One may believe that a teacher is, first and foremost, an instructor, but I have always been a firm believer that the most important thing a teacher can do is make a student feel safe and cared for. As the text suggests, “students who have good relationships with their teacher are also likely to have better mental health, feel more connected to their school, and experience positive academic outcomes” (180). Students cannot learn in an environment where they feel undervalued or uncomfortable. Teachers also act as a reflection of the school climate. A school can have an extremely positive school climate, but if those ideals are not represented by the teacher, a student could never feel a sense of belonging to the school.
I have been lucky enough in my practicum to view, what I perceive to be, a very positive school climate. I have witnessed how “effective school climates can positively influence students, despite their home conditions, race, gender, or social class” (182). Though my practicum school is in a low socioeconomic area with many cultural backgrounds, I have seen how the many after school programs have created a positive learning environment in which the kids have many opportunities for socialization, learning assistance, and extracurricular activities. Factors that might decrease a school’s climate are “vague and inconsistently enforced rules and ambiguous responses to rule-breaking, teachers and administration who do not agree on rules, and students who do not believe the rules are legitimate” (182). Now, I am sure my practicum school is not perfect, as no school can be, but I perceive a consistent and fair regard for rules which results in a general respect for authority from the students.
Discussion Question: Apart from after school activities, what are some other ways that a positive school climate can be achieved?
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