Standard 4: Create and Maintain Supportive and Safe Learning Environments

4.1 Support student participation: Identify strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities.

4.2 Manage classroom activities: Demonstrate the capacity to organise classroom activities and provide clear directions.

4.3 Manage challenging behaviour: Demonstrate knowledge of practical approaches to manage challenging behaviour.

(Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL), 2022, para. 4)

I am fortunate to have experienced a professional placement in a year one classroom during the establishment phase of the school year. The instructional environment of the class consisted of 20 children with a range of diverse learning needs, including a pupil diagnosed with Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). During this time, I was tasked with organising and implementing strategies to support and manage a new classes’ inclusive participation, engagement and behaviour in classroom activities (APST 4.1; 4.2; 4.3). Rogers (2020) defined the beginning three weeks as an important phase to initiate the routines, expectations and culture of the classroom for the year, establishing a positive and supportive learning environment.

Prior to the commencement of my placement, I consulted my mentor to discuss the intention of setting class parameters to manage challenging behaviours (APST 4.3) (Peel & McLennan, 2019). Using this information, I demonstrated the capacity to organise the co-construction of classroom rules on the first day of term one (APST 4.2). I initiated student thinking with a storybook read-aloud, before facilitating a student-centred discussion, seen in Artefact 4.1, to review the effect the character’s lack of listening skills and inability to pay attention, had on both his and his classmates’ learning (APST 4.1). Using this initial discussion, I guided the class to collaboratively create a list of agreed on classroom rules, seen in Artefact 4.2, and elaborated by providing an explicit demonstration of each expectation (APST 4.2) (Alter and Haydon, 2017). Nye and Williams (2022) defined my cooperative strategy to be incredibly effective for children, developing personal meaning and a deeper understanding of the expectations (APST 4.1). As a behavioural contract, students created a portrait of themselves actioning one of the classroom rules and completed the statement ‘I am being a good learner when I…’, seen in Artefact 4.3 (APST 4.1; 4.2). As a reminder of this agreement, these pictures were hung in the classroom for referral and redirection, reiterating the expectations, providing clear directions and promoting positive behaviour expectations (Alter and Haydon, 2017).

_{Artefact 4.1: A brainstorm of the whole-class discussion following a read-aloud of ‘Howard B. Wigglebottom learns to listen’ by Howard Binkow in 2008 (Verrall, 2023).}

_{Artefact 4.2: The year one classroom rules that were collaboratively constructed as a whole-class (Verrall, 2023).}

_{Artefact 4.3: Student examples of the behavioural contracts created and hung in the classroom for continual referral of the year one classroom rules (Verrall, 2023).}

From communication with my mentor, seen in Artefact 4.4, it was evident the processes and strategies I implemented to develop the classroom expectations were highly successful and continued to positively affect student engagement, participation, organisation, and behaviour management (APST 4.1; 4.2). I believe this success was on account of my participatory approach to involve learners in the creation of their class rules (APST 4.2). Rogers (2015) further emphasised this, stating that pupils’ contribution aids ownership and accountability to uphold these boundaries as a class member. This first day activity will become a continued practice in my future classrooms, sharing the rights and responsibilities with my students to create a safe, respectful and optimal learning environment (APST 4.1) (Nye & Williams, 2022).

_{Artefact 4.4: My mentor teacher’s comments in my professional placement final report, in alignment with APST four.}

References

Alter, P., & Haydon, T. (2017). Characteristics of Effective Classroom Rules: A Review of the Literature. Teacher Education and Special Education, 40(2), 114–127. https://doi.org/10.1177/0888406417700962

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). (2022). Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) (Rev. Ed.). https://www.aitsl.edu.au/docs/default-source/national-policy-framework/australian-professional-standards-for-teachers.pdf

Binkow, H. (2008). Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Listen. Lerner Publishing Group.

Nye, S., & Williams, J. (2022). Teaching Classroom Expectations Through Cooperative Learning Activities. Strategies, 35(1), 3–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/08924562.2021.2000536

Peel, K., & McLennan, B. (2019). Promoting pro-social behaviour. In K. Main & D. Pendergast, Teaching primary years: Rethinking curriculum, pedagogy and assessment (pp. 372–399). Allen & Unwin.

Rogers, B. (2020). The establishment phase of the year: Core practices and skills in establishing cooperative classroom learning communities. https://dmbcwebstolive01.blob.core.windows.net/media/Default/ChildrenYoungPeopleFamilies/10%20Establishment%20Phase%20Practices%20and%20Skills%202020.pdf