Mindfulness for NQTs: Classroom Environment

Recently, I've seen lots of tweets coming through my Twitter feed showing NQTs proud of having designed their classroom and showing off photos so we can all see. They look wonderful and they prompted this blog post. So up to now, these posts have focussed on you as a person and as a teacher in and outside of school, however as you've been showing the environment also matters and impacts students and teachers greatly.

Can you be mindful in setting up your classroom? If it is set up already then don't give yourself an added pressure to change it but think about how you will go forward. What will you have around the room, will you fill the walls or will you leave space, how will students know who and how you are when they walk into the classroom?

How will you display all the students for? How will you help them learn more from what is around them? Will you have words of encouragement or positive stories up around the room or will you include them during the day/ lesson?

Will the classroom feel a welcoming environment to walk in and spend time in? Are there quiet spaces to encourage students to do individual work or incorporate individual learning too especially for students who may thrive more in quiet learning environments?

So that is the physical feel of the classroom, however a major part of classroom environment is how it feels, how everyone interacts, what is the agreement within the room in terms of how students and teachers will talk to each other and how will everyone be supported.

All previous posts and those to follow cover behaviours, attitudes and how we can impact ourselves and help students and colleagues, however there is also the physical environment which plays its part. Maybe going out in nature will help too and changing the learning environment in other ways through visits and trips when permitted (during Covid-19, this may be different).

These tips will be shared all through August to prepare NQTs for this coming year. They can also be found across social media on my accounts.

Book your place on one of the 30 minute workshop every Wednesday through August through www.beingthebestyoucanbe.org only for £5.

Facebook: Being the Best You Can Be

Facebook group: Mindfulness and Compassion for Teachers, Educators and School Staff

Twitter: @alisonlaycock23