Tolerant Classroom

I am a huge advocate for the creation of the “tolerant classroom”. I believe that it is vital for student success and establishes an ideal learning and teaching environment. Tolerant classrooms are valuable because they allow students to express their opinions, learn from others and work together without fear of ridicule. I believe that students will not learn if they are not comfortable. Tolerant classrooms give students comfort, security and trust (with other students as well as the teacher) which will enable them to actively engage in discussion and activities.

In my first two years of teaching, I tried to create this environment but I found it to be harder than expected. Upon reflection I realize that an essential component of a tolerant classroom is consistent classroom management. Consistency was something that I struggled with as a new teacher. I found myself constantly changing classroom rules and expectations as I learned what did and did not work. Unfortunately, if the rules are constantly changing then the students will not learn to adjust their behavior. As a result, when I tried to have an open discussion about controversial issues it would often result in ridicule, put-downs and bullying from other students. After several class periods, which resulted in inappropriate comments, I found myself steering away from discussing controversial topics simply because it was to hard to manage.. My inexperience and lack of consistent behavior expectations prevented me from creating the tolerant classroom and open atmosphere that I wanted to create.

My goal is to teach a class where the students can challenge each other in a respectful way. I want the students to be able to share their opinions about topics. Most importantly, I want to be able to teach and discuss controversial issues because they provide valuable learning opportunities. The Teachers’ Curriculum Institute provides great approaches that will help to establish an open and engaged learning environment. One of the strategies that TCI incorporates is the value of teaching basic student skills. For example, one approach is on the importance of teaching students how to work effectively in groups of different sizes. I realize that teaching these skills will take time away from my curriculum at the beginning of the year; however; ultimately I think they will be beneficial as they will allow me to carry out activities (such as discussion) effectively and efficiently.