Education Connection

WHAT MAKES A GREAT CLASSROOM?

As a parent, you want to make sure your child is getting the best education possible. But how do you know what to look for? Here are some ways to spot a great classroom.

General Characteristics

• Interaction among students, teachers, home and the community.
• Support for student-directed learning.
• Cooperative learning, with encouragement and collaboration among students.
• Language, arts, history, civics and math are emphasized.
• A focus on reasoning and problem-solving combined with simple recall of facts.
• A focus on events, issues, and concepts from the perspectives of diverse racial and ethnic groups.
• A connection to learning and education beyond high school.

The Classroom

• The classroom is filled with different kinds of learning materials: science centers, reading centers, listening centers, computers, etc.
• Reading materials other than textbooks are available.
• Student work is displayed throughout the room.

The Teacher

• You sense that the teacher likes the students and shows them respect.
• The teacher makes it clear that top performance is expected from all students.
• The teacher recognizes, reinforces and praises student performance.
• The teacher uses both individual and group learning activities.
• The teacher uses hands-on learning activities and examples relevant to the students.
• The teacher presents information to students in various ways.

The Students

• The students are actively involved in the learning process.
• The students treat one another and the teacher with respect.
• The students look like they're genuinely enjoying the learning process.