted and that will help them learn positively.-Zach Wallace
I agree that students should feel comfortable with talking to their
teachers about emotional needs. Having these relationships will create a better
learning environment and will help students to be more respectful to their
teachers and peers, also it will motivate them to complete their classwork on
time and to the best of their ability. -Annie Vannoy

Shelley Engel

When in a classroom, a teacher always wants to instill intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation refers to the
behavior that pushes students and creates an internal reward system for them. Teachers must help students motivate
themselves to work harder and strive for the best. A good way to instill intrinsic motivation is showing students that
they are doing something right. A teacher should tell them that they are doing well and how it will help them in their
future if they continue to work hard. Teachers should also only give students rewards to push them to create intrinsic
rewards for their hard work. I will use these metInstilling intrinsic motivation helps students learn that they need to
push themselves to their best. Students are able to learn that their actions change their future and that they have to
put in the effort to create a good future for themselves.
Emma Marshall- I think intrinsic motivation is very important in every child’s life. If teachers constantly reward
good behavior and learning, the students never learn to do it because they want to. A desire to learn is a super
important trait to have in school. A teacher’s job should be focused on helping to develop intrinsic motivation in their
students.
I stated that teachers should only use rewards to help develop self motivation because they need something to
give them the idea of intrinsic motivation. If they are not introduced to it then they will never be able to develop
motivation skills for themselves. -Shelley Engel

Noah Sturtz - This is a very well thought of idea. I like that you thoroughly went into detail about how you will
push this unto the students and how they will reap the benefits.

Paige Hollingshead

In order to create a positive environment, a technique I will use is teaching positive actions.
Teaching positive actions means teaching students positive behaviors that students may not
already know. I believe it is important to each other lessons besides what is written in the
curriculum. Positive actions such as self-management and self-improvement are often not
addressed in classes. As a teacher, I would work to implement this technique. I will incorporate
this technique into my classroom by creating posters around the classroom that serve as daily
reminders that positive actions are important anywhere in life. As a class, we can also address
these posters daily as they will be used as a resource whenever a student needs a reminder. This
technique is beneficial because with these skills, students can understand how to better themselves
and interact with others which they will use everywhere they go.

I like the idea of having posters in the classroom it makes the students feel positive about the classroom
environment as well as things that relate to life that will help them down the road or in the present.-
Christopher Cunningham

Connor Ladurini: Like Chris said, I like the posters of positivity. I was wondering in what circumstances
would you incorporate them?

I would incorporate these posters everyday. Even if it is just at the beginning of class, it is important for
them to serve as a daily reminder - Paige
Dezi Jones- I really like this because you need to be positive to students but you need to teach them how to
do it too, I think this is a good idea because then every day in the room they will be reminded that it is a
positive place to be and it will encourage them to do the same in their own environments.

Dezi Jones

The technique I would choose to implement with my students to create a positive environment in the classroom would be,
always be positive. It can be difficult for most teachers, but it is always having a positive attitude and responses in a
situation. Positive attitudes are more successful than negative attitudes because it rubs off onto students, it will help
promote happy students which can lead to success. I will implement this by responding to students' behaviors by saying what
they could do instead, instead of just yelling at them and saying it is wrong. Instead of saying no, I will say “Yes but we
can do this a different way.” I will not try to yell or be degrading, I will speak to them kindly and listen to what they have
to say. I will try to find positive things in bad situations, and will say positive comments every day to my students and
encourage them to do so as well. The benefits for the students will be that they will feel happier and more excited in the
school day and be able to learn better. They will be more likely to succeed in school and be happier there. They can be more
positive and think of bad situations in a good way which will help problem solving in the future and cause less stress.
I love your idea of instead of shutting down a student when they are doing something
wrong, you instead redirect them into a different train of thought. I think that this will maintain
the positive attitude that you are trying to keep in your class. -Hadleigh
Yes I think this is important because they have to stay positive and keep it away from the
negative.
Depending on the age of your students trying to shut down bad behavior like the way you want to--I’d want to do it this
way as well mind you-- it could backfire by quite a bit. My placement is with 7th graders right now and trying to be
positive and redirect almost never works when they are doing something wrong. All that ever seems to work for them is by
reminding them what they should be doing and putting your foot down when they do something wrong even after a
warning. -AJ

Connor Ladurini

To make my classroom more positive I will make some of my activities interactive and connect to the world
outside of the classroom. WHat this will do is allow the students to feel more connected with the lesson and
realize the importance of what they are learning. One way I plan on implementing this is by having the kid and
me keep up with what is happening in the world by watching current events. Then I can create a lesson around
things that are happening in the world and have the kid explain why the lesson is important. This benefits the
students by having them have a reason to want to learn about things in and out of the classroom.
I like this idea because it keeps the students from being interested in learning because they can relate
to it. Also it keeps them engaged to find interesting topics that connect from their own life. -Shainah
Capistrano
I like your idea of connecting learning to the real world. Students seem to be less involved if what they are
learning will not relate to valuable information in the future. - Zach Wallace

I like this idea! I like how these activities will allow the students to have a desire to learn, because as we've
been observing throughout the grades we’ve seen the desire to want to learn slowly fall. -Emilia McDaniel

Billy Pinegar - I like how you mentioned the use of activities to connect to your classroom. I also said
something about using classroom activities to get to my students’ level. I like the idea of getting your
students aware of the outside world and how what they learn is important and relevant. This helps them
want to learn more.

Hadleigh Markun

One strategy that I would implement in the classroom would be the idea of making a set
of classroom rules. The first day of class I will have a poster paper ready to make a list of what
we as a class think is important for a positive environment. I will ask the kids for their thoughts
and add my own if I think they are not being covered. This will allow the students to understand
what I expect in the class, but also allow them to have a say in what is happening. This will help
to maintain the positive environment that I am trying to set by holding kids accountable for
following the rules, as they were the ones who set them.

Rules are a great way to keep kids accountable and take ownership of their actions. Setting your
own expectations for yourself makes you more likely to follow them and feel guilty when you don’t -
Hailey

I think it is important that the class gets a say in what happens in the environment as
well. Would you update the rules later in the year if something new comes up?
- Paige Hollingshead
Paige, yes I would! I think that it is important to have an environment that is open to
change! -Hadleigh

What will you do to remind students of these rules throughout the school year? I like this idea I just know students tend
to be forgetful and regular reminders could be very helpful I think. -AJ

AJ, I would hang the poster that we have made in a visible place at the front of the
classroom. When students break the rules that we have set, I would point to the rule on the
poster. -Hadleigh

I like that idea! Do you think that maybe doing like a monthly reminder of expectations and maybe a poster update
in those reminder lessons would be a good idea and reminder? I feel like it may help teach them some maturity by having
them update their poster overtime. -AJ
 I like that idea as well, it is a reminder for the students how to act appropriately!
Those rules will allow the students to not stray and act wildly like we all know that youngins
can do sometimes. -Emilia McDaniel
Emma Marshall

I would implement teaching positive actions. I observe this in my current placement and I see
the effects it has on the students. Teaching positive behavior transcends just the classroom
and becomes a habit for the future. I want my students to think positively about learning and
deal with problems with positive attitudes. One way to implement this is by being a role model
for the students. Reinforcing positive actions myself will hopefully influence my students to do
the same. When students complain to me about not wanting to do an assignment or learn a
new concept, I will redirect their focus onto the benefits of learning. Keeping up a positive
attitude towards learning will show my students how to do the same.

Taylor Boten- I like your idea of being the role model in the classroom so you can influence your
students in a positive way whenever you are acting postive yourself. I completely agree with you!

I agree because being a role model to students is important because sometimes copy and learn from
what you do. It will also influence them that having good positive actions will help their learning. They will
react positively to what they do and strive for what will benefit them in the future. -Shainah Capistrano

Emilia McDaniel

A technique I would implement would be to Teach positive actions. These things can help the students feel
good about themselves when they act in a positive manner. As well as teaching them how to act respectfully
and kind to their peers and teachers, it can also be a good stepping stone for the students to learn to be able
to act respectfully in the real world. I would implement this into my classroom by having a classroom
discussion with a posterboard for each student to write 2 ways to be positive, and not just saying nice things
to one another but ways that will help them academically and emotionally. Then as a class we will create a
class list and it will be presented on the wall in the classroom for students to be able to refer to.

Austin (AJ) McEnany:

The number one technique I want to instill in both my classroom and my life is to always stay positive. A positive
personality keeps students’ attention on me with witty humor that builds a classroom full of light. With that light, we can
shine it onto what we are learning and keep students motivated through being happy. I want students to build a grin and
loosen shoulders as soon as they walk into my classroom, just because they know that my classroom is a happy place
where the lessons they learn will help them bring that positivity into their daily lives.
I will implement this simply by being me at my best, up and moving, personal, and larger than life. At times I will
have to put my foot down for sure, but even then I will still smile about it and remind them they will have time to screw
around in a few minutes when they are done with their work. My humor works really well with people younger than me too,
with how many pop culture references I make and my incessant sarcasm.
 Anyone who has a best friend who is larger than life will know that their positivity spreads like wildfire. That
positivity is something that my students will hopefully catch onto and start to be more positive themselves. I want to
show them there are ways to enjoy anything they do and have fun outside of less than legal activities (I want to teach
high school level). No one naturally enjoys doing work, even the work they love, unless they are in a positive mood.
Happiness is the greatest motivator. That fact will never change.

William Pinegar

I will use humor, tech, or other strategies to get on their level. I will create clear communication and
make my lessons appeal to their interests and get them excited. I have seen teachers use technology and
humor to appeal to the students and keep their attention. I think they learn and retain information when it is
taught in a fun way. I will use humor to make concepots interesting and make the classroom exciting by
constantly providing some sort of unique take on content and using games and such to keep them intrigued.
This will benefit their learning experience and develop a
relationship between me and them and get them excited to learn each day. The kids will hopefully look
forward to learning the content I provide because of the exciting way it is taught. This will also help the
lessons stick out and help them easily remember it because of the way it was taught to them.

I like your idea of using humor to appeal to students. I have experienced

this myself in many classes. Teachers who have fun in their classrooms are able
to connect with their students and create a positive learning environment.
Students who like their teachers will be motivated to complete their homework in
order to make their teachers proud of them. -Annie Vannoy

Noah Sturtz

Early on in my classroom I will make good relationships with my students and parents. I will start off by using
icebreakers so that students can find similar interests and connections with me. They will also be able to learn more
about fellow classmates using the same ice breakers. I will take a little time at the beginning of the year to fulfill these
icebreakers and make sure that I make personal connections that will last for years to come. Building these strong
connections early on will help create a community of students and parents that trust each other and are willing to
build individually, and together. This will also help students learn better by being more comfortable in their learning
environment.

I like that you thought of using icebreakers, it is always fun to get to know your students but I would guess that after
many years it can get repetitive and hard to find different ways to mix it up so doing little things like that would be
great.
Lacey Christian

Thank you Lacey :) I hope to live up to the high expectations!

Ice breakers would be great to get students to feel comfortable in the class. The best classes I took in high
school were ones where the students in the room felt comfortable joking around and sharing with each
other. -Hailey Balzer

Thank you Hailey :) I hope to live up to the hype!

Billy Pinegar - I like how you talked about the importance of connecting with students and parents. I think
that especially in cases when kids don’t feel comfortable or aren't as outgoing. I like how you talk about how
trust can help the class by making the teacher feel like someone they can talk to about anything.

Thanks billy :)

Annie Vannoy
I have learned throughout my placements that being positive and having good relationships
with your students is a strong characteristic for a teacher and classroom to have. Positivity
will encourage students and allow them to not be afraid to make mistakes. I want students to
know that no matter the situation you can always find the positive side of it. With a positive
classroom, students will be able to be successful and build capacity for lifelong skills. I will
implement this in my classroom by staying positive as a teacher and making the best of every
situation, no matter what it is. I will ensure that all my students respect each other and there
is no feuds between them. To do this, I will have to build a strong relationship with my
students so that they feel comfortable to come and speak with me about any problems they might
have. This technique will allow my students to feel comfortable, so they will not be afraid to
make mistakes in or outside of my classroom.
I think you have a very peaceful, proper, and diplomatic classroom. I think having

an environment like that would constantly reinforce positive behavior. A positive

classroom is of course ideal but how would that come if you have multiple troublemaker

type students? How would that be accommodated like? Carl Clark

Great question! In my placement, Mrs. Thompson uses sticky notes to keep

troublemakers/loud students quiet and respectful. She gives each
troublemaker/loud student 3 sticky notes, each time they blurt out or say
something unimportant and off topic, she will take away a sticky note.
Surprisingly, this works very well. It encourages these students to stay quiet
and only talk when they have something positive or help to share with the class.
-Annie Vannoy

Zach Wallace

The technique that I want to implement is being more involved with the students especially since I am in P.E. I would
start to play with the kids more such as being involved in the games and competing against them. Also with saying
being more involved I mean asking them how their day is or what they did the other day. A lot of times the teacher or I
start the game and then just sit down and talk. I will implement it by taking the effort to get out of my comfort zone
and get more involved with the kids. The benefits it will have on the students is that the students will feel cared for by
their teachers and they may be having a bad day or something like that and maybe just a simple how are you or playing
a game with them can brighten their day.
Connor Ladurini: I think that this is a great Idea, to be more involved with the students allows for
more competitiveness.

I think it is a great idea to be more involved with the activity that you are teaching in the class. It
makes things more fun for the students as well as making the best impression with talking to them to
connect with them on emotional level.- Christopher Cunningham