Growing
Great Classrooms
Presented By:
Kathy Kennedy, Ed.D.
Associate Superintendent
Instructional Design and Innovation
Marcy Cooper
Principal
Southern Pines Elementary School
Learning Targets
~ I can review how we determined the
“Growing Great Classrooms” focus for
MCS
~ I can identify and define the MCS characteristics
of a great classroom
~ I can determine how to create a positive
emotional climate with clear procedures and
routines.
Growing
Great Classrooms
According to Jim Collins, author of Good to Great,
the worst enemy of great is good.
In his most recent book, Great By Choice,
Collins indicates greatness happens by
choice, not by chance.
According to Dr. Spence, “Our hope is to move
our very good school system to the great
school system we choose to become.” Our
focus on Growing Great Classrooms is one key part
of this process. Implementing consistent, researchbased, time tested effective instructional strategies in
every MCS classroom will help all students achieve
their best.
Growing
Great Classrooms
To begin our mission, MCS
leaders surveyed staff members in
April 2013 to determine the
characteristics of great classrooms. Over
12,000 years of experience from teachers and
administrators of 23 schools and central office
administrators indicated certain characteristics
exist in the most effective classrooms. Six
characteristics emerged and will serve as our
monthly focus in MCS during the 2013-2014
school year.
6 Characteristics of
Great Classrooms
a positive emotional climate with clear procedures and
routines;
an organized lesson built around clear, measurable
learning targets;
actively engaged and motivated students;
meaningful and relevant learning for all students;
rigorous learning that is differentiated to meet the
academic needs of all students;
performance feedback is abundant, immediate, and
specific
6 Characteristics of
Great Classrooms
Nov/Dec
Focus
a positive emotional climate with clear procedures and
routines;
an organized lesson built around clear, measurable
learning targets;
actively engaged and motivated students;
meaningful and relevant learning for all students;
rigorous learning that is differentiated to meet the
academic needs of all students;
performance feedback is abundant, immediate, and
specific
Growing
Great Classrooms
Emotions and the Brain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNY0AAUtH3g
The brain is not a thinking machine;
It is a FEELING machine
that thinks.
Growing
Great Classrooms
Positive Emotional Climate with Clear
Procedures and Routines
• Read the information on page 4
individually
• Circle two ideas in each column
that are most compelling
to you
• With a partner, brainstorm
additional ideas (at least 2)
in each column
• Add brainstormed information to
the chart
Growing
Great Classrooms
Reflect on the
video and the
talking points
from the t-chart.
How does knowing
this information
contribute to a positive
emotional climate?
Growing
Great Classrooms
The Emotional Coding of Memories
Positive or Negative
Memory
What patterns
are you
creating?
Specific Details
about the Memory
Growing
Great Classrooms
Positive Emotional Climate
Students experience the classroom as not just
an intellectual space, but also as a social,
emotional, and physical environment.
Attentiveness to the academic, social,
emotional, and physical environment creates a
classroom climate conducive to student
engagement with the content.
Growing
Great Classrooms
Positive Emotional Climate
4 ways to foster a positive
emotional climate:
 Academic environment
 Emotional aspects
 Social interactions
 Physical environment
Handout page 5
Growing
Great Classrooms
Positive Emotional Climate
Reflect Solo:
How do you attend to
the academic, social,
emotional and physical
needs of your students?
Individual Record
page 5
Handout page 5
Growing
Great Classrooms
Theory to Practice
1. Review the Aspects of
Classroom Climate matrix
below.
2. Individually, determine the
current conditions in your
classroom as reflected by
the characteristics depicted
on the matrix (+ or -)
3. Discuss your successes
and limitations with a partner.
ACADEMIC
Handout page 6
Growing
Great Classrooms
When procedures and routines are
carefully taught, modeled, and
established in the classroom, students
know what’s expected of them and can
become more independent, thus feeling
empowered in the learning
environment.
Having predictable patterns in place
also allows teachers to spend more
time in meaningful instruction.
Growing
Great Classrooms
Positive Emotional Climate
When a student feels intimidated, rejected, or
at-risk, an overproduction of noradrenalin
causes the student to focus attention on
self-protection rather than on learning.
Neural Downshifting is the ability of the
teacher to reduce stress and threat in the
classroom environment to avoid “survival
mode” thinking and to increase higher order
thinking.
Teach Me, Teach My Brain Carol Tomlinson
Growing
Great Classrooms
With a partner, brainstorm
what a well-organized
classroom looks and
sounds like?
LOOKS LIKE
SOUNDS LIKE
Growing
Great Classrooms
Top 10 Classroom
Procedures and Routines
1. Hand Raising to Respond
2. Attention Getting and Non Verbal Techniques
3. Giving Directions Explicitly
4. 2 x 10 Positive Connections
5. Repeat the Request/Delayed Response
6. Engagement Techniques
7. Transitions Every 5 -15 Minutes
8. Teach and Pause
9. Finished Early?
10. Readiness Expectations
Rick Smith, 2007 Conscious Classroom Management
Harry Wong, 1998 The First Days of School
Growing
Great Classrooms
Top 10 Classroom
Procedures and Routines
Identify 3 important thoughts about
the topic assigned
“ The important thing about _____
is _________. It is __________. But the
most important thing about _______ is
_________.”
Table Top Discussion
What does a positive emotional climate with clear procedures and routines
sound and look like in a classroom?
+
Record team ideas on chart paper
Be ready to share with whole group in 7 minutes
Growing
Great Classrooms
The MCS Way!
1. Study
2.
Discuss
in PLCs
3.
Practice in
the classroom
daily
4. Walk
through
visits to
highlight
evidence