My Ideal Learning Environment

With all the challenges educators face, it can be easy to get lost in the frustrations and road blocks. While those barriers are very real and deserve attention, our hopes and aspirations also deserve consideration. Have you pictured your ideal learning environment lately? I have. And it’s reinvigorating me.

Ideal

My ideal learning environment is one where students:

  • Guide their own learning by asking questions and following curiosities.
  • Explore ideas that pique their interest, thereby formulating their own units of study.
  • Work collaboratively with others both inside and outside of the classroom in an effort to pursue those interests.
  • Are encouraged to move freely while still understanding the importance of coming back together and being respectful to others.
  • Trust their own instincts and grow into responsible “decision-making” and “self-reliant” learners (Saxena, 2013).
  • Have access to the world, in whatever form that makes sense in that time and place.
  • Learn from one another.

My ideal learning environment is one where teachers:

  • Feel comfortable in stepping down from the stage and allow students to see that they don’t know everything, but they are interested in learning alongside their students.
  • Have ample opportunities for asking questions and taking risks while feeling supported and trusted.
  • Foster cross-curricular experiences to provide rich, well-rounded chances for learning.
  • Embrace the individual learning styles of each student.
  • Appreciate the students’ unique strengths and ideas and find ways to cultivate those individualities.
  • Can move fluidly between the roles of teacher and student.

Most importantly, my ideal learning environment is one where teachers and students respect each other. A community in which students still hold their teachers in high regard and value the guidance they provide. But also, a place where teachers respect their students, while encouraging them to share their gifts and speak with confidence. Finally, my ideal environment is one where students cooperate, collaborate and respect one another (Saxena, 2013).

What does your ideal learning environment look like?


References

Saxena, S. (2013, December 20). Top 10 characteristics of a 21st century classroom [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://edtechreview.in/news/862-top-10-characteristics-of-a-21st-century-classroom

Share

3 thoughts on “My Ideal Learning Environment

  1. YES! I am captured by this, “But also, a place where teachers respect their students, while encouraging them to share their gifts and speak with confidence.” How important it is for teachers to speak into a student’s life empowering them to share gifts and speak with confidence. I often hear about all the bad results of the “build your self-esteeem” vision. Your ideal learning environment moves beyond that platitude, and creates an environment where teachers are challenged to make a difference in the life of their students. To giver them the tools they need to see what they re already good at and help them do and say whatever that is boldly. We need more teachers who do just that–forget the sage on the stage and lets creator an empowering mentor who speaks truth to students so that they grow into who they are supposed to be! Thanks, Becky!!!

  2. Becky,
    I love the your environment starts with student descriptors and then moves to teacher descriptors. You’re really purposing the WHY of this shift which strengthens it. I’m looking forward to diving into your action plan with you!

  3. I’m late to comment here, but I really enjoyed reading these. They felt like a great synthesis of important research we’ve read, but are personalized by you and your perspective which I appreciated. I love that you said an idea learning environment has teachers who “Have ample opportunities for asking questions and taking risks while feeling supported and trusted.” How often are we told to question and risk-take as teachers? Not often…and it is such a powerful practice in our development. I also thought the idea of students “Explore[ing] ideas that pique their interest, thereby formulating their own units of study” is a concrete way of explaining personalized, self-drive learning. It could also be a really interesting regular project, not unlike genius hour. Most of all, I think the fact that your learning environment included not just the student, but also the teacher is great!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *