How can you evaluate a teacher's ability to create a positive classroom culture?

I always try to mirror my own classroom experience which has been highly positive, especially during college. It is important to be open to questions and answer them without hurting sentiments. It is important to point out inappropriate behaviour curtly whether it is of the student towards their classmates or other teachers. We need to be careful to not have diffused boundaries with the student, however, humour should constitute at least 40% of the study matter while teaching. It is important to build a bond of mutual respect which is time-consuming. Most importantly interaction should be dynamic so that students do not feel ashamed to ask questions. As my mentor used to say, "There are no stupid questions."

The responsive classroom involves engaging academics, positive community, effective management, and developmental awareness. This assists me in defining goals. For e.g engaging academics would be showing literature that would be pertinent to the topic. Positive Community is where I use discussions forums. Effective Management is where I use peer to peer coaching and developmental awareness is where I understand developmental stages which allow me to set appropriate expectations for my students.

In my opinion, one of the best ways to evaluate positive classroom culture created by a teacher would be through the comfort of students in conversing with the teacher while also comfortably putting up their queries and concerns. It can also be assessed through anonymous student feedback. A positive culture is also seen through the adherence by the students to the expectations set by the teacher. If a class likes to comply to a teacher's ethical and moral guidance, the teacher has definitely created a positive classroom culture. If the student likes to meet and talk to the teacher regarding all academic aspects in and out of the class, that accounts for a positive classroom culture.

In my previous school, one of the first things teachers did was to work with students to create a set of essential agreements. Teachers start the conversation by asking questions like : - What do you think we should do if our peers need help? - How can we ensure everyone is respected? - What can we do to create a safe and engaging learning environment? The teacher acts as a mediator to help the community compromise and come to an agreement that everyone is happy with. It becomes a visual learning aid and serves as the North Star when addressing classroom disputes. By involving students in the process, students gain ownership of their learning environment and awareness of shared learning expectations and boundaries.

Consider how the teacher supports students' academic and social-emotional needs. Do they provide individualized support, offer constructive feedback, and promote a growth mindset? Look for evidence of the teacher's commitment to professional growth. Do they seek feedback, attend professional development opportunities, and reflect on their teaching practices? Note that, creating a positive classroom culture is a dynamic process, and it's important to consider multiple factors when evaluating a teacher's ability to foster such an environment.

We find that beginning with a checklist/rubric of 3-5 "look fors" helps...Pull these from your school or district's instructional quality framework and engage a group of educators to unpack what the items look and sound like in the classroom helps to build a shared understanding. Try to highlight the cultural elements that impact diverse learners most significantly like the use of strengths-based and specific language or clear learning goals stated for every lesson. A positive classroom comes from clarity of expectation, supportive dialogue, and universally designed lessons - thereby, enabling every student to have access to grade-level content.

One of the major positive classroom practices I engage my students in is making them study ahead of the class and sharing their understanding of the subject. It enables them build their presentation skills, builds confidence in them and help them to learn creative writing. This skills are top notch skills that children are encouraged to have. The ability to confidently hold a conversation and know what is right and wrong to say. I also engage the in groups to enable them understand the importance of listening and effective communication.

With Peer Coaching, you co-build the rubric with the observer and the person being observed. Then through pre and post conferences you can build a relationship up and really starting growing together.

Observe if the teacher creates an inclusive and diverse classroom environment where all students feel valued and respected. A teacher who celebrates diversity incorporates diverse perspectives, and creates opportunities for collaboration among students contributes to a positive classroom culture. Assess how the teacher maintains a positive and orderly classroom. Effective management strategies that are fair, and consistent, and promote accountability contribute to a positive classroom culture.

When looking for a positive classroom culture, consider how the classroom functions. Question whether or not the class runs smoothly, like a well oiled machine. If the teacher were to sit back and say virtually nothing, could students still operate successfully in this space? These are characteristics of a positive classroom culture. It shows that boundaries and expectations have been set and practiced, routines have been established, and student independence is growing. And what a beautiful thing to witness.

This is excellent. Positive culture results in enhanced student performance. My system involves changing one variable at a time to determine results. I then compile in excel and use powerbi to see findings.

Reflective practice is a must. Those who reflect upon themselves "Teacher as a Person" will never regret the time it takes/took to discover who they are as they work with others. They will reap the rewards from cohorts, students and community. We are all human and can improve the quality of our thinking and teaching each and every day. Reflective pratice is simple, easy and at our fingertips....just use it!

In my experience as an educator, I would advise that you should consider if the teacher prioritizes the well-being and social-emotional development of students. A teacher who creates a safe and supportive environment, addresses students' needs, and promotes their overall well-being contributes to a positive classroom culture. Always remember, that evaluating a teacher's ability to create a positive classroom culture requires observation, feedback from students, and an understanding of the specific context. It's important to consider multiple factors and perspectives when assessing a teacher's effectiveness in this area.

Along with understanding of subject matter. A teacher must understand story telling. That is the only way they can keep classes engaging.

Provide structured feedback is so important. This article helped me to think deeper about how I as a teacher mentor can provide feedback in a more systematic way.

One thing I recommend considering is that positive classroom culture fosters an environment where students feel safe, engaged, and motivated to learn. Looking at how students feel and behave within the educational environment led by the assessed teacher gives important information and insights on the topic.

When evaluating a teacher’s ability to create a positive learning environment many people forget to consider the wider context - what else is going for them, their learners and their communities? It does not matter how well you evaluate, feedback and develop any aspect of a teacher’s abilities or skills if the context isn’t considered as well. Just as learners need safe spaces and positive atmospheres to develop, so do all other humans. Teachers need time, resources and physical and psychological safety to develop skills and to implement training. Your evaluation program will never be as effective as it could be if the realities of context are not considered.