Emotional Climate

It is important to foster a learning environment in which students feel safe, relaxed, secure, confident and valued (Gravells A 2012 pg25) especially for learners who may have had negative experiences in traditional classroom environments. Students often describe supportive learning environments as expanding their sense of family and enhancing their self-esteem, which, when combined with increased literacy skills, help students take more chances in pursuing their goals.

The teacher sets the “emotional framework” in the classroom by the use of body language, tone of voice, facial expressions, and verbal and nonverbal communication. It sets the tone when the teacher comes into teaching and learning. Children are very sensitive when it comes to adult moods and attitudes. The teacher mood and tone reflects to the classroom. Children will see the tone of voice and mood the teacher shows. When giving out calm and confidence of tone to the classroom, then the classroom won't be out of control. It is based on how the teacher's tone is giving out to the classroom and the children. When the teacher gives out happy facial expressions the children will realize that the teacher is happy with the children's surroundings.

Engaging students in the classroom can be a difficult task. Understanding the process of how students learn can help a teacher adapt the lesson to meet the needs of all students. I will encounter students that are not intrinsically motivated so I will need to find different ways to motivate each and every student. Understanding how my students learn can provide me with insights as to how to help each student learn which will minimize classroom management problems.

I believe that each child is unique individual who needs a secure, caring, and stimulating atmosphere in which to grow and mature emotionally, intellectually, physically, and socially. It is my desire as an educator to help students meet their fullest potential in these areas by providing an environment that is safe, supports risk-taking, and invite a sharing of ideas. There are three elements that I believe are conducive to establishing such an environment namely, the teacher acting guide, allowing the child’s natural curiosity to direct his/her learning, promoting respect for all the things and all the people.

A child's emotions can effect the child's efforts to maintain their goals. A child who reaches their goal or overcomes an obstacle experiences happiness (Santrock, 1996). A teacher should consider a child's emotions as they are evaluating them. Teachers should provide a comfortable environment for the students so they are willing to try and achieve their goals with no criticism. "Life is the curriculum; adaptation is the major objective; development becomes the teaching process; and the child is the learner at the center of the process" (Allen & Marotz, 1998). Most young children find the early school years to be enjoyable (Allen & Marotz, 1998). It is up to teachers to make sure the enjoyment a child receives from school continues throughout their school experience. Teachers need to make learning fun by teaching topics that the children are interested in with a hands on approach. Children need to be able to communicate and get along well with others to do well in school although they may need some guidance from the teacher to do this.

This type of motivation is influenced heavily by rewards and external incentives. It also implies the notion that “I have to do something” in order to be compliant with what someone else wants me to do. It is a motivation that is primarily influenced by the hope of attaining tangible items such as prizes, special privileges, or money. Although Drive implies the heavy use of Motivation 2.0 by the corporate world, Pink also draws attention to the fact that schools typically operate under this mode, as well, and that it can have detrimental effects on our students and on learning, in general. Motivation 2.0 is also referred to in the book as the “Carrots and Sticks Approach”, and although it may yield positive results in the short-term, the repeated or incorrect use of extrinsic rewards can actually work against what educators are trying to achieve in terms of truly motivating their students.

If a child is in a joyless classroom, then the child can develop negative thoughts and feelings towards school. Then the child may never want to attend school and eventually drop out. The child may also never learn anything because the child would not want to learn anything. If a child does not find joy in the classroom, then the child would not find joy in learning. Thus, this article perfectly relates to child development because the classroom environment is key in a child’s development.

It is my strong belief that each child is entitled to a safe, secure, stimulating and caring learning environment. I always believed that each child is a unique individual with much curiosity and many academic, social and emotional needs. Children need our support in order to mature emotionally, intellectually, physically, and socially. As a teacher, one should aim to help students in fulfilling their dreams to become successful and educated individuals. We must provide them with a safe learning environment for their learning to succeed.

In Hedges (2011), the author suggests that a teacher can use student’s pop culture interests to build their pedagogy to engage students in learning that will interest them. In a year two classroom where the students are learning their times tables, I would use an educational computer game to engage students in testing their speed and accuracy of their times tables recollection. By using a method of engagement that appeals to students who are digital natives, it encourages behavioural engagement so students can focus their attention on concepts being learned. It encourages emotional engagement by providing an educational tool that students enjoy playing, and it encourages cognitive engagement so that students will be keen to master their times table skills and progress to the next level. This form of engagement encourages students to immerse themselves deeper into mathematical learning with the use of interesting and engaging practical

Salovey, Peter, Marc A. Brackett, Susan E. Rivers, Nicole Elbertson, and Maria R. Reyes. "Improving the Social and Emotional Climate of Classrooms: A Clustered Randomized Controlled Trial Testing the RULER Approach." (2012): 77-88. Springer, 28 Nov. 2012. Web. 29 June

students feel personally accepted, respected, included and supported by others in the school`s social environment.(p.80).

Dweck (2007) indicates that positive reinforcement, such as praise, can encourage and increase intrinsic motivation for pupils. Cotton’s (1988) study shows that it is extremely effective to use praise and reward systems to manage pupils’ behaviour in class. However, the effects of the reinforcement can be very diverse with different pupils, not every individual responds to stimulus in the same way. Teachers need to adjust the stimulus depending on the individual group (Ibid). In one of my classes there is one pupil who doesn’t want to collect points which can be changed to stationary goods or toys. I asked him for the reason and he told me that he has everything at home and his parents buy him things if he needs them. For that reason, I needed to change his stimulus which I found later to

I conducted my observation on November 3, 2017. I observed a fourth-grade language arts class taught by Robin Smith. Mrs. Smith exudes a love of reading and knowledge from the very moment you meet her. Mrs. Smith’s classroom is a warm, accessible, print rich environment complete with anchor charts, a word wall, and alphabet chart. Mrs. Smith and her classroom environment inspire each one of her students to find a passion for reading and learning. Mrs. Smith demonstrates an understanding of the social-emotional environment, and its importance to the success of a child’s learning experience. Although the social-emotional environment is much harder to grasp and see it is just as important as the physical environment. Mrs. Smith’s approach for classroom management demonstrates how a positive social-emotional environment can lead to an effectively well managed classroom.

In Mel Levine’s article All Kinds of Minds, he states that “motivation drops from a bad grade, family issues, what they hear on the bus, or a remark from the teacher” ( Levine 38). Such emotions such a those given can make an impact on how he or she views themselves plus can last for a long period of time. In contribution to the attribution theory, the outcomes of behavior will take a rise. The best concept in overlooking those emotions is simply developing a positive state of mind. The more the student thinks positively, the less negative emotions will intrude.

In reviewing the Nine Central Topics of Educational Psychology, the topic under review is - Motivation. “Why do students engage or not engage in certain activities/tasks? How can teachers use student interest to facilitate learning? How can students self -regulate their learning and behavior?” (Edmunds & Edmunds, 2010, p.11)