Classroom Atmosphere

Many aspects contribute to a good classroom and learning space; amongst others, a good teacher, sufficient resources, and interested students. One aspect that I haven't thought about all too much is the atmosphere you create in your classroom.

This aspect may often be overlooked but in order to make learners feel comfortable, calm, and ready to learn, it is vital to remember. From the article (http://www.edutopia.org//blog/applying-mindfulness-mundane-classroom-tasks-abby-wills), you can see that creating this atmosphere requires exactly that, creativity! It cannot be created by just speaking it into being, or by putting up classroom posters outlining the rules and attitudes expected in your classroom. Thought and time must be spent on this, and the students will most definitely benefit from it.

Think about it, would you be in the mood to learn and discover new information when all everyone is talking about is the games that were played on the break field? On the other extreme, would you want to concentrate when it is the last period of the day and all you can think about is going home? This can all be made worse by a teacher who appears to be oblivious to this all. I guess empathy and compassion comes into the discussion round about now. 

In amongst all the lesson plans, the textbooks, the setting of tests and exams, and the desperate attempt to reach the feared outcomes, one can forget this most important part of lesson preparation.

As teachers we are to cultivate a love for learning and this can only be achieved if the space where learning is to take place is adequate, or better still, exceptional. 

In the context of South Africa, we have extremes in terms of classroom atmosphere. How can we expect learners to concentrate when they are starving or freezing or worrying about ailing parents at home? For teachers in these schools, extreme care must be taken to not overlook these issues. On the other hand, some learners might not have any out-of-school worries. Thus it is important for all teachers (and aspiring teachers) to be aware of the impact that classroom atmosphere can have on the effectiveness of a lesson.