Creating Productive Learning Environments

A time when Mrs. Cunico offered choice to her students? This week while preparing for Valentines Day Mrs. Cunico let her students decorate there own (however they wanted) Valentines Folder to collect all there Valentines. Mrs. Cunico also has silent reading time everyday, and she has chairs and bean bags all over her room, and she lets the students choose where they want to do there reading. She also likes to reward all her students for doing a good job, if she has a sub and get a good report back she gives them pick a card out of the bingo jar, there are other ways for the students to earn bingo cards. Once the students get a bingo, they have the choice of a few rewards. Last time they all wanted a pajama day / read-athon. This also shows Mrs. Cunico is recognizing and rewarding the hard work of her students. She is constantly complimenting her students on there good work. One thing I really notice, is when the class is kind of being wild, and not listening. She will look for a student who is obeying and being quiet and staying on task and compliment them in front of the class so that others hear that and want to do better too. 

Mrs. Cunico also establishes clear routine in the classroom, making it a productive learning environment. Everyday after lunch Mrs. Cunico does a read out loud, letting the students relax, and calm down from recess. The students know this happens everyday so they come in and sit down and relax. Another thing is after the afternoon recess they come in and get started on there "self starters" of math. It's a booklet and they fill out the page for the day. I feel its productive because students know whats expected of them. Also I feel like its not wasting time, they come in and start working right away. Time is already so short for everything you are trying to get done in a day, so it's nice not having them come in, quiet down, give them instructions. Instead they already know what to do. Mrs. Cunico writes on her board the daily schedule of what the students will be doing. The students like this because they know ahead of time when they are doing things like the library or P.E time. and Mrs. Cunico likes it because the students don't ask her a million times when they will be doing something.