Create a Student-Centered Learning Environment

To create a student-centered learning environment a teacher will: set up the classroom for many types of learners; know how the many roles of teacher apply to the learning experiences teachers create; and build relationships that promote a safe and positive environment in which students are responsible, self-motivated, and self-evaluating.

• Relationships: Build collaborative and respectful relationships with students, colleagues, and parents. Consistently encourage, support, and appropriately challenge students to ensure student success. Facilitate development of relationships among students to promote mutual respect and support in your classroom.
• Procedures and Routines: Structure the classroom to create an orderly learning environment, communicate expectations that support positive student behavior to facilitate high levels of student engagement, and build a shared community of learners.
• Arrangement of Classroom: Organize the classroom for a variety of learning opportunities that encourage both whole group and small group teacher-directed activities, and independent and cooperative learning experiences.
• Displays: Support academic learning by using instructional resources (such as word walls, models, and anchor charts) that are clearly accessible. Make student work a focal point in the classroom. Post classroom and community expectations.
• Tools: Make appropriate materials that support learning and make them accessible for all students.

Case Study: Student-Centered Learning in Action

At Glasgow Middle School, Principal Deirdre M. Lavery says that one of the most important parts of creating a student-centered learning environment is to build strong relationships.

“This has been a focus at Glasgow, and I believe that of the five elements outlined in this best practice, it's the key one because if a teacher can't connect with, get along with, and inspire kids — the other four elements don't matter.”

She believes that the ability of the teacher to develop a purposeful relationship with each and every student is the cornerstone of student success.

“By purposeful, I mean teachers aren't just being nice to kids, a buddy to them, or are focused on having their classroom be a ‘fun place’ to be. Of course, you want all of that to happen — but teachers need to take the relationship much deeper.”

Lavery says that teachers need to know about students in terms of what type of learner they are, their special interests, their home situation and how all of those things factor into a child’s ability to learn.

“Teachers must hone in on what it takes for each and every student to become passionate about the unit. When each child comes through every morning, a great teacher will know that they just participated in a soccer final or that the family went away for the weekend to take care of a sick aunt. It has to be authentic.”

The reason, she says, is simple: Once teachers establish that level of a connection with students, it's easier to develop unit plans and lesson plans that take into account what students know and what motivates them.

“Without this strong relationship, students can go from being active learners to passive learners. What we know about the process of learning is that students need to be engaged. At Glasgow, we are determined to focus on cultivating the relationship, because the time we take to do that pays off in spades.”

Next: Plan and Teach for Student Learning

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