Keys to a Warm and Inviting Classroom

Besides teaching us how to speak and write French, she immersed us in the culture with class activities and assignments: reading Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, listening to French music Le Petit Pain au Chocolat by Joe Dassin, watching the movie Les Umbrellas de Cherbourg, and assigning reports about artists like George Seurat.

Another key to conveying a warm and inviting atmosphere is decorating your room so students devour the subject you are teaching.

As you teach history, transport your students back in time. If it’s a Roaring Twenties lesson, explain the overall highlights of the 1920s in a large group setting. Next, have students move through hands-on learning discovery zones based on the three learning styles: auditory, visual, or kinesthetic.

In zone one, students listen to jazz music from the era. In zone two, students watch a film about women being allowed to vote or view a silent movie.

In zone three, have a simple battery-operated light turn on with a switch. After students flip the switch, they can read about how only sixty percent of the U.S. had electricity then. Students come together as a large group at the end of class and share what they thought or learned.

Here are a few more tips for making your class inviting:

• Remember your students’ names and use them often.
• Enforce class rules by correcting with kindness, and avoid raising your voice. This will help you keep a calm atmosphere.
• Show you care for your students by asking meaningful, open-ended questions.

First impressions could steer your school year in the right direction. For more information about how you can make a positive impact as a teacher, read the blog post 8 Ways Teachers Change the World.