A room, that is usually in a school, where a class of students is taught. Stated as one word: classroom.
This is a place of learning where students can grow and achieve dreams. This is done through great guidance from the teachers and effective strategies. English teacher Kristin Ayars and her students are a great example of what a classroom should be: helpful, effective, and accepting. However, before getting to a point like this, someone needs to build and learn from their past. They need to understand what they did at one point and establish what’s effective and what’s not. They need to reflect which is something that Ayars has done.
“I definitely had more motivational posters and instructional posters on my walls at the beginning of my classroom teaching career,” Ayars said. “I also sat everyone in rows more when I first started to teach.”
After gaining experience, a teacher may come to find what students like and dislike about a classroom. They take their students’ opinions and strive to improve the classroom for the better.
“In the past five years, I have decided to turn off overhead lights and have soft lighting in the classroom,” Ayars said. “All of my students have stated that it is peaceful and helps them focus. I do a survey, on a yearly basis, to make sure students aren’t bothered by the lack of the overhead lighting. They ALL actually state that the overhead lighting is harsh and detracts from their learning. I also try to make my classroom feel as much like a living room as possible. I don’t use many instructional posters. Students assure me they never read what’s on the walls in teachers’ classrooms.”
One important aspect of a classroom is a teacher’s style. This can influence and change students as well as help them improve at times. With style of teaching comes how the students perceive a teacher’s style. Sophomore Savannah Trammell shared her input of Ayars’ teaching style.
“Mrs. Ayars has a teaching style that reaches many students, which I don’t feel like many teachers can do,” Trammell said. “Mrs. Ayars makes her classroom fun, but still uses a strict environment. She knows how to take control over her classroom, but not make it unenjoyable to be in.”
Being extremely interactive can improve a students’ growth and help them understand the concept. It can help change their way of thinking and improve future experiences, such as college. One beneficial example of this is one-on-ones, even if only for a short period of time.
“For me personally I find it most beneficial when a teacher helps a student one-on-one,” Trammell said. “One instance of Mrs. Ayars helping me one on one was when I was confused on how to use one of our vocabulary words (alabaster) in a sentence, and she explained to me how and why it works in a certain sentence.”
The way the teacher treats their students is another important part of changing the way a student benefits from learning. If the teacher ignores students or acts rudely, students may not learn, but if a teacher acts nicely and puts full effort into helping students with passion, the students will indeed benefit.
“The most important thing in the world is relationships,” Ayars said. “When we stop treating people with love (tough love) and start enabling them, we have no real relationships at all. Holding people accountable has become a thing of the past. This is one reason why, I believe, our society is crumbling. I treat my students like I would want my [own] boys to be treated. I steer them in the right direction. I give them boundaries. But, more importantly, I give them a safe, loving environment in which to learn.”
Once a teacher becomes what they truly believe will benefit students, they can really change people. They may change how the students act and influence their behavior for the better. A teacher’s way of teaching can influence students to continue forward and work as hard as they can to be the best they can be.
“Mrs. Ayars class may be challenging at times, but in her wise words, ‘if it’s difficult your brain is growing,'” Trammell said. “I can’t wait to keep learning and growing in her class. I would never choose another teacher to help me learn about how to [become] a better student.”
