Creating a Christ-like Atmosphere in the Classroom

1. Creating a Christ-like Atmosphere in the Classroom Original presentation developed by: Larry D. Burton, PhD burton@andrews.edu

2. What Influences Atmosphere? • Physical environment • Emotional environment

3. Physical Environment • Order • Safety • Comfort

4. Action Pause • Stand up • Tell someone standing near you one of the blessings you have received this summer

5. Emotional Environment • Acceptance by peers • Acceptance by teacher • Academic trust/integrity • Emotional safety

6. Some Effects of Classroom Atmosphere on Learning • Downshifting • Physical safety • Emotional safety • Internal/External influences • Assigned tasks • Clarity • Value • Ability

7. Principles from the Ministry of Christ And How He Enacted Them

8. Order in the Physical Environment - 1 • Create order according to the activity • Arrange the classroom according to the audience/teaching method being used

9. Order in the Physical Environment - 2 • Form small groups

10. Order in the Physical Environment - 3 • Assign classroom assistants/classroom jobs • Allow for movement and change of locale

11. Safety in the Physical Environment • Manage classroom behaviors • Know when to stop your students from taking foolish actions • The mob at Nazareth

12. Interaction Pause • Think about the physical environment of your classroom(s) • What can you do to ensure safety, comfort, and order in your physical space? Write down 5 ideas • Share your ideas with a partner • Be ready to share with the whole faculty

13. Acceptance by Peers - 1 • Organize your students into small groups/teams for important assignments • Promote interdependence

14. Acceptance by Peers - 2 • Allow teams to develop (form, storm, norm, perform, transform) • Intervene in group processes to foster team development • What were you discussing along the way?

15. Acceptance by Teacher - 3 • Pray for your students • Connect with your students • Use their names/create nicknames

16. Acceptance by Teacher - 4 • Spend time with students outside of class • Visit students’ homes • Get to know students’ families

17. A Sense of Academic Trust • Make assignments reasonable • Make assignments relevant • Hold students accountable

18. Emotionally Safety - 1 • Respect for all children of God • Include the included • Include the marginalized • Include the excluded

19. Emotionally Safety - 2 • Advocate for your students • Protect your students from each other • Shield your students from hostile others until they are ready to stand alone

20. Interaction Pause • Think about the physical environment of your classroom(s) • What can you do to ensure a Christ-like emotional climate in your classes? Write down 5 ideas • Share your ideas with a partner • Be ready to share with the whole faculty

21. The Importance of the Teacher • We set the tone • We maintain the tone • We can make adjustments • Some preliminary research results

22. James 3:1 • “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly” (NIV) • It is only through the calling, the gifting, and the guiding of the Holy Spirit that we can be successful in the teaching ministry