Teach Middle East Magazine September 2014 Issue 1 Vol. 2 | Page 14

Sharing Good Practice

A PRODUCTIVE CLASSROOM
IS POSSIBLE
By Betina Fuentes

T

rying to create the perfect
classroom? One where students
are engaged, prepared and
collaborating on clearly defined
tasks, but still differentiated according to
ability as well as learning styles? The
perfect classroom can be achieved, and
it’s easier than you think – even if you
don’t stay in the same classroom all day.
Blending the physical and non-physical
attributes of a productive classroom will
help you keep your students on task and
foster a sense of community at the same
time.
Supply Centre: A productive classroom
starts with prepared students. Having a
central location for extra supplies helps
students get on task quickly, instead of
getting distracted by asking others to
borrow pencils or paper. Set aside a small
table, countertop or even a rolling cart as
the supply centre and keep it stocked with
essentials. Your interactive notebooks,
projects, and everyday assignments
will be completed promptly and your
students will appreciate the fact that you
want them to be prepared. I use the back
counter of my classroom as a supply
centre and establish the routine early with
my students. If they are in need of any
supplies, the time to get them is before
the bell rings. They know from the lesson
objective what will be required that day.
So, if an interactive notebook assignment
is listed, they will need colored pencils,
scissors and glue in addition to their
interactive notebooks.

Ensure that students know the lesson
objective before the lesson begins,
restate the objective throughout the
lesson and check for mastery at the end
of the lesson. Stating the objective as
a SMART goal (specific, measurable,
achievable, realistic and timely) can
also help with students’ understanding
and success in reaching the established
goals. For example, if you are teaching
a concept like idioms, your SMART
learning objective could read, “90
percent of students will correctly identify
idioms and match them with their
definitions.” Then a mini-quiz at the end
of the period will give them a chance to
prove they have met the goal.
Differentiation: Students are most
productive when they feel that they have
a choice in the outcome of the lesson.
Using Gardner’s multiple intelligences
and designing lessons and assessments
so that students can choose their
own way to show understanding can
make even the most reluctant class
into an engaged and enjoyable group

Flexible Seating: Seating is perhaps the
most important physical characteristic of
a productive classroom. However, having
the same seating arrangement every
day does not always foster engagement
in some specific lesson tasks. Create
several seating charts for specific tasks,
such as discussions, group work, and
testing. Have students arrange desks in
the formation best suited for that task:
horseshoe-shaped for discussions, triads
or quads for group work, and traditional
rows for testing.
Communication: Be clear about what
the end result of the lesson should be.

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September 2014

Class Time

of learners. Students can choose to
show understanding of a concept like
vocabulary terms by creating gestures
to define them, using the words to write
a skit, defining them in a rap or poem, or
illustrating the words in a poster.
Sense of Community: This final factor
is perhaps the most important. When
students feel that they are respected
and they have some choices in the
classroom, they will be more productive.
Greet each student at the door, ask
them questions about their weekend or
activities in which they are involved, and
use proximity control while teaching by
moving around the room and interacting
with students constantly. Your care
and concern for students will pay off
with increased engagement and more
productive and on-task behaviour.
The perfect classroom is within your
grasp – use these tips to create a space
where students feel valued, respected,
and productive. Happy teaching!