Positive Learning Environment for Teachers

I. How can teachers cultivate a positive learning environment for diverse learners?

A. What is a diverse Learner? (slide 2)

• The Diverse Learners committee defined diverse learners as those students who, because of gender, ethnic background, socioeconomic status, differing ability levels, learning styles or disabilities, may have academic needs that require varied instructional strategies to help them learn.

(http://faculty.tamu-commerce.edu/lwickersham/greatexplanations/pbl/traits.html)

B. Let’s see what this feels like. (slide 3)

C. Blue eyes and brown eyes (slide 4)

• When teachers first enter the meeting room, they will be separated based on their eye color.

• This activity will be implemented at the beginning of the year.

• Blue eye teachers will sit in a chair, while the brown eye teachers will have to stand.

• Each teacher will pair up with someone in their group and talk about their summer. However, the brown eye teachers can only communicate with paper and pencil.

D. Blue eyes and brown eyes continued (slide 5)

• After teachers discuss their summer for about 5 minutes, then each group will wait in their separate line to be served breakfast.

• The blue eye table will be catered, but the brown eye table will have cereal and toast.

E. Comic Strip activity (slide 6)

• Faculty is divided into groups of four, and each person in the group will receive a different comic strip.

• Each teacher will silently read their comic strip, then they report out to the group.

• Each comic strip describes the life of the diverse learner when they were in the home country.

F. Contrasting U.S. culture VS. Latin American Culture (slide 7)

• U.S. culture stresses the following characteristics: independence, self-reliance, individual achievement and cognitive development. (Rothstein-Fisch, 2008)

• Latin America culture emphasizes: interdependence, cooperation, family unity, modesty, respect and social development. (Rothstein-Fisch, 2008)

G. Individualistic...