Role of classroom environment

Date and Time  : 27-06-2020, 10:00 – 11:00 am

Facilitator: Satyawati Rawool and Narendra Deshmukh.

  • Deshmukh sir started the webinar by saying that aim of this webinar is to discuss the role of classroom environment in teaching learning process. We will discuss why & how the classroom environment is important in TLP.
  • Deshmukh sir explained following points:
    • What is the classroom environment?
    • Main factors of classroom environment (Classroom strength, class management, etc.)
    • Aspects of classroom climate (Intellectual, social, emotional, physical)
    • NCF 2005 guiding principles
    • School and classroom environment, space for Parents and community
    • Learning resources
    • Positive classroom environment, things to foster positive classroom environment
  1. Poorna ma’am said that to keep the Ashram school children in the flow of education, teachers in her school are going to different villages and visiting their students. During this visit, they are distributing textbooks to them, giving them information about Covid 19, asking them about their health and hygiene, etc. She herself has visited more than 21 villages (wadis) for this work. They are also planning to distribute worksheets to their students to solve at home.
  2. Sandhya Thakur ma’am shared her experience. She said that when she visited one of the Ashram schools she noticed that the classroom was very long and has only a door for ventilation. There was not even a proper mat for children to sit on. Though the physical environment of that classroom was not so good, she found that the children in that classroom were very lively, excited to talk with her. These children presented songs with action in front of ma’am and were looking very happy. Sandhya ma’am said that these very young children were far away from their family but were looking happy. And the credit of their happiness goes to their kind teachers. She also shared another experience that is contradictory to earlier mentioned experience. She said that she visited another Ashramschool having good infrastructure, proper classrooms but children in that school were sitting very quietly. Sharing this experience, she said that sometimes to maintain discipline in the school we make students taciturn. This should not happen. The classroom environment should be such that students should be able to ask questions coming in their mind easily and fearlessly to their teacher in the class.
  3. Chhaya madam said that in the current pandemic situation she is conducting online classes for students of grade 8 in her school. But due to network and internet issues and other problems all students aren’t able to attend these online classes. She mentioned that she is feeling bad as 100% students are not getting the benefit of online teaching. She asked the facilitator what can we do to solve this problem in the current situation?
  4. Sandhya ma’am replied to Chhaya ma’am question that in the current pandemic situation teachers are facing many problems everyday while teaching. But teachers should look at these problems as their homework. And should work on it everyday and should try their best to minimize these problems.
  5. Yogini madam said that she is teaching in a school where students from slum areas come to learn. These students often face many psychological problems and suffer from family issues. And school is the only place of relaxation for them. So, for such students a good classroom environment is very essential for their overall development and peaceful mind.
  6. Harshada madam mentioned that the rapport between teachers and students plays an important role in the classroom environment. She said that, the role of teachers in the school is just like a role of mother in the home (जशी घरी आई, तशा शाळेत बाई). When the classroom environment is such that students feel free to talk or share their feelings with their teachers, then the teaching learning process becomes effective in such an environment.

Report prepared by: Ms. Mayuri Pawar.