Opinions
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Environment for learning |
by Judianne Jayme
September is here! By the time you’re reading this, school will have resumed two weeks prior to publication. In my classroom, we are building our classroom environment and community together. The environment in which a child learns is crucial to his or her growth as a learner.
“When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.” – Alexander Den Heijer
We make all adjustments we need to when gardening and the same is done for students. Similar to flowers, students also have different needs in their environment. There is no “one-size-fits-all” style of teaching or environment that will cater to all students.
What are we doing to make sure that our students have what they need?
Parent tip: Environment
Does your home have an area conducive to your children’s needs? I emphasize here that it is for the students, not for our idea of what they need. Growing up, I always required music, which, to most people, is a distraction. Adults taught me that “studying” is done in quiet – and, if anything, this made me lose my focus, since I am a musical person – background noise has always helped me study.
Ask your children what work best for them. If they aren’t sure, try a few different environments for learning and ask them where they learn best. This may look different for each child, and perhaps we cannot provide them perfect learning spaces. However, what we can do is ask – and get them thinking about their learning style. That way, when they do find that learning environment (at school, a library, a coffee shop), they can seek that area for themselves to study.
From the author: With five years of personal and professional development comes the need to grow in my field. This year, my goal is to start taking on more leadership roles – and to balance my time, this article will be on a monthly basis.
Judianne Jayme is an educator teaching sixth grade and a division-wide mentor in the Winnipeg School Division.