Creating a Supportive Classroom Environment
No strategy, no matter how masterful, will fail in its quest to create an interactive classroom if you do not cultivate a supportive classroom environment.
For a classroom to be interactive, students must first have confidence that anything they express will not be met with laughter or ridicule – reactions that significantly impact their confidence, mental well-being, and willingness to participate further.
As educators, you must lay the foundations for creating a supportive classroom environment, and there are two primary ways you can do this.
1. Establishing Classroom Norms
Discipline and classrooms go hand in hand. That said, it is not only about instilling authority and compliance. One way to do so is to establish clear guidelines on what is and is not acceptable behavior in a classroom.
One way to go about this is to get students involved in the conversation and establish classroom norms. Doing so will not only give them a sense of ownership of the norms, but it will also make them more likely to adhere to them.
You could also list them as a reminder and reinforce their importance.
2. Encouraging Active Listening
A second approach to creating a supportive classroom is to promote active listening. Succinctly put, active listening is a communication skill that goes beyond mere listening.
Here, the key is to actively participate in the conversation to understand better what they are listening to. This, in turn, makes the speaker feel heard and words valued.
Implementing Active Learning Techniques
Interaction in a classroom need not always be limited between teachers and students. Getting students to interact amongst themselves improves communication and interpersonal skills.
This classroom interaction technique encourages them to think critically and work as a team. Here are a few active learning techniques you can consider.
1. Group Discussions and Think-Pair-Shares
Group Discussions and Think-Pair-Shares are one way to engage students in their learning actively.
These techniques involve dividing the class into small groups or pairs and asking them to discuss a topic, question, or problem. Doing so increases active participation in a classroom and exposes them to new ideas and perspectives.
2. Flipped Classroom Models
Flipped Classroom Models are another exciting classroom interaction technique to improve interaction levels in a classroom. This approach to learning involves students taking control of their learning at their own pace.
This is done in the form of video lectures or reading assigned materials at home and then coming to class and discussing and sharing what they have learned.
Using Technology as a Tool
Interactively can be encouraged in other forms apart from the traditional to-and-fro speaking and listening techniques we have discussed thus far.
One way to take advantage of technology is to utilize it in the form of:
1. Online Discussion Forums
Online discussion forums are a great way to extend classroom interaction beyond a classroom’s physical boundaries and time constraints.
They can be especially beneficial to students who are not confident or strong communicators to express their ideas and opinions on the topic of discussion.
2. Polling and Interactive Tools
Polling and interactive tools are another great to make classroom interaction fun, engaging, and dynamic.
You can use these tools to make decisions or get suggestions from your students on what they feel about specific topics or how things are being done.
Diverse Assessment Methods
While assessments are primarily used to gauge student’s understanding of specific topics, they can also be used as an off-beat source to promote interaction in a classroom. Here are a few examples to consider:
1. Peer Assessments
Peer Assessments are a great way to enhance student interaction while cultivating a sense of responsibility, accountability, and self-regulation among them.
However, as an educator, ensure that any feedback adheres to strict rubrics that are positive and encouraging.
2. Oral Presentations
Oral Presentation is also a great way to encourage classroom participation and interaction.
Just as with group discussions, they are an excellent avenue for stimulating curiosity and critical thinking among students.
Encouraging Questioning and Critical Thinking
Finally, encourage questioning and critical thinking to improve interaction levels in your classroom. This can be done by:
1. Socratic Questioning
Socratic Questioning is a method of active learning that uses open-ended questions to help students develop their critical thinking skills.
The teacher asks questions and lets the students think critically about the topic. The students then interact and challenge their assumptions until everyone understands the topic better
2. Problem-Based Learning
Problem-based learning, on the other hand, is a technique where you present students with a problem to solve and then let them interact among themselves to come up with a solution for it.
These are great techniques that, while promoting interactively, also develop their problem-solving and out-of-the-box thinking skills and help them become strong communicators.
Conclusion
Effective classroom interaction is the key to unlocking students’ full potential. It is the foundation for a truly fulfilling educational experience.
It not only benefits students in numerous ways but also helps teachers gain a better understanding of their students. Teachers can gain access to information that they can then use to better the classroom environment to an endless cycle of improvement.
QFix is a web platform that offers multiple educational tools, such as online polls, quizzes, and discussion forums, that you can use to your advantage to help improve interaction in your classrooms.
In addition, QFix also offers a lot of automation solutions that free up valuable time that educators can spend interacting with their students.