Establishing a Culture for Learning
Domain 2b of the Danielson Framework for Teaching calls upon teachers to establish a culture for learning within the classroom environment. A culture for learning has a specific set of practices, values, and expectations for both the students and the classroom. I believe that there are several ways teachers can establish a culture for learning within their classroom. Most students are in-tune to others emotions, and in order to create a culture for learning, teachers must exude positive attitudes and engagement with their students. I believe that there are several ways in which teachers can create this environment. First, I believe that teachers must teach students about developing curiosity. Although this may sound strange, curiosity is not always a focus for teachers in schools, and I believe that fostering students curiosity in order to explore new ways of thinking is imperative. Another way that teachers can create an environment for learning is to continually model expected behavior and exemplary work. Teachers can act as a model by working alongside students throughout the learning process. Finally, I believe that establishing trust among your students is the most important way that teachers create a culture for learning. Trust is the foundation of building a culture for learning because both teachers and students must be comfortable in their learning environments; if trust and respect is transmitted between teacher and student, both parties are willing and able to grow as learners and achieve more. In my experience, when students feel comfortable to reach out for help, to ask questions, or to simply listen, it has made all of the difference in my teaching. Classes become engaging, but more so than that, students are empowered to be lifelong learners. Ultimately, creating a culture for learning in your classroom is a beneficial relationship for students and teachers and positively impacts everyone involved.
One specific instance in my internship that I believe has contributed to my ability to establish a culture for learning in my classroom would be the process of writing alongside my students. My mentor and I have recently started a new unit where students write their own “micro-memoirs.” We selected Richard Wright’s Black Boy, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, All Over but the Shoutin’ by Rick Bragg, and In Brief, a collection of short excerpts from various memoirs to serve as models for student writing. In addition, we also have provided a class-set of packets that are filled with excerpts from memoirs, each with a specific purpose, such as “Writing about your experiences and accomplishments” and “Description and beauty of language.” Students were split up into literature circle groups to discuss their assigned memoirs, but they were also involved in writing and sharing their micro-memoirs with one another. Specifically, students must write a 3-5 page memoir that focuses upon one aspect/experience of their life. This can be about anything, but students must show that they have grown from the experience. There are numerous formative assessments before turning in their memoirs as their unit summative assessment.
My mentor has taught this unit several times, but as it is the first time for me, I decided to write alongside my students. Penny Kittle, in her book Write Beside Them, mirrors my reasoning for this:
“Kids mimic what we do. They copy our engagement in work, they copy our moves in revision, they copy our joy for living. When they arrive in class they read our energy; they read our passion for what we teach. Is this worth learning? Then when they go to write, they watch how we write. It is precisely why we have to take our roughest first draft and put it on the overhead, reread it out loud to them, and talk about what belongs and what is a rabbit trail that should be cut” (Kittle, 2008, 51).
Kittle argues that students are constantly reflecting our actions within the classroom, and by writing alongside them, I was able to model the practices of my classroom, which in-turn contributed to the culture of my classroom. If I expect particular values and behaviors in my classroom, I must follow in Kittle’s notion that writing alongside students means frequent modeling.
I believe that in order to understand the process of writing micro-memoirs that I need to write my own to share with students. My mentor introduced the unit and the requirements for the memoirs so I was able to use the drafting time to work beside them. Every class, I opened up my laptop and continued writing. I wanted to make sure that my memoir had the same constraints, so I first tried to only write when they were able to.
When they are tasked with an assignment that asks them to add description to their writing, or improve voice or organization, I go back to my own draft to make the same revisions they are making. I do this outside of class, however, so I am available to help them along the way. After the first full week of drafting, I realized most students had met the page requirements and were in the revision and editing phase, so I decided to share my own memoir. I prefaced reading it by saying that it was still in need of editing, and that with writing, a final draft is never truly a final draft, and that every piece of writing can improve. Students listened patiently, and I let them ask me questions about the situation. Several students came up to me later and actually told me how much they related to my experiences. This encouraged me because I realize that teachers are role-models and validating students’ experiences is critical. Students need to understand that teachers have lives outside of school and that there truly is a shared human experience. I wanted to share my memoir and write alongside them so that they would feel comfortable sharing aspects of their own lives.
I knew going into the unit that many students would choose to write about painful memories. As William Zinsser stated in his article, “How to Write a Memoir,” writing can “be an act of healing,” especially “if you make an honest transaction with your own humanity and with the humanity of people who crossed your life” (2006). As writing has been very important in my life, I wanted to share that same passion with my students. I believe that writing beside my students and sharing my memoir modeled my expectations for their own writing. I have had the pleasure to show them how a piece of writing can be molded and polished over time and showing that perseverance has improved the quality of their own creative writing. For instance, after teaching a short lesson on adding sensory details to their memoirs, I was able to conference with students. I saw many students incorporate these details in their writing. One student in particular started the unit as a very reluctant reader and writer, but after conferencing with him about my writing process, I saw him take risks with his own writing. He began to add more adjectives and vivid language, and I felt secure in my role as a teacher because I witnessed his confidence rising. He has actually come into our classroom during study hall to work and get feedback on his writing. Seeing a student be excited to learn has confirmed that modeling empowers students to make mistakes and develop their skills as a writer. I believe that the act of writing alongside my students contributes to my ability to establish a culture for learning within my classroom because I experienced the writing process alongside them. A culture for learning is modeling the values, expectations, and beliefs of your classroom, and by writing alongside them displays my willingness to show students how our classroom should look.
In the future, however, I believe that I should incorporate more student models of writing into my lessons. Although I believe that my modeling established a culture for learning within my classroom, I know that I have had much more experience in writing, especially because my undergraduate degree is in creative writing. If I were able to include student-produced memoirs, students would feel more confident in their abilities as a writer because they see that their peers have been successful. Moreover, seeing their peers work would allow them to feel more vulnerable and willing to share their work with the class. Students can also feel validated by seeing student work serving as models for their own writing because they will recognize their place as agents of learning and doing in the classroom. Ultimately, a culture for learning is an environment where students can take pride in their work, and facilitating a space where students can be recognized for their abilities can spur growth. Encouraging students has been the most important part of my teaching career, and I look forward to helping nurture my own classroom environment.
Kittle, P. (2008). Write beside them. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Zinsser, W. (2006, Spring). How to write a memoir, The American Scholar. Retrieved from: